Re-caulking outside windows

[bigsteel15]

I need to re-seal the outside of my livingroom window.
I have vinyl window frames and siding and the window has started to leak pretty good when we have a good easterly rain storm.

My question is do I need to spend a lot of time scraping off the old crap before applying the new caulk.

No jokes please...yeah right, like you can resist.

[MilDoc]

For the best result --- yup.

[parnelli]

Pehaps someone can chime in here- but I had always heard that silicone won't adhere over old silicone, but that the polyurethane will cure over old polyurathane.

If that's true, it might be a good enough reason to spend the extra money and do them with polyurethane after you get all the old stuff off.

[cabinetman]

I would scrape/pull out as much of the old stuff as you can. I like to use Polyseamseal adhesive caulking. Seems to work best for me.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[Deadhead]

My question is do I need to spend a lot of time scraping off the old crap before applying the new caulk.

How mad will you be with yourself if you don't clean out the old crap and it still leaks?

I would scrape/pull out as much of the old stuff as you can. I like to use Polyseamseal adhesive caulking. Seems to work best for me.

When Tom Silva was here several months ago, he recommended, in order of preference, something I can't remember the name of (might be Polyseamseal), then latex caulk, and then silicone.

I think the reason latex was preferred over silicone had to do with being able to reapply latex over old latex.