That time a customer's caulk line ruined my whole day in Portland

I was finishing up a job in Portland last month, nice custom kitchen install with walnut cabinets. The homeowner pointed out a tiny gap near the dishwasher, like maybe 1/16 of an inch. She asked if I could just caulk it, but her previous guy had already smeared a thick silicone bead all along the bottom that was yellowing and peeling off. I spent 3 hours scraping that mess out with a razor and mineral spirits, then had to redo the scribe fit on the toe kick. Has anyone else dealt with customers who think caulk fixes everything, even when it makes the whole job look worse?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_harris191mo ago

Wait... did you check if that caulk was actually hiding a bigger issue like water damage or a rotted subfloor? Because here in Portland with all the rain and moisture, that silicone trap could be sealing in mold or rot that'll cost way more down the road. Seems like folks slap caulk on everything without thinking about what's underneath it, especially in kitchens where spills and steam are common. I always tell customers to treat caulk like a bandaid, not a cure, and it saves everyone a lot of headache later on. Have you ever found something nasty hiding behind a caulk line on a job?

richard_dixon1mo ago

Saw a contractor on YouTube say the same thing, found black mold behind a "perfect" caulk job once.