Caulking

[luigi49]

Just recommend one that does not inhibit mildew for the shower.  I have used silicone and almost every tube that say resist mold but every 2 years I have to remove the old one and find I have to replace it with new caulk.  That is the difficult part - removing.

So any recommendations and experience?

[LDoon]

In my experience, replacing every 2 years is pretty standard, when using mold resistant caulk (otherwise would be every 6 months I suppose)

I've tried the caulk-be-gone solutions for supposedly making removal easier, but it didn't work well for me.  To make removal easier, use more caulk.  Thicker lines won't snap when pulling and you should be able to gentle pull large portions.  It's the super thin lines of caulk that takes all the work to remove.

[Nords]

Just recommend one that does not inhibit mildew for the shower.  I have used silicone and almost every tube that say resist mold but every 2 years I have to remove the old one and find I have to replace it with new caulk.  That is the difficult part - removing.
So any recommendations and experience?

In general, the more expensive the caulk the better it performs and the longer it lasts.  Every time I've bought budget-priced caulk, I've regretted it.

Your mildew is not a caulk problem-- it's a moisture problem.  We caulked our tub/shower with kitchen&bath caulk (including mildewcide) several years ago and it's still spotless.  We caulked our kitchen counters with silicon at least five years ago and it's still flawless.

You would do better to focus on a way to improve the ventilation in the shower (windows or a more powerful exhaust fan) or to use a water-shedding spray on the walls after you're finished using the shower... something like a Lysol or an alcohol-based spray that will help move the water off the walls and into the drain.  Of course the Mustachian approach would be to squeegee the water off the walls and then finish drying them with a washcloth, but I learned that habit on submarines and carried it over to retirement.

[soccerluvof4]

I agree with the previous 2 callers. Inprove your ventilation first.  One of the biggest mistakes is people dont have a big enough gap between floor and bathroom door. Secondly put in a larger or new exhaust fan and make sure it is vented out. So many people dont exhaust them out you would be surprised. Then a good caulk and keep dry as much as you can.

[GuitarStv]

I agree with everyone else in this thread.  Ventilation is key to preventing mold.  That said . . .

It's a common problem for people to feel that their caulk is inadequate.  Don't fall prey to those "enhanced caulk" spam emails.  Remember it's all in how you apply the caulk, not the size (of your mold resist label).

[Russ]

It's only natural for some caulks to last longer than others. If you want your caulk to last longer, alcohol, as Nords suggested, might help.  Just don't use too much or it could actually be damaging.

[Miss Growing Green]

I agree with everyone else in this thread.  Ventilation is key to preventing mold.  That said . . .

It's a common problem for people to feel that their caulk is inadequate.  Don't fall prey to those "enhanced caulk" spam emails.  Remember it's all in how you apply the caulk, not the size (of your mold resist label).

:D ha!

[Milspecstache]

On the ventilation note I installed a humidity-sensing automatic vent fan in our master bath.  It comes on at a certain humidity and then a timer runs it for a certain time before shutting down.  It was expensive ($250 I believe for the unit) but I believe worth it because it will prevent mold/mildew/other problems and it is so good the mirror never even fogs up.