Hey everyone! I recently moved into a new house and I've noticed some caulking issues in a few rooms. There are certain areas where it seems to be breaking down. I've attached some pictures to give you an idea of what's happening. I'm wondering how best to handle this - should I just recaulk the spots that look bad, or is there a better approach? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
It sounds like you've got some builder-grade caulking there, which isn't great quality. It's common for these to shrink and crack over time because they often use low-grade materials and don’t spend much time on application. If you're seeing obvious breakage, recaulking is a good idea, but keep in mind the type of caulk too; not all are created equal!
Honestly, if it's not leaking water or causing any major issues, it’s more cosmetic than anything else. You might want to just wait until you need to repaint the baseboards and recaulk at that time. It’ll save you a bit of effort for now!
Caulk definitely has a lifespan and can fail if the wrong type is used. If you find cracks in the caulking, it's usually a sign that it should be replaced. Just a heads up, caulking the baseboards to the floor is often not the best practice. If you decide to fix it, make sure to remove the old caulk first to get a better seal with new stuff!
Thanks, FixItFrankie! I appreciate the tip about removing the old caulk before applying new.