FAQ's

InstaTrim, The Original Flexible Trim™, with our Patented “wing” design and a proprietary high-performance adhesive, InstaTrim products will conform and seal to almost any application surface including ceramic tile, laminate, solid surfaces, wood, metal and much more.

Caulk strips you may have seen on the market are mostly made in China, are bulky, unattractive and use sub-par two-sided tape for adhesive. These products have the reputation of being cheap-looking with adhesive that does not last. InstaTrim products are easy to use, mess-free, last for years and will leave your project looking clean and professional, every time.

There are currently two widths of InstaTrim products available. The adhesive on the back covers the middle part of the strip. As you push the InstaTrim into the corner, the adhesive grabs and spreads onto the surface. The adhesive is roughly half the width of the strip.

There are a few factors that could be causing the adhesive to fail. Most likely, there is old silicone caulk or residue from silicone on the surface. Silicone is unique in that no other adhesive will stick to it, that’s why it is very important that all silicone be removed 100% for successful adhesion of InstaTrim strips. The good news is, that silicone and silicone residue can be removed. Silicone removal instructions can be found on our downloadable Instructions PDF.

If your surface has silicone on it, remove as much as you can with a razor blade. Apply a silicone remover product to help dissolve the old silicone. We have had success with Mckanica Products, WD40 and acetone. It will also help to scrub with a scrubby sponge for effective removal. Wipe the surface vigorously with acetone and a lint-free cloth and let the surface dry completely. Please make sure to properly vent the room, as some silicone removal products emit toxic fumes.

Another thing that is important to remember is that you must push the strip firmly into the application corner. This makes the adhesive spread slightly causing it to grab onto the surface and stay stuck for a long time.

NOTE: Some tile and counter surfaces have a thin layer of silicone on them to prevent water from soaking in. This will be harder to remove, but it is still possible.

Silicone caulk is a “rubbery” textured product with unique characteristics not common to any other material. If InstaTrim products aren’t sticking or losing the adhesion in a short period of time, most likely there is silicone residue on the surface. Full instructions on how remove silicone and prep the surface can be found in our downloadable Instructions PDF, also through our YouTube channel.

InstaTrim will conform to most grout lines provided they are not deeper than about 1/16 to 1/8 inch.

The putty-like adhesive will conform to the grout lines. If you are still able to see small gaps under the wings and to ensure water doesn't get behind the wings, or for deeper grout joints, you can add a small amount of non-silicone caulk to fill the small gaps as needed.

With five US Patents on the design, the wings are designed to push back against the surface beyond the adhesive creating an extra layer of protection from moisture, dirt and air.

When you push the strip into the corner, the adhesive will spread and grab onto the surface. Some of the adhesive will spread onto the edges of the wings to help keep moisture from seeping under.

In addition, we use high-grade PVC that contains a UV stabilizer and a fungicide to keep mold and mildew from growing.

The simple answer is “no”.  InstaTrim is designed to work in any 90 degree corner with or without a crack or gap. It is very important that you do not try and install InstaTrim in a corner with a gap or crack that is too wide. Our ½” products will cover a crack up to approximately 3/16” and our ¾” wide products are designed to cover a gap or crack of approximately 3/8”.  If you have a wide gap od crack the InstaTrim adhesive may not have enough application surface for our adhesive to bond to. For wide gaps and cracks you can “prefill” the space with any type on “non silicone” caulk or even grout. Important to keep in mind that if the adhesive cannot adhere to the application surface it will not stay in place.

Our products are flexible enough to smoothly go around wide curves. If the curve is tight, InstaTrim may not be right for the job. However, we have found that warming up the trim with a hairdryer prior to installation will soften the PVC enough to allow it to bend easier around curves. When the strip cools down, it will remain in the curved shape.

Also, see our new Corner and End Caps for finishing corners and exposed ends. For use on 3/4 inch InstaTrim only.

If you are working with 3/4 inch wide InstaTrim, we have created Corner and End Caps to easily finish corners and ends.

If you are working with 1/2 inch wide InstaTrim, corner instructions be found in our downloadable Instructions PDF. and also on our YouTube Channel.

Maybe, it will always depend on the temperature that the InstaTrim may be exposed to.  Adding InstaTrim adjacent to a slide in range or cooktop is usually ok as the heat along the edge of the appliance is not too high.  Using InstaTrim to trim along baseboard heater will not work as the temperature is too high and the adhesive becomes very soft and will fail.  We test our adhesive up to 130 degrees F which is the maximum temperature for a successful installation.

The corner caps are quick and easy to use for inside and outside corners as well as exposed trim ends. We recommend using a small ball of adhesive from the InstaTrim to hold the caps in place on the surface.

1 - Position the corner where you want it with adhesive on the back

2 - Peel back the liner on the back of the trim end and slide the trim behind the corner cap, making sure the "tail" on the corner cap is behind the adhesive of the trim.

3 - Continue pressing the strip into place.

4 - Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the other side of the corner cap.

If using the end cap, you can either install the InstaTrim and then slip the end cap over the end of the trim, or you can follow the instructions above.

Yes, you can! For best results and ease of use, we recommend installing the trim strips when the air temperature is around 65°F to 70°F. Once installed, it will remain attached in any temperature. Our products are manufactured in and distributed from Minnesota where our testing involves exterior surfaces in all weather extremes.

InstaTrim can be easily removed at any time. Use a putty knife to gently lift the end of the trim strip, grasp the end and slowly pull it backward and away from the surface. Some adhesive will remain, however you can remove most of it with a razor blade or your fingers. Our adhesive sticks to itself very well, so you can ball up a small amount and rub it on the remaining bits to pull the smaller pieces of adhesive from the surface. Follow up with acetone and a soft cloth to dissolve any remaining residue.

You can also find videos for silicone removal on our YouTube Channel.

InstaTrim is 100% guaranteed and can be returned for a full refund (less shipping costs) within six months of purchase.

InstaTrim Products are available to the US from our website, and to the following countries: US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, and through Amazon.

You can also find our products through HomeDepot.com and Lowes.com.