morgan898•21d agoProlific Poster

I finally threw away $40 on a caulk that dried out in the tube after one use

I bought a nice big tube of silicone caulk for sealing around my shower, used it once last month, and when I went to use the leftover today it was a solid rock in the tube. No matter what I did it wouldn't come out even with a new nozzle. Has anyone found a trick to keep caulk tubes fresh between uses.

3 comments

3 Comments

jesse_green5520d ago

You're paying $40 for a single tube of caulk and then complaining it dried out? That's the real issue here. Go to the hardware store and buy the cheap $3 tubes instead, problem solved. Siliconized acrylic is fine for most bathroom work and you won't cry over losing a few bucks when it sets up. Plus those small tubes force you to just finish the job in one go instead of leaving leftovers to rot. Why overthink something that costs less than a fast food meal?

cole99415d ago

Honestly, I think the real problem is how people store the stuff. I used to toss tubes in the garage where it'd freeze and thaw and that kills the sealant way faster than air exposure. Keep it in a closet at room temp and even the expensive stuff lasts way longer.

grace_gonzalez4620d ago

Did you catch that Consumer Reports article a few months back about caulk longevity? They tested all kinds of brands and the cheaper stuff actually held up better in some cases because of how it was packaged. I remember them saying those expensive tubes often have a smaller nozzle and the sealant itself gets exposed to more air during storage, which is why it dries out faster. To be honest, I've used both the cheap tubes and the pricy ones and the only real difference I noticed was the flex time before it starts to skin over. The $3 tubes work fine for a weekend job and you just toss the rest without a second thought.