Plumber's putty can definitely be hit or miss in damp spots, especially if there's constant moisture exposure. It usually does great for sinks and drains, but anywhere that's continually wet or humid, silicone tends to outperform it long-term.
One tip I've found helpful when using silicone (since yeah, it's messy as heck) is taping off the area first. Just run painter's tape along both sides of the seam you're sealing, lay your silicone bead down, then smooth it out carefully with a damp finger dipped in soapy water. Peel off the tape right away and voila—clean lines without the silicone smeared all over your fingers and clothes. Learned that trick after ruining a good work shirt... oops.
Also, if you're worried about mildew, those bathroom-specific silicones labeled "mildew-resistant" really do hold up better in my experience. Costs a little extra, but totally worth avoiding that nasty black mold creeping in after a few months.
Congrats on quieting those noisy pipes by the way—nothing worse than plumbing that sounds haunted.
Good call on the painter's tape trick—wish I'd known that years ago. I've lost count of how many shirts I've sacrificed to silicone disasters. One thing I'm curious about though, have you noticed any difference between clear and white silicone in terms of mildew resistance? I've had mixed results myself...some clear silicones seem to yellow faster or get moldy quicker, even if they're labeled mildew-resistant. Maybe it's just my luck, but it'd be interesting to hear if anyone else has noticed this too. Glad your pipes aren't haunting you anymore, nothing like waking up at 3am convinced your house is possessed by plumbing demons...
I've definitely noticed clear silicone yellowing faster too, even the supposedly mildew-resistant stuff. I redid our shower about two years ago with clear silicone thinking it'd look cleaner, but within a year it started looking dingy and moldy around the edges. Switched to white silicone last summer, and so far it's holding up way better—still looks fresh. Could just be coincidence, but I'm sticking with white from now on...lesson learned the hard way, as usual. Glad your pipes are finally quiet—nothing worse than plumbing noises at night.
Interesting you mention the clear silicone issue—I had almost the exact same experience. When I first moved into my place, I was convinced clear silicone would look sleek and modern around the kitchen sink. Took my time, taped everything off neatly, and felt pretty proud of myself when it was done. Fast forward about 8 months, and it started turning this weird yellowish color, especially near the faucet. At first, I thought maybe I'd messed up somehow or bought a bad batch, but after reading around, seems like it's just a common problem with clear silicone.
Ended up redoing it with white silicone last winter, and so far it's been holding up great. Still looks clean and fresh even though it's seen plenty of spills and splashes. Guess sometimes the simplest solutions really are best...lesson learned for next time. Glad your plumbing issues are sorted—nothing quite like finally silencing those mysterious midnight pipe concerts, haha.
Funny, I've actually had decent luck with clear silicone around my bathroom sink—going on two years now and still looks pretty good. Maybe it's a kitchen-specific thing with oils or something causing discoloration? Just guessing here...but white silicone does seem foolproof.
