# recaulking shower stall - weep holes?



## bigmomma (Feb 21, 2009)

Hi -- I'm trying to recaulk our small guest shower stall. I've cleaned all the old caulk off but before I recaulk I'm wondering what these small 1/4" long slit openings are all along the bottom of the shower metal frame. 

I've been doing some research -- are they weep holes? I understand the point of weep holes (to allow water that gets through tile to come back in the shower and drain?), but it seems like they would allow spraying water to get in and sit in the bottom of the metal frames -- causing lots of other issues. 

My shower doesn't have tile -- just that other stuff - solid walls of something cheap. Can I caulk them the weep holes? If not, what happens to the water that goes in?

I would attach a picture, but I'm not sure how to do it.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

Would those holes allow for air circulation under the shower stall? I expect that if they are on the inside of the shower stall, they would be weep holes, but if water entering those weep holes would come in contact with iron or steel and cause it to rust, I'd question the wisdom of those weep holes too.

PS: You should be aware that one of the most common problems DIY'ers have is re-applying silicone caulk. The reason why is that nothing sticks well to silicone caulk, not even silicone caulk.

Typically, DIY'ers will remove as much silicone caulk as they can, then apply new silicone, allow it to cure, and then find out the new silicone isn't sticking. Invariably, the reason is that they didn't fully remove the old silicone caulk completely. That is, their new caulk wasn't sticking to a microscopically thin film of old caulk, and that makes all the difference.

To save you some time, can you let me know:

1. Why did you remove the old silicone caulk?

2. How did you remove the old silicone caulk?

3. Do you use any technique to confirm that ALL of the old silicone had been removed?

And finally,
4. What silicone caulk are you planning to use as a replacement and why?

If you don't mind answering these questions, I think I can save you some time and aggrivation. I know nothing about those holes, but I do know about silicone caulk.


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## Aggie67 (Dec 20, 2008)

I have a stall in my house that the previous owner gooped up with caulk. Common mistake. Those are weep holes, and they should be left open. What happens is if you seal them up, any water that's in there goes to the next available exit. In my case, it went into the drywall close to where the aluminum frame butted up against the walls. 

Note: I take my frame apart completely every 2-3 years to give it a good cleaning and a new coat of enamel. Takes me a few hours. You're not supposed to bed the frame in any caulk either. Simply set the frame on the pan, and caulk the outside edge of the frame. Leave the inner side caulk free, so it drains properly.


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## JCAHILL4 (Nov 3, 2008)

Aggie is right, I caulk the entire outside and I caulk the inside verticals. However as Aggie stated those slits are weeping holes and should be left open. :thumbsup:


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

Also silicone caulking does not stick well to acrylic shower walls. Use acrylic caulking in this application.


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## bigmomma (Feb 21, 2009)

*thanks*

:thumbup:Wonderful, wonderful answers. I knew it didn't make sense to caulk the insides where frame meets pan. Thanks so much -


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## [email protected] (Feb 27, 2009)

Nestor_Kelebay said:


> Would those holes allow for air circulation under the shower stall? I expect that if they are on the inside of the shower stall, they would be weep holes, but if water entering those weep holes would come in contact with iron or steel and cause it to rust, I'd question the wisdom of those weep holes too.
> 
> PS: You should be aware that one of the most common problems DIY'ers have is re-applying silicone caulk. The reason why is that nothing sticks well to silicone caulk, not even silicone caulk.
> 
> ...


 
I quit using silicone and went to construction grade polymeric. There are a few different colors and the stuff withstands anything, indoor and out. But, you have to tape off the 2 opposing finish surfaces on the tub/shower and wall, and use an applicator like a doctors tongue depressor. The stuff really works well, forever.


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## wrangler (Oct 9, 2008)

We always seal along the inside of the shower rails with as little as possible clear caulk to prevent water from exiting the shower and from getting under the bottom rail where it will stagnate, mold and add an unpleasant smell to your system. Just be sure to not cover your _drainage_ holes on the bottom and be sure to caulk the joint where the bottom track meets the vertical rails. Most new doors have overhead rollers and slide along the top rail, leaving the bottom rail to be sloped inward to assist in water evacuation, and eliminating drainage holes.


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