Strategies to extend life of caulking tubes

[Muse]

Being a DIY guy living in a 110 year old fixer upper, I have quite a lot of tools and home-made racks with all kinds of "stuff." Some of that stuff is caulking tubes. Once in a while I have use for something that comes in a caulking tube (e.g. right now!), and I have 2-3 opened tubes, and I have to wonder "will this stuff set up? Go off? Or will I regret using this?" One right now is black 100% silicone and I already see after ~20 hours that it's not going off, have to toss the 3/4 filled tube. The other is a painter's acrylic-silicone white that's kinda going off (???), at least it's not sticky and is semi solid after ~20 hours, I think it will work for my purpose.

Well, here's my question:

Some tubes come with a little plastic cap you can shove on the opened tube, and presumably that will extend the usefulness of the tube. I just did an Ebay search on "caulking tube tips" and came up with a bunch of stuff including various nozzles, also empty caulking tubes. I was just thinking of finding those little conical caps, but not seeing them but the other stuff looks interesting, especially the empty tubes, which can be gotten for not much more than $1 apiece in quantity. I have no idea how practical and effective it would be to try to put the remainder of an opened caulking tube into one of those empty ones. Maybe they aren't designed for that but for extrusion of maybe something that comes in a can.

What are some ways to extend the usefulness of the stuff you buy in caulking tubes?

Search for "caulking tube tips" on ebay

 

[Muse]

For instance, this one looks interesting.

 

[jmagg]

I put a nail or screw into the open end and cover with plastic wrap and a rubber band.

 

[Greenman]

Being a DIY guy living in a 110 year old fixer upper, I have quite a lot of tools and home-made racks with all kinds of "stuff." Some of that stuff is caulking tubes. Once in a while I have use for something that comes in a caulking tube (e.g. right now!), and I have 2-3 opened tubes, and I have to wonder "will this stuff set up? Go off? Or will I regret using this?" One right now is black 100% silicone and I already see after ~20 hours that it's not going off, have to toss the 3/4 filled tube. The other is a painter's acrylic-silicone white that's kinda going off (???), at least it's not sticky and is semi solid after ~20 hours, I think it will work for my purpose.

Well, here's my question:

Some tubes come with a little plastic cap you can shove on the opened tube, and presumably that will extend the usefulness of the tube. I just did an Ebay search on "caulking tube tips" and came up with a bunch of stuff including various nozzles, also empty caulking tubes. I was just thinking of finding those little conical caps, but not seeing them but the other stuff looks interesting, especially the empty tubes, which can be gotten for not much more than $1 apiece in quantity. I have no idea how practical and effective it would be to try to put the remainder of an opened caulking tube into one of those empty ones. Maybe they aren't designed for that but for extrusion of maybe something that comes in a can.

What are some ways to extend the usefulness of the stuff you buy in caulking tubes?

Sealing the tube and keeping it cool is about all you can do. But I have to question the logic of that approach. Ask yourself, what is the cost of a failed installation because you used a compound that's exceeded its shelf life? Is it worth saving five bucks to spend hours cleaning up a mess of expired chemicals? You end up spending a dollar to save a dime.

 

[Muse]

I put a nail or screw into the open end and cover with plastic wrap and a rubber band.

Reviews for the little red caps I linked above (at Amazon, though) make mention of the methods you indicate here and say they are horrible in comparison. IOW, nails are from 50 years ago and are a terrible means, same with plastic and rubber bands. The little red caps have detractors, so they're not perfect. I'm tempted to order (off ebay where they're cheaper, also I don't have Amazon Prime).

 

[Muse]

Sealing the tube and keeping it cool is about all you can do. But I have to question the logic of that approach. Ask yourself, what is the cost of a failed installation because you used a compound that's exceeded its shelf life? Is it worth saving five bucks to spend hours cleaning up a mess of expired chemicals? You end up spending a dollar to save a dime.

As a contractor I can understand your attitude. But I'm in a different position, 'cause I typically use only a little and have to either toss the rest or just hope I will be able to use it before it's useless. I did go to the HW store yesterday and buy a couple of things (still have the receipt), one another tube of painters acrylic+silicone white, the other one of those fill-the-gap-with-foam pressurized cans. I had one from years ago but trying to use it the other day I found (no surprise) that nothing came out.

 

[Muse]

Here is what's obviously a great and helpful review of the little red "condom" caps from Amazon, the listing for 35 caps:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great product, I HIGHLY recommend them.
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2014
Verified Purchase
These caulk condoms are great and they really beat other options I've tried.

PROS
They are generally reusable and keep most of my unused caulk and construction adhesive tubes ready for months but I prefer a nail with a red cap/condom over it for best results. The nail allows more penetration into the tip IN CASE it happens to dry out and extends the caulks reusable life span.

CONS
They don't hold up long enough with polyurethane construction adhesives as they deteriorate and crumble the caps and the adhesives dry out however using a nail helps extend the caps life greatly. For construction adhesives, I use two caps with a nail with much better results.

The caps need to be resistant to more chemicals.

 

[snoopy7548]

I used to use a nail or screwdriver, but these days I just use a piece of that black Gorilla tape. It completely seals the opening.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Honestly, sometimes I just let the end dry out, cut the tube tip further down, and yank the 'plug' of caulk out. Just ensure you never need a smaller bead on the second job (or get ready for more smearing and cleanup).

Alternatively, queue up jobs rather than do them immediately, and knock out several in a day rather than an hour here and there throughout a month or two. Easier to swallow throwing away a tube that's 80% dry than 80% full.

 

[jmagg]

If the tube is still soft, you can cut the tip down a bit and run a drywall screw in the opening and sometimes pull the plug out.

 

[Muse]

I bought a set of those red condom-like things linked above, 35 of them off Amazon for ~$10.35 IIRC today. I like the post above where the reviewer uses a nail plus two of these "condoms." He's obviously very experienced.

Today I used the remainder of the Dap painters acrylic+silicone that had been sitting around a long time. Cleared out the hardened stuff from the tip, used around 70% of the capacity of the tube to fill around a blockage I made to keep mice or rats out of the house. Hope that solves my mouse problem. Should also help insulate the house from cold air coming in from the crawl space. I caught a dozen mice the last couple weeks in mouse traps. They're not hitting my traps now, so fingers crossed.

 

[snoopy7548]

If the tube is still soft, you can cut the tip down a bit and run a drywall screw in the opening and sometimes pull the plug out.

Ouch!

 

[Muse]

If the tube is still soft, you can cut the tip down a bit and run a drywall screw in the opening and sometimes pull the plug out.

I did something like that today. Used a cordless screw driver, did some pulling with a pliers.

 

[Greenman]

I bought a set of those red condom-like things linked above, 35 of them off Amazon for ~$10.35 IIRC today. I like the post above where the reviewer uses a nail plus two of these "condoms." He's obviously very experienced.

Today I used the remainder of the Dap painters acrylic+silicone that had been sitting around a long time. Cleared out the hardened stuff from the tip, used around 70% of the capacity of the tube to fill around a blockage I made to keep mice or rats out of the house. Hope that solves my mouse problem. Should also help insulate the house from cold air coming in from the crawl space. I caught a dozen mice the last couple weeks in mouse traps. They're not hitting my traps now, so fingers crossed.

Mice aren't so bad, if it's rats, you need 1/4" wire mesh to stop them. The damn things will chew through glass if they can get to an edge.

 

[mindless1]

You mentioned silicone. Silicone caulking will go bad even sitting in an unopened tube. It is not just a matter of how well you seal it.

A poor seal would result in a rubber barrier and eventually the whole tube hardening but with (acid cure especially), the shelf life will result in it not hardening after a certain period of time. It'll flow just fine, but won't have the strong vinegar smell and will never set, "maybe" getting slightly rubbery after a few years.

Check the manufacturer's website for the rated shelf life and compare to the stamp on the tube. It'll still set after that point, but I wouldn't trust it too far after that as bad silicone caulking is a PITA to clean off (you never really get it all) to try to use fresh to make a good bond.

 

[Muse]

Mice aren't so bad, if it's rats, you need 1/4" wire mesh to stop them. The damn things will chew through glass if they can get to an edge.

Yeah, I'm worried about rats. But AFAIK there haven't been any here since my roof job around 10 years ago. They used to be in my attic. I trapped probably over 20 of them in old fashioned snap traps before that.

What I did here (a few days ago) was staple up some left over aluminum flashing I had from my garage renovation project of around 3 years ago. There were some small gaps, which I filled yesterday with that caulk. I figure that flashing will keep out the mice. Hard for me to imagine rats chewing through it. Anyway, I think they could have gotten in pretty easily before I put up that stuff a few days ago but they never did. Maybe they couldn't get access to the crawl space there under the downstairs bathroom.

Amerimax 69410 Trim Coil Flashing, 10" x 10', Aluminum

 

[trungma]

Sealing the tube and keeping it cool is about all you can do. But I have to question the logic of that approach. Ask yourself, what is the cost of a failed installation because you used a compound that's exceeded its shelf life? Is it worth saving five bucks to spend hours cleaning up a mess of expired chemicals? You end up spending a dollar to save a dime.

This is true. I used old thinset that was sitting in my garage for a year to lay some bathroom tiles. I should have stopped when I noticed that the thinset was clumpy. Needless to say I had to rip up the floor and start over again. Was not worth it to save $20 on a new bag of thinset.

 

[Muse]

This is true. I used old thinset that was sitting in my garage for a year to lay some bathroom tiles. I should have stopped when I noticed that the thinset was clumpy. Needless to say I had to rip up the floor and start over again. Was not worth it to save $20 on a new bag of thinset.

cements are tricky. Mortar, concrete, it's just hard to tell if it's gone bad, is my experience. I guess you can do a trial run... mix some, see if it sets fine.

 

[Greenman]

This is true. I used old thinset that was sitting in my garage for a year to lay some bathroom tiles. I should have stopped when I noticed that the thinset was clumpy. Needless to say I had to rip up the floor and start over again. Was not worth it to save $20 on a new bag of thinset.

Been there, done that, bought the tee shirt, and bled on it.
It's amazing how fast you go from feeling like a winner to cursing your own ignorance.

 

[Greenman]

cements are tricky. Mortar, concrete, it's just hard to tell if it's gone bad, is my experience. I guess you can do a trial run... mix some, see if it sets fine.

When in doubt, toss it out.

 

[Sukhoi]

Mice aren't so bad, if it's rats, you need 1/4" wire mesh to stop them. The damn things will chew through glass if they can get to an edge.

I had a hell of a time with the damned rats in my house. They'd even eat through pest block spray foam that was sprayed into balled up coarse 00 steel wool.

They were getting into the garage via the top holes in the masonry veneer over the garage door. I eventually got pissed off enough when the foam + steel wool didn't work that I tried slathering vinyl concrete patch I had from another repair over the torn up spray foam. They haven't touched it in the two years since I did that. I think they don't like the vinyl strands in their mouth or something.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/QUIKRETE-10-lbs-Vinyl-Concrete-Patch/3510280

 

[Muse]

I had rats in the attic for a few years, would bait 3 or so standard snap rat traps with peanut butter, must have caught over 20. At one point I had a tally sheet going. Finally, they stopped hitting the traps. IIRC it was before I had the roof tear-off and replacement, after which I had to clean up the attic (full of debris from the roof job), I got my big wet-dry vacuum up there after removing the big stuff and sucked up all the rest including I suppose thousands of dried rat turds. I haven't seen another rat turd in the house since... anywhere. I hear what I think are squirrels running on my roof sometimes, though. Gotta work on the trees.

I'm not aware of any rats having gotten into the house other than in the attic. One night I came across a possum in the kitchen. That was a startling experience. The dumb creature just starred at me, standing completely still. I put up wire screening, but only realized the last week so so that it was insufficient to keep out rodents. I think rats could have gotten in, certain mice.

Now, after the serious mouse problem I've had for 2-3 months, there's still mouse turds around, but I'm vacuuming them up when I see them. It was those that alerted me that I had a mouse problem. I may have solved the mouse problem now, though. They haven't hit any of my traps for a few days now and I think I've sealed off where they were coming in in the first place. Could be they have another access point, but I don't know where it could be. Will keep a few mouse traps baited for a few weeks, I guess.

 

[BoomerD]

Those little red "condom caps" look interesting. I've used the fingers of the blue latex "mechanic's" gloves that I generally wear to keep the caulk off my hands Held in place with a rubber band...on the tube tip, not my hands. (I usually wear more caulk than I actually apply) Works well enough for me. I've gone back a year later and had no plug and good caulk.

As for rats...fucking nasty critters. I'm fighting with them in my crawlspace. Using ONLY snap traps to kill them...no poison...don't want them dying in the floorboards. I've sealed/fixed all the places where the pest control guy said they gained access...except for the bottom seal on my garage doors. So far, I can't find the right rubber seal. (So many fckng variations) still looking.

 

[Muse]

Those little red "condom caps" look interesting. I've used the fingers of the blue latex "mechanic's" gloves that I generally wear to keep the caulk off my hands Held in place with a rubber band...on the tube tip, not my hands. (I usually wear more caulk than I actually apply) Works well enough for me. I've gone back a year later and had no plug and good caulk.

As for rats...fucking nasty critters. I'm fighting with them in my crawlspace. Using ONLY snap traps to kill them...no poison...don't want them dying in the floorboards. I've sealed/fixed all the places where the pest control guy said they gained access...except for the bottom seal on my garage doors. So far, I can't find the right rubber seal. (So many fckng variations) still looking.

I've never used poison, for same reason, I don't want any animals dying anywhere in my house. One time IIRC I did start smelling decaying flesh, guess it was a rat in the attic, long time ago now.

I really thought the rats gave up on my house before the house became anything like rat proof access-wise. I had the idea that I'd killed so many they had some sense that my house was a dangerous place for them to live! Maybe a nutty idea, but they suddenly stopped coming. Snap-traps! Peanut butter! Persistence!

Rats could get under my garage doors, but the garage is detached and there's no food in there that they can access. I have canned food for an emergency in there and gallon jugs of water from the supermarket. I kind of think the house itself may be inaccessible to rats and mice at this point (as of about a week ago). I've been told that the squirrels that traverse my roof will eventually figure out a way to get into the attic.

 

[sdifox]

They do sell small tubes, like 80ml.

Example

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/mono-100-silicone-sealant-for-kitchen-bath-window-door-and-siding-clear-83ml/1001001925