To Grout or Caulk?
I live in a new construction building. My master bath has 12″marble tiled walls. On corner of the walls shows a hairline crack running vertically ( I guess due to settling). My question is should I re-grout this area or use caulking. I heard somewhere that it is better to use caulkling since walls do…
I live in a new construction building. My master bath has 12″marble tiled walls. On corner of the walls shows a hairline crack running vertically ( I guess due to settling).
My question is should I re-grout this area or use caulking. I heard somewhere that it is better to use caulkling since walls do move and the silicon caulking moves with them. Grout does not and this is why I have the crack.
Any suggestions for me?
Hi All,
I may be a bit late to the dance her but here is the real deal. I am a CTC or Ceramic Tile Consultant and have over 27 years in the tile and stone installation business and this is a very common problem.
First of all, the reason why grout cracks in the corners of any tile installation is because there is minor movement occuring and will always be moving. This is not ususally due to the building settling, but rather the natural expansion and contraction that is always present.
The grout itself is just a cement based filler and cannot take the expansion and contraction movement and it literally busts apart causing cracks at first and eventually falling out in larger pieces. There is not a latex that you can add to your grout to avoid this.
The solution is to use caulking in those joints, but what type? My suggestion is 100% silicone and here is why.
Latex or Siliconized Latex it really doesnt matter as they are pretty much the same, will both shrink, crack, get brittle and begin to lose their elasticity within three months. They also need to be replaced every year, period.
100% Silicone on the other hand doesn’t shrink, crack or get brittle and one more very important fact, 100% silicone makes a waterproof seal, like a gasket. This is very important when you are doing a shower as it will not allow water to migrate into the substrate where mold and mildew could grow in your walls.
Also never use a latex based caulk around food areas as the mildewcide that they put in the caulk to keep it from getting moldy in the tube will leach a little back out of the latex caulk when it is exposed to water as the mildewcide they use is waterbased to begin with. 100% silicone does not need a mildewcide as mold and mildew cannot grow in 100% silicone.
Mold and mildew in your tub surrounds and showers occurs when the mold and mildew has a food source. Tile, grout and caulking themselves are not a food source but rather the soap, shampoo residues and body oils are the culprits and must be scrubbed with a non abrasive brush or pad while using a non-acidic cleaner to not damage your tile or grout.
There are plenty of colored caulks available on the market but most are latex based. There is a caulking product called groutmatch that is 100% silicone that uses the actual grout to match the grout in your installation. This product is relatively new and not in many stores yet but is available online.
BASF makes another 100% silicone in quite a few colors but it does not come in a sanded product so it doesn’t match as well when you used sanded grout. Also only a few tile houses actually carry it, to my knowledge, and most don’t sell to the public.
Hi All,
I may be a bit late to the dance her but here is the real deal. I am a CTC or Ceramic Tile Consultant and have over 27 years in the tile and stone installation business and this is a very common problem.
First of all, the reason why grout cracks in the corners of any tile installation is because there is minor movement occuring and will always be moving. This is not ususally due to the building settling, but rather the natural expansion and contraction that is always present.
The grout itself is just a cement based filler and cannot take the expansion and contraction movement and it literally busts apart causing cracks at first and eventually falling out in larger pieces. There is not a latex that you can add to your grout to avoid this.
The solution is to use caulking in those joints, but what type? My suggestion is 100% silicone and here is why.
Latex or Siliconized Latex it really doesnt matter as they are pretty much the same, will both shrink, crack, get brittle and begin to lose their elasticity within three months. They also need to be replaced every year, period.
100% Silicone on the other hand doesn’t shrink, crack or get brittle and one more very important fact, 100% silicone makes a waterproof seal, like a gasket. This is very important when you are doing a shower as it will not allow water to migrate into the substrate where mold and mildew could grow in your walls.
Also never use a latex based caulk around food areas as the mildewcide that they put in the caulk to keep it from getting moldy in the tube will leach a little back out of the latex caulk when it is exposed to water as the mildewcide they use is waterbased to begin with. 100% silicone does not need a mildewcide as mold and mildew cannot grow in 100% silicone.
Mold and mildew in your tub surrounds and showers occurs when the mold and mildew has a food source. Tile, grout and caulking themselves are not a food source but rather the soap, shampoo residues and body oils are the culprits and must be scrubbed with a non abrasive brush or pad while using a non-acidic cleaner to not damage your tile or grout.
There are plenty of colored caulks available on the market but most are latex based. There is a caulking product called groutmatch that is 100% silicone that uses the actual grout to match the grout in your installation. This product is relatively new and not in many stores yet but is available online.
BASF makes another 100% silicone in quite a few colors but it does not come in a sanded product so it doesn’t match as well when you used sanded grout. Also only a few tile houses actually carry it, to my knowledge, and most don’t sell to the public.
I would grind out the rest of the grout in the corner and then caulk the whole seam. You can buy colored caulk to match (Polyblend ceramic tile caulk is one brand).
I ran into the same problem and called the guys over at Classic Tile. The problem is probably due to movement stepping in and out of the tub, which causes the walls the shift. I was told to caulk the vertical line but there is apparently also a product that contains grout and acrylic which can be used also, that is more stable than grout alone. Not sure where to find it, maybe someone else on bstoner knows.
Caulk is probably the better thing for you, but aesthetically a grouted joint will make the bath look more contiguous, there are flexible additives that can be added to grout to deter cracking. If the tile job is not too old and you know the original grout color I would try a flexible additive, otherwise a caulk will never quite match. A latex based grout is also less prone to cracking.
Drew Stuart
Incorporated Architecture & Design
http://www.incorporatedny.com/
What rh says is actually wrong. This seam should have been caulked not grouted to compensate for different shift rates and degrees in expansion and contraction. Most of the better grout manufacturers make color matching caulk as well. The solution for you now depends on whether you can find a matching caulk or in lieu of that opt to re-grout and then be prepared to do so again every few years or so.
Is this corner inside the shower stall? Caulk can get moldy if it stays wet.
it would probalby help to seal the grout with grout sealer.
They now sell a grout/silicone mix in a tube (same tube as standard silicone and gaulk) that holds up well. You just have to make sure you find the color. They sell them online as well as homedepot but HD has very few options (I think bright white, white, antique white and grey). Online has more options.