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DEAR MAINTENANCE MEN
Dear Maintenance Men:
One of my maintenance chores I do is caulk- ing and sealing shower/tub fixture flanges and shower walls. My problem is getting the caulk- ing to dry before a resident uses the shower. Any Suggestions?
- David
Dear David:
Another solution we have found works well with very busy showers is to remove all the fixtures, includ- ing the showerhead & arm, valve handles and tub spout, before caulking. (A bit extreme, but effective) We then plug the showerhead and tub spout with a capped pipe. Then caulk the tub/shower. We come back 24 hours later and reinstall all the fixtures.
One more thought; if you have sliding shower doors for your tub, check the bottom track. If it is loose, do not caulk until the track is removed, cleaned and dried. Reinstall the track with new adhesive caulk to hold it down and caulk the edges to keep the water out.
Dear Maintenance Men:
My apartment building was built in the 1950 and has no insulation in the walls or ceiling. What do you recommend as the most cost effective method of insulating the building?
Please turn to page 64
A lot of people will say: “Just tell the resident not
to use the shower till the caulking is dry”. Well it
doesn’t work and by the time you are driving away
from the building, your resident is already taking a
shower and your fresh caulking is washing down
the drain. Your caulk should cure at least 24 hours
before use. Water based latex caulking is easy to
use, but very susceptible to water until it is cured.
Try using a silicone or polyurethane based caulking
for doing tubs, showers, toilets, sinks or other wet locations. It tends to set quickly and will repel wa- - Sam ter during its cure time.
By Jerry L'Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez
Frank Alvarez is licensed contractor and the Operations Director and co-owner of Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. He has been involved with apartment maintenance & construction for over 20 years. He is also a lecturer & educational instructor and Co-Chair of the Education Committee of the Apartment Association of Orange County as well as being Chairman of the Product Service Counsel. Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 Frankie@ BuffaloMaintenance.com For more info please go to: www.BuffaloMaintenance.com
Jerry L’Ecuyer is a licensed contractor & real estate broker. He is currently on the Board of Directors and Past President and past Chairman of the Education Committee of the Apartment Association of Orange County. Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988.
AMM1/6 APARTMENT MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE - JUNE 2021 63