My contractor used white silicon caulk on my quartz tri-colored brand new bathroom countertop, smearing it in a wide swath on all the seams where backsplash meets the countertop. My quartz countertop is black, brown, and tan spots on a vanilla background. This pure white caulk looks hideous. Want to know how to remove the caulk and does it even need caulking since the backsplash was sealed underneath where it sits on the countertop – there are no gaps. The new bathroom sink was caulked with a clear silicon that doesn't show. Shouldn't the quartz seams look nearly invisible? The countertop has only been in a week. I don't want to scratch the quartz. What can I do to take off the caulk and remedy this?
Removing Caulk from Quartz bathroom countertop
caulkingcountertops
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Ideally it would be one continuous bead of caulking, however for 3/8" of a gap at the very top, you will probably be OK just adding a bit more caulking to fill it in. However, if you don't want to have to touch it again for a while--and considering the low cost and relative ease of applying it--I think I would be inclined to remove the existing bead and apply a new one that covers the entire length. That way you don't have to worry about water getting behind it.
A utility knife works pretty well for me.
If it truly is granite, it is difficult to damage with steel blades, except by repeated slashing.
Of course you won't be able to remove every shred of the old caulk, but as long as there is significant clean and bare edge in the gap, it is good enough to hold a new application.
A powerful shop vacuum mated to a crevice tool slowly run along the gap should do great job of getting all the dust and crud out and maybe remove some loose old caulk unreachable with the knife..
Best Answer
I would suggest denatured alcohol along with a very sharp chisel with no nicks in it. Drown the caulk with the alcohol and let it set for a good hour. After that gently use your chisel to slide along the base of the backsplash. Your fingernails are really good for scratching out the silicone after the alcohol has penetrating it. Once cleaned out I would purchase a clear silicone or even a translucent caulk which you can probably buy online. Home Depot will definitely have clear silicone. Cut the tip at a 45 degree angle and make the opening in the tip around 1/8 inch hole. Caulk 8 inch portions at a time and use the denatured alcohol to get it off your hands. Denatured alcohol won't hurt your quarts but you may want some gloves for your hands but it's hard to caulk with rubber gloves. Honestly I would have the contractor clean it up. To me that is unacceptable installation of your quartz top. They should know what the appropriate caulk is to use.