Removing silicone!

[Raya]

Hmm, I got curious and decided to look up the MSDS on Armorall and WD-40.

Armorall says it has 30% - 40% "Silicone Emulsion." Yikes! Keep that away from MY trailer and vehicles .

Here's a link to the Armorall MSDS (by the way, there were about 40 MSDS listed for the various Armorall products; this one is for the basic protectant):

http://tinyurl.com/6dwtob

As for WD-40, I can't tell for sure. No silicone is listed, but there are unspecified "non-hazardous ingredients." Still, since silicone is listed on the Armorall MSDS, I wonder if that means it's classified as hazardous, and would therefore indicate that if it isn't specifically mentioned as an ingredient in WD-40 it isn't there.

Here's a link to the WD-40 MSDS:

http://tinyurl.com/3nlvta

Boy, sneaky with the silicone, aren't they...

Raya

[Pete Dumbleton]

I found a product at Wally, made IIRC by 3M, that said it was Silicon Remover and it worked for me -- I haven't run across it since. Here're the Google results:

http://www.tapecase.com/p.170.41/3m-adhesi...er-3m-6040.aspx

The MSDS sez it is Citrus Extract and Propane!

http://wwhardware.com/media/products...49048_MDSS.txt

[Rick kl]

I would like to try that 3M product does anybody know where to buy it in Canada?

Silicone emulsion is the stuff chev dealers sell to put on your weatherstripping around the doors to make them swell up and look new, I don't think its anything dangerous heres the MSDS

http://www.clearcoproducts.com/pdf/msds/si...ood-Grade35.pdf

[Jennifer Olson]

I'm restoring my scamp now. I don't know why they used SO MUCH caulk..??

[Curtis F.]

I like to use butyl "tape" for this, but -- depending on what material your item is made of -- there are other options (such as polyurethane caulk). I always use a quality product even if it costs a bit more, because, like painting, there's much more work in the prep and doing the job than there is cost in the sealant.

Raya

Can you recommend a good polyurethane that is not black, brown, or gray? I need to re-seal a roof to side seam on another trailer. It's the beige like the trillium.

[Raya]

Sika and 3M are both good brands. They also both make white, although it can yellow when exposed to sunlight over the long term.

Sika's 291 is one polyurethane; 3M's 4200 is one of theirs. These both fall into the "semi-permanent" category. In other words, they are very strong, but will come off without dynamite when you need to re-do them

3M now makes "4000," of which the white is not supposed to yellow, but I have not used it (or heard enough from others) to be able to make a recommendation. It's not a polyurethane, but has similar properties from what I can tell.

You could also potentially consider a polysulfide - is this metal to metal you are sealing... or?

Raya

[Curtis F.]

Mainly fiberglass and aluminum, with some plastic end caps. It is an 1989 30' Award travel trailer. Aluminum roof and fiberglass side walls and nose cone.

I couldn't find the Polyurethane 300 (temporarily can't recall the brand) I was looking for that was mentioned on another site. Got some "PL Polyurethane Premium Construction" adhesive. Except for the color, yellowish brown (looks like newborn baby poop), it looks pretty sturdy. Some travel and time will tell the story.

Previous owner had made liberal use of silicone to seal the roof to side wall seam and everything else on the exterior.

[Mike Whitney]

So I bought a boler and the previous owner must have emptied a dozen tubes of silicone in various ackard places. He was using it on the soggy west coast. Any advice about removing it? tools? solvents?

There's silicone all around the top surface of the middle seam. Anyone actually found this to be useful?
Also over bolts he sent through the hull (the horror) and over rivets holes.

Thanks for any advice.

Crystal

Hi Crystal -
I can't really hold a candle to the wealth of knowledge offered here already. However, I'm in the same boat (or trailer, rather) as you, and I'm currently in the process of removing the caked-on silicon from the last window on my 'new-to-me' trailer.

I found the comments RE the acrylic scraper and white gas to work the best. There were no plastic 'razors' to be found here locally, but tonight I found an even more effective approach (after a week of scraping, scrubbing, dousing with gas etc.)

I had some contractor solvent lying around (http://www.homehardware.ca/Products/index/...nd_cntrctr_12oz). This stuff works very well at penetrating the silicon.

I first removed the bulk of it with a painter's tool called a '5-in-1'. It's not razor-sharp, but has a good edge on it, that, when used carefully, will remove the beads of caulk quite well. I've found this tool to be the most effective. I haven't scratched the gel coat once and the PO of my trailer must have gotten tips from your PO b/c everything that could be caulked on the trailer was.

Anyway - that's my 2 cents. I'm by no means a pro - just offering what's worked for me. If I had to do it all again, these are the two tools I'd use. If you're not sure what a 5-in-1 is, here's a link:

http://www.homehardware.ca/Products/index/...aper_putty_5in1

Oh - 1) scrape the bulk of the bead off with the 5-in-1, then spray with solvent, wipe with rag - I found two applications removed all residue, and then I hit it with methyl hydrate on a rag to remove any residue from the solvent.

Mike

[Roger H]

I have just had to remove a shower enclosure in my house that our contractor glued in with 100% silicone caulk. Unfortunately, he even used it to seal against our "new" textured tile floor. Trimming the residual down with a razor blade scraper and then liberally applying Goo-Gone to the residue letting it sit for 10 minutes and then applying the scraper again takes it off completely and with very little work. Goo-Gone is a combination of mineral spirits and citrus oils.

It sure worked nicely in my bath!

Roger

[Bob H]

Here's a good place to show everyone a...
"Silicone Horror Story"...


This is the handiwork of the fella who I bought my Scamp from...


Seems he used the cover off of a mobilehome water heater door...


I guess when "Monster Trucks" wasn't on TV he'd be out back using a tube of silicone...


...and his trusty finger to gob it on...I just wished he had washed his finger...


"before" & "after"...lucky for me the door was attached by only the silicone. I used rivets and a bead of window cauk...can you see my cauking? I think NOT!

The inside wasn't much better...EVERY seam had been "cauked"(Including between sections of "Elephant Skin".) ...a la "finger"

3 years now, I'm still scraping silicone.

ConwayBob

[Raya]

Holy mackerel!

Scary (although the way you wrote it made me laugh).

Raya