[valday14]

Do you caulk the bottom of the tiles where it meets the shower pan or tub? Or do you use grout?

[twinkiedooter]

It's best to use the new silicone caulk as this is a wet area and grout will not keep the water out forever. The new Bioseal stuff from GE is the best for use in a very wet area. It costs a few dollars more per tube but it does not shrink up or crack over time or discolor either for that matter. I kept using cheaper stuff in my bathtub area and I found it would just discolor or shrink up after a year or so. Not so with the new Bioseal stuff. I put it on a few years ago and it still looks like new.

[valday14]

It's best to use the new silicone caulk as this is a wet area and grout will not keep the water out forever. The new Bioseal stuff from GE is the best for use in a very wet area. It costs a few dollars more per tube but it does not shrink up or crack over time or discolor either for that matter. I kept using cheaper stuff in my bathtub area and I found it would just discolor or shrink up after a year or so. Not so with the new Bioseal stuff. I put it on a few years ago and it still looks like new.

I will pick that up! Maybe because it costs a little more it will have a mildew blocker in it?

[ballengerb1]

Always caulk, never grout where non-rigid surfaces met. Dap Kwik Seal Plus is also great and doess have a hefty dose of mildewcide. DAP Kwik Seal Plus Kitchen and Bath Adhesive Caulk : HGTVPro.com

[valday14]

Always caulk, never grout where non-rigid surfaces met. Dap Kwik Seal Plus is also great and doess have a hefty dose of mildewcide. DAP Kwik Seal Plus Kitchen and Bath Adhesive Caulk : HGTVPro.com

Thank you

[Handyman4U]

I always grout and then caulk all joints walls and floors.

[valday14]

I always grout and then caulk all joints walls and floors.

Thank you

[InspectorDan]

DO NOT GROUT this area. When you grout the walls leave this area ungrouted. A proper caulk joint is not smeared over the tile and over the tub. If you leave a nice neat groove between the bottom edge of the wall tile and the top edge of the tub then you can fill it neatly with a bead of caulk. If you grout it and then caulk it you will end up with a feathered edge of caulk that is bound to peel off eventually and it will look amateurish. Just rake out the grout before it hardens and use one of the fine caulking compounds mentioned above. The National Tile Contractors Association website has a lot of info on this as do a host of other tile websites. Good Luck!

[Handyman4U]

DO NOT GROUT this area. When you grout the walls leave this area ungrouted. A proper caulk joint is not smeared over the tile and over the tub. If you leave a nice neat groove between the bottom edge of the wall tile and the top edge of the tub then you can fill it neatly with a bead of caulk. If you grout it and then caulk it you will end up with a feathered edge of caulk that is bound to peel off eventually and it will look amateurish. Just rake out the grout before it hardens and use one of the fine caulking compounds mentioned above. The National Tile Contractors Association website has a lot of info on this as do a host of other tile websites. Good Luck!!

Hi Dan,

This site The National Tile Contractors Association is a good one if you want to spend the $500 to be a member.

I disagree with you as my newhew works for a tiling company the largest in the this area of Canada. He was the one that I got this info from. The only time you wouldn't use chaulking over grout is if it's expoy grout. I don't recommend home-owners to use expoy as it sticks to title and have to always washing down before it sets up. You have 20-30 minutes to get it off.

Gerry

[InspectorDan]

I respectfully disagree with you and your nephew. Grout is a brittle material that will crack and fall out of an area that is prone to motion. If you think of it, the joint between the tub and the tile surround is going to flex a lot. When you fill the tub and step inside you are adding a lot of weight. This will cause the joint to change shape and increase in width. Grout is neither elastic enough nor adhesive enough to move along with the change in dimension of the joint. That is why the truly competent tile-setters leave this joint, and any other joint that separates dissimilar components, un-grouted and then come back to fill it in with a color matched tub/tile caulking compound.

BTW. I accessed the information on the NTCA website free of charge. I don't know why you couldn't.

[valday14]

DO NOT GROUT this area. When you grout the walls leave this area ungrouted. A proper caulk joint is not smeared over the tile and over the tub. If you leave a nice neat groove between the bottom edge of the wall tile and the top edge of the tub then you can fill it neatly with a bead of caulk. If you grout it and then caulk it you will end up with a feathered edge of caulk that is bound to peel off eventually and it will look amateurish. Just rake out the grout before it hardens and use one of the fine caulking compounds mentioned above. The National Tile Contractors Association website has a lot of info on this as do a host of other tile websites. Good Luck!!

Thanks

[amsteube]

I respectfully disagree with you and your nephew. Grout is a brittle material that will crack and fall out of an area that is prone to motion. If you think of it, the joint between the tub and the tile surround is going to flex a lot. When you fill the tub and step inside you are adding a lot of weight. This will cause the joint to change shape and increase in width. Grout is neither elastic enough nor adhesive enough to move along with the change in dimension of the joint. That is why the truly competent tile-setters leave this joint, and any other joint that separates dissimilar components, un-grouted and then come back to fill it in with a color matched tub/tile caulking compound.

BTW. I accessed the information on the NTCA website free of charge. I don't know why you couldn't.

Got to agree hear. Grout will tend to chip and fragment as it shrinks over time. The loose pieces could easily cause your caulk to become look allowing water to get behind the tile.

Aaron

[EMERIL LAGASSE]

New installation I would grout it all press it in well and caulk after if you don’t the vertical joints will be weak at the bottom and the grout helps fill the deep void
Repair I would remove the grout and caulk:)