Caulk is of course a fantastic material, something that you use to seal bathtubs, sinks, urinals, and so much more. This is something designed to allow for waterproofing and gap sealing, but that said, what happens if your caulk gets wet before it fully dries and cures?
While it may sound like no big deal, actually, there are a few bad things that could happen if caulking gets wet before it is 100% cured. We will talk about all of these negative consequences, as well as some tips on how to ensure that your caulk cures fast and properly.
4 Things That Can Happen If Caulk Gets Wet Before Curing
Let’s start with the consequences.
#1: It Could Split
Although this one is somewhat unlikely, what could happen if your caulking gets wet before it completely cures is that it can develop splits and cracks, which would of course completely defeat the purpose of applying the caulking in the first place.
#2: It May Not Bond to the Surface
One of the most likely things that will happen if your caulking gets wet before it’s cured is that it just won’t bond to the surfaces that you want it to bond to. Once the caulking does dry and cure, it may not be completely bonded to the surface, thus leaving cracks where moisture can seep through. Moreover, the caulking may actually just peel right off of the surface.
#3: It Will Take Long to Cure
Although this is not a massive issue if you have plenty of time to spare, if the caulk gets wet before it is completely cured, it will take much longer to dry and cure. If caulking gets wet, it may never fully dry and cure, especially if it is constantly wet. Caulking that does not cure or dry in a timely manner often loses a lot of its efficacy. Caulking taking too long to cure is not a good thing, and not only because waiting for several days is annoying.
4. Possible Mold and Mildew Issues
The other thing that might happen if caulking takes too long to dry and cure is that mold and mildew may develop. Mold and mildew spores may actually be able to take hold within that still wet caulking. This can lead to some serious mold and mildew growth down the line.
How Long Does Caulk Take to Cure?
In terms of how long caulk takes to dry, it can be dry to the touch in as little as 30 minutes. With that being said, drying and curing are not the same things. Depending on a variety of factors it could take as long as up to 10 days for caulking to completely cure.
First of all, it does depend on what kind of caulking you use. There are also many other factors that will affect how long caulking takes to cure, which include the following:
- How humid the air is will affect caulking curing time. The more humid the air is, the longer your caulk will take to cure.
- Simply put, the more caulking you use and the larger the gap is that you have to fill, the longer it will take to dry and cure.
- Airflow plays a role too. Generally speaking, the more airflow an area has, the faster caulk will dry and cure.
- If you applied other substances over the caulking, such as paint before it was able to totally cure, then it can make the curing process last much longer.
5 Tips to Speed Up Caulk Curing Time
If you are in a hurry, you can use some of the following tips in order to speed up caulking curing time. If you use a combination of the tips as outlined below, you should be able to make your caulking here within just a couple of days.
#1: Work in Proper Temperatures
To make sure that caulking cures as quickly as possible, you need to use it in proper temperatures. Generally speaking, you want to work in roughly room temperature conditions. If the air is far too cool, it’s going to make the caulking take far too long to dry. This is why performing any sort of caulking jobs in the winter is not recommended. Warm and dry air is the best type of environment to perform this kind of job in.
#2: Make Sure There Is Airflow
Something that will help caulking dry and cure faster is if there is plenty of airflow in the area. So, if you are working indoors and it is fairly dry outside, you can always just open some windows. If that is not an option, turn on some air fans and aim them in the direction of the caulking. The more airflow there is, the faster this process will go.
#3: Control the Humidity
Another vital tip that you can follow to speed up caulking curing time is to control the humidity in the room. Yes, airflow will help decrease the humidity, but something else you can do is to get yourself a simple dehumidifier that will literally pull moisture right out of the air.
#4: Only Apply as Much as Needed
In order to make caulking dry and cure as quickly as possible, make sure that you only apply as much as needed. The more you apply, the longer it will take to dry and cure, which means that super thick layers can take many weeks to completely cure.
#5: Make Sure It’s Even
Another thing that can make it take much longer for caulking to cure is if your lines or beads are uneven. Even caulking always cures much faster and better.
4 Things to Avoid Doing While Your Caulk Is Curing
Here we also have some tips for you to follow that will help you achieve the best possible results when caulking an indoor area.
#1: Don’t Paint or Add More
If the caulking is not yet fully cured, don’t add more overtop and don’t paint over it. Adding more layers overtop of uncured caulking is going to make the curing process last much longer.
#2: Don’t Use the Area
Caulking needs to have dry air in order to cure properly. Therefore, when it comes to an area like a bathroom, you need to avoid using it until the caulking is cured. Even small amounts of moisture can have negative effects here. Therefore, you want to avoid using the bathroom totally.
#3: Don’t Forget Moisture Control
Until the caulk is totally cured, there is really no point in turning off the air fans or the dehumidifier.
#4: Don’t Mess with It
Something that you definitely don’t want to do while caulking is still curing is to mess with it. In other words, just don’t touch the stuff until you know that it is completely cured.
How to Tell If Your Caulk Has Cured?
If the caulking is dry to the touch, rubbery, and quite pliable, then it is cured. In other words, it should feel like a dry and somewhat soft piece of rubber. Moreover, if you have followed all packaging directions, and the tips as outlined here today, it really should not take more than a few days for curing to happen.
Summary
We hope that we have been able to help you make your caulking dry faster. Remember, don’t use the area, and by no means should uncured caulking get wet. If you follow all of the tips as outlined here today, you should not have any issues with your next caulking project.