How to Caulk a Plastic Shower Surround
Plastic shower surrounds are designed as a modern replacement for old-fashioned tile shower surrounds. The idea is to completely seal off the walls around the shower with watertight sheets of plastic. However, even the best plastic surround is going to have some seams between the plastic pieces, which need to be sealed in caulk to maintain the moisture protection. If you haven't caulked before, practice on some scrap wood before you start. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Bleach
- Sponge
- Caulk (same color as the plastic shower surround)
- Caulk gun
- Utility knife
- Long framing nail
Instructions
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1
Wet your sponge with water. Add a little bleach. Wipe down seams in the plastic shower surround. Let dry.
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2
Load a caulk tube into your caulk gun by first pulling the long metal rod that's on the back of the gun all the way out as far as it will go. Set the tube into the gun back-end first, then push the front end -- the end with the plastic tip on it -- into the gun. Use your utility knife to cut approximately 3/8 inch off the tip of the caulk tube at a diagonal angle. This should create a hole about 1/4 inch wide.
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3
Push your framing nail down into the hole to break the seal inside. Compress the caulk gun's trigger to push the caulk up through the hole. Trip the pressure-release latch at the back end of the gun to stop the caulk from flowing.
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4
Press the tip of the caulk tube onto the end of one of the seams in the plastic shower surround, with the gun at a diagonal angle to the seam. Compress the trigger until the caulk comes out. Begin drawing the gun backward along the line.
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5
Pull the gun all the way along the line slowly, expelling the caulk onto the seam. Keep the line as smooth and consistent as possible as you work. Run it all the way to the end of the seam.
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6
Raise the tip of the gun off the surface at the end of the line. Hit the release latch to stop the caulk.
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7
Wet your thumb under the sink faucet. Run your thumb along the line you just laid, smoothing it out.
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8
Repeat each line in the shower. Let it dry for 24 hours.
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