What is Caulking and When do you Need to Replace it?

Caulking, which was once considered a solace, has now become very annoying and burdensome. An Epoxy Shower Caulk is a silicone or acrylic based substance that is applied to shower corners with the help of a specific tool. Not only in shower corners, caulk is used in many other places such as kitchen corners, tub sink, wall corners, taps, etc. The basic use of caulk is to seal the corner surfaces to prevent entry of water. Different types of caulk such as acrylic, silicone and others were invented but none could give satisfactory results. In this article, we shall go through the issues with caulking and also understand when you need to replace it. A caulk substitute can help you get rid of caulking issues completely.

Issues with Caulk:

• Shower Epoxy Caulk peels off in wet settings and damp surroundings.
• The moisture always present in showers also leads to mold breeding, which further deteriorates the caulk, often leaving a blackish green stain.
• When the weather conditions are too dry, caulk shrinks and cracks, which leads to gaps in the corners. Water gets stagnant in the gaps and leads to mold development. You will also find mold on caulk and on the corners often due this dampness. Mold and mildew when left ignored lead to respiratory and eye problems along with reeking a foul odor.
• Caulk deteriorates rather quickly, leading to an increase in mold and mildew.
• Use of caulk does nothing for your hygiene, but in fact, decreases it.

When do you Need to Replace Old Caulk?

If you find your caulk peeling, cracking or getting black, then it is time to replace it. Many contractors might even suggest you use a caulk filler in the cracked or peeling areas as if applying a band-aid. But if you replace it with a fresh layer of caulk again, you will find yourself with similar issues after a few months. This way, you will get into a loop, leading to waste of money and time every few months. A better option would be to use a caulk substitute that is temperature and water-resistant and a product that offers permanent solutions.

Areas Where Caulking Fails

There are several areas in a home where caulk is used. But it fails every time. It does not deliver long-lasting results.

• Caulk used in Bathtub – Caulk is used to seal the corners where the bathtub meets the wall. When caulk deteriorates, water seeps in, leading to mold and germ breeding. This caulk also may crack or peel off in some months, causing water stagnation and further hygiene issues. It also eventually turns blackish, deteriorating the look of your surface. A bathtub with a dirty caulk feels very appealing to bathe and also spreads infections.
• Caulk used in Sinks – Caulking is also done to seal your kitchen or bathroom sink to the wall. As this area is continuously exposed to water splashes, caulk deteriorates soon. It is not water-resistant or weather-resistant for long and hence soon starts peeling or cracking, leading to water stagnation, water penetration and eventually mold and germ breeding.
• Caulk used in Shower Floor and Wall Corners – Again, this place is most susceptible to water splashes and to avoid water penetration, you seal the corners using caulk. But as caulk is not resistant to water for long, it starts peeling and cracking and eventually develops gaps where water collects. Moreover, the penetrated water also leads to mold and mildew breeding. Your shower floor becomes very unhygienic and apart from the bad odor and unsightly appearance, it may also spread diseases.

What is a Better Solution?

There are some new age epoxy resin sealers available in the market, which seal your shower corners perfectly without ever popping off from the surface. This incredible caulk substitute product is Sentura – a two-part pigmented flexible solvent based epoxy/resin, formulated with a 1200psi adhesion, which ensures that it never pops out from the surface. It protects the floor from bacteria and stains which breed in shower corners. Sentura never cracks in dry settings like caulk. Sentura can be pigmented in over 40 colors to make the shower area look very natural.

pFOkUS – one of the leading manufacturers of home restoration products highly recommends you all to use Sentura – caulk substitute to seal all the corner areas in your homes and commercial complexes.