Sticking down lifted silicone - window frames

[ChilliBob]

Guys, the silicone bead on one side of our bedroom window is starting to lift a little. Being attached to the window I don't really feel like removing it and redoing it...

Is it possible to stick down some edges which have lifted?

Or, a wider bead over the top, or, something else? Caulk seems a bad idea but I'm not too sure.

Suggestions most welcome, edit, some pics below.

 

[ChilliBob]

 

[just pumps]

Remove, clean and dry the area and do it again is the only way.

 

[ChilliBob]

 

[ChilliBob]

Yeah, I am thinking that's the only decent solution. Never done it around window frames before, only in bathrooms or floors (with limited success!).

I have found my profiling kit though so will give it a go on some scrap and see how I get on.

Only the master bedroom, a window I'll look out of all the time, no pressure lol

 

[ChilliBob]

Well it's all (mostly!) out now. Was skankier than I thought and came out mostly quite easily. Now to practice for the more tricky bit

 

[just pumps]

Clean the area first or the same thing will happen.

 

[opps]

Silicone is the wrong product in the first place. It works well with the uPVC but not with the painted plaster.

They use it because it is cheap, quick and won't shrink back.

IMO, I would rather see them use filler and sand it back when cured but they (understandably) they don't want to return the following day.

They could use MS polymers but they are up to 10 times more expensive (and more difficult to work with).

If you do decide to use silicone again, paint first and then use a silicone smoothing tool (with dilute washing up liquid). Silicone will not stick to dilute washing up liquid.

 

[ChilliBob]

Interesting, thanks Opps. I somehow (a lot going on at the moment) cross posted on Screwfix whilst reading on something else on there unrelated. Someone on there suggested acrylic frame sealant too. The name certainly makes sense.

I guess by ms polymers the popular ones would be Ct1, ob1 and thay gang right? I have used before, amazing stuff, but a pain to use, I got it everywhere!

 

[opps]

Yeah, CT1 and OB1 are ms polymers.

Acrylic frame sealant may shrink back depending on the depth of gap.

MS polmers, as you have discovered, are more difficult to work with. Some are more sticky than others. A friend of mine used to restore sliding sash windows. He preferred using Stixall

Stixall Adhesive & Sealant 290ml White | Toolstation

• Works under water • Over paintable • High bond strength • Interior and exterior use Hybrid PMS polymer technology. Combined building adhesive and sealant, bonds and seals virtually everything to anything. Water resistant, can be applied to wet surfaces.

www.toolstation.com

The primary reasons were that it is cheaper and has more body (ie it is thicker).

I tend to buy CT1 because that is what my local supplier sells.

You can dip your profiling tool (or finger) in white spirit to smooth it. If you use filler (and then prime it) you will only need a very small bead of "caulk" which will be much easier to work with. For those kind of gaps, I fill with the likes of Red Devil OneTime or Toupret Redlite. They are lightweight (premixed) fillers. They are quite soft though, so do not be overly aggressive with the nozzle on the caulking gun when it is time to caulk it.

 

[ChilliBob]

Interesting. The gap is very small all around 1mm at most I'd say.

I actually have a tube of Stixall which a wooden floor fitter left for me. Interesting, I thought it was basically a variant of gripfill/pinkgrip type stuff as opposed being like Ct1.

I'll take a picture of the gaps I'm dealing with. I looks much nicer already with the manky silicone gone.

 

[ChilliBob]

I'd actually say it's less than 1mm. Window ledge to window this is the *widest* gap.

Window frame to reveal, again, essentially no gap.

 

[ChilliBob]

I've seen the red devil you mention, which I also saw recommended on some decorating you tube video last night coincidentally.

Red Devil OneTime Caulk Sealant 380ml

Red Devil OneTime High performance caulk and professional acrylic sealant. This is a flexible filler and has excellent joint movement capability +/- 12% and has a 12 year guarantee. Resistant to mould this filler / sealant can be applied to internally or externally and will adhere to most...

paintwell.co.uk

A very thin bead of that may be enough perhaps. Doesn't look like I'd need an 8mm bead or anything really

 

[opps]

I've seen the red devil you mention, which I also saw recommended on some decorating you tube video last night coincidentally.

Red Devil OneTime Caulk Sealant 380ml

Red Devil OneTime High performance caulk and professional acrylic sealant. This is a flexible filler and has excellent joint movement capability +/- 12% and has a 12 year guarantee. Resistant to mould this filler / sealant can be applied to internally or externally and will adhere to most...

paintwell.co.uk

A very thin bead of that may be enough perhaps. Doesn't look like I'd need an 8mm bead or anything really

My bad, I was referring to the tubs of Red Devil OneTime. I have never used their caulk.

I am not a fan of 380ml tubes because I cannot bend the nozzle when I need to. My preferred caulk is Everbuild 125 (300ml)- I can get it for £1.15 if I buy a box of 12. I used to be happy to pay twice as much for Dow Painter's Mate but they changed the formulation a few years ago. Over the years I have tried about 25 different caulks.

 

[ChilliBob]

So you're suggesting a simple filler as you'd use anywhere else on the walls say to, cover holes from raw plugs, cracks etc?

As opposed to a bead of something which at the moment looks to be either acrylic frame sealant or acrylic caulk - I can't actually see a difference between them tbh. Even in everbuild website comparison it seemed both could be internal or external, over paintabley, flexible etc!

I guess you would expect a window to expand and contract with heat from outside and from the room - perhaps that's where the flexible element of frame sealant or caulk comes in?