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That moment I realized my 6 year old caulk was actually turning clear, not matching white

Pulled off a baseboard last weekend in my 1920s bungalow in Cleveland and saw the caulk had basically turned to see-through rubber, the bathroom window sill looked 3 shades darker on one side from water seeping in for god knows how long, anyone else ever just assume caulk lasts forever until you actually look close at it?
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3 Comments
coleman.gray
That "assume caulk lasts forever" part hit close to home. I pretty much learned the hard way that caulk has a shelf life just like anything else in a house. The stuff gets brittle and shrinks over time, especially around windows where it's baking in the sun. If you're already pulling baseboards, might as well scrape it all off and recaulk while you're at it.
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elizabeths51
That six year mark sounds about right... I redid my own 1920s bathroom in Pittsburgh last year and found the old caulk had shrunk so bad there was a quarter inch gap letting water run behind the tile.
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kellyjones
kellyjones20d ago
@elizabeths51 quarter inch? omg that's terrifying lol
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