How Do I Fix Gap?

How to Remove Old Caulk From a Tub, Shower, or Sink

https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-remove-old-caulk-1824827

Hi! The caulk is a good idea because you don't want water going through that gap. There are also trims in many different compositions that are much more attractive to finish off a gap. If it were mine, I would make sure the gap was filled with a good quality silicone caulk and then hide it with some narrow trim. Good luck and stay safe!

First remove the existing caulk (buy a tool to remove the caulk, makes the job easier) and then clean the area really well, making sure there is no remaining flecks of caulk or any kind of debris. Rubbing alcohol is good to use, let dry. Tape off the lines above and below where the new caulk is going to be, this makes a clean edge. Apply silicone caulk to seal the gap, cover with rounded molding of your choice.

You can find the caulk removing tool pretty inexpensively at Lowes and Home Depot.

Hello there,

You can buy a Plastic roll of sealer to do this job, Ask at your DIY store or buy online.

The easiest thing would be to remove the old caulk and recaulk the seam, but since you don't like the look, why not add a bit of molding to it instead? Decorative molding or quarter-round might be just what you want.

You can scrape away the old silicone and add some new

You can remove the old. Maybe think about a piece of 1x4 as a sort of backsplash then seal up well and caulk. That will help eliminate a repeating problem.

Clean out the old and add a decorative piece of wood or plastic trim. Home Depot has a lot of options in both. Add a thin bead of caulk and let dry. Add the trim and glue to the counter with Loctite adhesive. If you use a piece of wood trim paint and seal with poly for durability.

Thanks, everyone! I might try the idea of recaulking and adding trim. This area seems to need new caulk every three years or so!

Now here is the best tool for this I;ve seen in a long time.... https://duno.co/product/caulk-finishing-tool-set/

Hi Lauren, you could seal it one more time then put a nice molding over it, it will hide the gap and you won't need to recaulk it every time it opens, you could also add shims to fill more of the gap before caulking.

The vanity and wall move differently under changing temperature conditions. If you recaulk make sure you use a 100% silicone caulk. Stays more flexible. Another option is add thin molding to cover the gap (but UUGH). Have you thought of a backsplash that would cover the gap. Even still you would need to caulk.

Hi Lauren. You should begin with a clean surface, so removing the existing caulk is very important. Scrape it out with a screw driver or a putty knife. (If you run into stubborn caulk that you can't get loose, use a utility blade to score the top and bottom.) After all the old caulk is removed, re-caulk it with a quality caulk. Let it dry. Then add a decorative trim. Take your measurements with you to buy the trim. Home Depot will cut the trim for free if you buy it there. Good luck.

Add 1/4 round wood trim along it

Is this gap on the counter ? if yes caulking would do but it needs to be re-applied every several months . It it is a floor then quarter round trim should be perfect

It just needs some chalking. Looks like a countertop to me this is the one we like to use....https://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-Commercial-165-Delorean-Gray-10-1-oz-Silicone-Caulk-CCSC165/202753935?NCNI-5

Hi, First you need to remove the existing caulk. Then you need to buy a good caulk. Alex Plus is guaranteed to last for 35 years and fills areas up to 1 inch thick. Or you can buy GE silicone caulk, which is harder to work with but worth it. Caulk can be painted to whatever color you want. You should not put in a wood trim in the bathroom as the water will rot the wood.

Remove the existing caulk and re apply or put a tile edge down.

You could try finding a complimentary color/pattern of marble or stone premade backsplash, about 4 inches high. Go to your local countertop shop and see if they have a remnant you can get for cheap. Seal around it with a sanded caulk, which you can find in the tile dept. It will look better than regular caulk.

You can remove all old caulking with a scraper or olfa knife and re caulk. Make sure corner is clean and dry . This may have to be done every few years...

Your house is still under warranty. Go back to the builder and politely demand they repair "to current building code" and don't let them ignore you. Contact a Construction Defect attorney if you need help. If it is a custom home, you are entitled to your money's worth.

You could go to Home Depot and get a small wood bead it’s a 3/4 round piece of wood it will fit right in the edge to cover that all up then just paint it white

Get the old stuff off, add a bead of clear silicone for preventing water damage, and then add a strip of Cove Mold trim. Always comes out really nice and that’s what we use in the houses we do work on. Don’t use quarter round, that goes on the floor I front of the baseboards so it won’t look right

I agree with Annie's comment above about houses settling. Also, I am wondering if the top of the vanity is indeed level? Check it out.

If the house has shifted/settled even slightly, it may have resulted in the front of the cabinet being slightly lower than the back. This can lead to the unit pulling away from the wall and a widening gap that needs to be filled.

If the vanity top is not level, the front of the cabinet can be shimmed up to bring it back into alignment with the wall.

I would remove old caulking, re-caulk, and do a beautiful backsplash.

Caulking .. but it all depends where is that gap