One of the baths in the home we bought this past summer needs to be recaulked. On paper, it should be an easy job, and I've read all the advice about scraping out the old caulk, making sure everything is clean and dry, etc, but I've recently come to understand that what we're dealing with is not a standard tub, but a tub insert. I didn't even know what this was until today. I wish I had known before we bought the home... ugh... I worry there could be a mold problem underneath.

For now, we can't afford to replace it, so we're going to have to make the best of it. Whatever caulk the sellers used is already cracking and coming out. The only one that uses the tub is our toddler and he takes baths instead of showers, so new water seeping in those areas should be minimal for now.

I'm thinking of leaving a dehumidifier in there overnight after removing the old caulk to try to take care of as much moisture as possible before recaulking. I was hoping for more advice before we tackle this, too, about what sort of caulk to consider, or ... are we crazy for trying the quickfix on this? I suspect it's going to be better in the long run to get someone in to investigate it further, but I'm just not sure that's in our budget now. (Is the status of the area underneath something we could feasibly check ourselves? We are total DIY noobs.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bluehouse,

Without at least a picture you could have anyone of a dozen differant types of enclosure.
The tub has a built in lip on the back side and two ends that goes up behind the enclosure about 1", and any panels I've worked on over lap each other by at least 1" so the chance of water getting in behind it is almost nil.
Once it clean and dry your suppost to fill the tub 1/2 full of water to weight it down, apply silicone caulking, let it dry over night then drain the tub.
This way your not streching the calking out and breaking the bond when you fill it next time.

Thanks, Joecaption -- that's a relief. There have been a few things about the house in rougher condition than the inspection led us to believe, so I think it's turned us into pessimists. We still have a lot to learn, too.

We'll get it cleaned and dried, weigh it down, and apply the silicone caulking. Thanks for your help!