Ok, I'm fed up with trying. What is the secret? I scrub the area and let it dry over night, even using my hair dryer to make sure it is really really dry. Apply the rubber-type caulking and make sure that I do not use the sink for more than what the instructions suggest. At first is seems to hold up ok, then withing 2 weeks, it becomes a sodden mess. Do you have the same problem? My hubby will not let me use the cement type, says it's too difficult to remove.
We have put two sinks in our kitchen over the years and never used caulk, we use plumbers putty. You take a piece out of the jar about 1-2 inches in diameter, use your hands to roll it out to a thick snake, press it up under the rim of the sink...repeat this until you have gone completely around the outer edge of the sink. When you put the sink in place, put pressure on it to squeeze out the excess and make sure the sink edge is resting on the counter. Then take a putty knife or your fingernail to scrape off the excess putty oozing out from under the sink edge.
Thank you for the info Toni, that will come in handy if we put a new sink in. But I was referring to a sink that was already in, and the calking barrier on the outside that one would see between the sink and the top of the counter. In the "old days" folks always used a cement type, now they use a white rubber type.
If you get a chance to take the sink out you can replace the need for caulk by using the plumbers putty. It is a sealant and prevents water from getting under the edge of the sink. If you do a google search there are plenty of videos and instructions using caulk around a sink, maybe one of those has a different product than what you are using.
Are you using a silicone caulk? There are ones that dry clear, but they also come in colors. The silicone caulks are really waterproof, and don't get gooey.
Thats a good idea! I'll check for a tutorial. The tube of sealant we have used is by GE, although it does not say silicone on the front, it may be an ingrediant.
