I need to erect a barrier in an aqueous environment. Basically I need to erect vertical "guards" at the side of my kitchen sink, since the water faucet is high up, water splashes onto the counters, but I must keep the counters basically completely dry. I have a shelf above the sink that makes it fairly easy to secure the top of the barrier, but the bottom is hard.
Of course the bottom of the barrier should be completely flush with the countertop, but just securing the top isn't enough because water will seep through (just imagine the water splashed on to the barrier just running down and pooling at the base, then seeping through to the other side!
Therefore I need some kind of like… glue to secure the bottom that also renders it impermeable. The trick is, because this is a tenant improvement, this glue also needs to be pretty easily removable, which is why I ruled out caulk.
In my mind I'm imagining some kind of clay or putty that almost acts like a "rubber"-ish barrier at the bottom that I could stick the barrier into (the barrier will likely just be a thin sheet of plastic).
Keep in mind the bottom can be more about water proofing, less about securing the barrier, since again I have a top shelf for that. But of course if there's a magical substance that will do both, maybe it will save me time and I won't have to secure the top at all.
Best Answer
Silicone sealant can be removed completely from many surfaces. For example tiles (but the grout can be a problem) or ceramic sinks. In these cases you can peel most of it off and scrape the rest. There is also a silicone remover product to get the residue off other surfaces. You can prevent it from sticking in the first place by lightly oiling the surface.
Solid wood worktops wood be ok as well if they're fairly freshly oiled.
Other caulks can stick more, and break up when you try to lift them.