Hey guys，
I want to remove old silicone and reseal in our shower joint. After removing the surface, I found inside has those grey stuff, it’s soft, not sure if it’s old silicone. Just wondering should I take out those as well?
Hi @s14664,
It's a bit of a tough one to identify based on the photos alone. It doesn't look like it is part of a waterproofing membrane, because I would expect to see it running along the whole back of the join if that was the case, but I can't be 100% positive of this.
Does it feel squishy and is it relatively thick?
To me, it looks like either old silicone or tile adhesive, in which case it should be fine to remove it, but I'd still be careful not to go too deep as it could damage the substrate.
You don't really need to remove absolutely everything from the join, just enough so that the new silicone can solidly bond to edge of the both the wall and floor tile. If it is within let's say 3-5mm of the front edge of those tiles, remove it, if not, it shouldn't really come in contact with the new silicone, in which case it can stay.
Allow me to tag some knowledgeable members to see what they think - @R4addZ, @Nailbag, @Dave-1.
Jacob
Hi @s14664
Are these painted tiles because you may need to redo the paint first if you want a truly smooth finish.
There is little no silicone along the bottom rather than a hardened epoxy type filler. It was put there as part of a cosmetic makeover of painted tiles which, @R4addZ suggested. Potentially the same up the wall corners. I've had to deal with this scenario several times and it's not an easy job compared to straight silicone.
I have a Dremel rotary tool that I used with a pointed grinding wheel to get the loose sections outs. Plus an old large blade screwdriver I shaped the end with my grinder. As @JacobZ pointed out, you don't need to remove it all. In fact you shouldn't incase you compromised the waterproofing. You just need enough out in order to apply a good bead of wet area silicone.
If you plan is to also repaint the tiles, you will want to prepare that surface first.
Nailbagyour
Afternoon @s14664
I would be hesitant about going too deep as well. The advice from @JacobZ , @R4addZ and @Nailbag is also what I would be following. And Yeah I hadnt even thought of if you are repainting to do it first :) I'll file that one away for future use for sure.
Dave
Hey @Dave-1, @Nailbag, @R4addZ and @JacobZ. Thanks so much for your suggestions.
Yes, all tiles in the shower were painted by previous owner when selling. I removed small section of material inside the gap. It feels soft and probably around 5mm. I will leave the rest along, cleaning the surface and seal it. Also will definitely think of repainting or not. Thanks for reminding me.
Regards,
Bo
