I frequently check Miranda’s far flung corners to make sure there are no leaks. The other night, I got the impression that the dampness in one corner of the sleeping loft was from water infiltration, not regular condensation. I did an exterior check of my seams and found that they all seemed water tight… except the corner where I’d noticed wetness inside. Crap.

Some research and advice asking revealed that while plain old silicon caulking isn’t ideal for filling in seams, as it doesn’t last, it’s fine in a pinch. I had a tube of bathroom and kitchen caulking to use up. Being unemployed and on a tight budget, as well as facing a few months of wet weather with no certainty that I’d have time to find the right product, I decided to go with silicon for now.

First step was removing the old putty-type caulking with a fine blade. It was all dry long the seam except the corner, where the putty came up sopping wet. I don’t even want to think about how much water damage might be hiding behind that wall and can only hope that I caught the problem in time to prevent mould. 🙁 I then used a scrubby pad soaked in rubbing alcohol to clean the seam so that the silicon could adhere well. Finally, I laid a wide bead, which I smoothed out with a damp finger, making sure that the silicon went as deeply into the seam as possible.

Now, I just have to hope the weather stays dry for another 24 hours to give the silicon time to cure.