Caulk Between Window Sill And Masonry Ledge‏

Q: I have read two, opposite opinions about whether one should caulk between a windowsill and a masonry ledge under it. It is a 60-year-old brick and block house, and the window sills do not reach to the outside surface of the brick. Instead, there is a masonry ledge beneath the sill that goes past the brick. The ledge is slanted for
drainage.

One opinion I have read says not to caulk the joint to allow drainage. The other opinion, of course, says to caulk the joint.

Can any members with experience in renovation comment on this question?

BTW, most of the sills are in good shape and are made of cedar. Rot on some of the sills has been removed and repaired by splicing in solid PVC. In those cases, only the PVC is in contact with the ledges.

A: You do not want to caulk that joint, it is there to provide drainage to the outside of the window. If you caulk you will end up with water on the inside wall and floor.

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Question About A Window Frame‏

Q: I have one of the new energy saving windows vinyl. And this room is un even. I was cleaning the glass and I pulled it back in. I can push one the one side and it pops out. I try to slam it back in but same thing happens. And this long whit plastic fell out I guess it was to fill the gap or hide the gap between the frame and window. I have that in. But my question is can I use calking to fill the wood frame and the window?

A: Yes, you can use caulking - make sure you choose a caulking that will adhere to both wood and vinyl.

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Expired Silicone Caulking

Q. Yesterday I visited my brother-in-law's house where he asked me about a silicone problem he's having. He used an expired tube (expired 3 months ago) of GE Kitchen and Bath Silicone to the corners of his stairs. It was applied two weeks ago and has not cured. He said it didn't have the usual vinegar smell when applying it. The tube hadn't been opened before this application.

Is silicone this sensitive to its expiry date? Would the "no vinegar smell" have more to do with age or bad silicone?

Anyway, is there a bonding agent that could be applied by chance? With no better alternative, what's the best method to remove silicone?

A. Most chemicals have a limited package life because they are not packed in a vacuum, so some air does remain in the package.

I am not aware of any bonding agent. Razor blade knife, placed under the edge should remove the silicone relatively easily.

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Caulking Tip

When placing caulking around sinks, countertops, and bathtubs make sure that there is no soap film on the surfaces that you are going to caulk. Caulking will not stick to soap film!

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