Hey everyone! I'm a new homeowner and have a bit of a question about my showers. We have a shower downstairs and a shower/tub combo upstairs, both lined with grout. I've noticed some cracking at the top edges where the walls meet. Is it better to remove the grout and use silicone caulk instead? I've read that caulk should be used where surfaces meet and grout for the tiles, is that right? Here's a view of what I'm dealing with (without the bench) - do those red lines need to be removed and caulked instead?
1 Answer
Absolutely, you should switch to caulk where the walls meet instead of grout. Grout isn’t designed for areas where there’s a change in plane like that, so if there's grout in those corners, it was likely not done correctly. If traditional silicone doesn’t match your style, you can find sanded silicone that comes in colors similar to grout so it blends better. It's a smarter long-term solution!
Thanks for the tip! So the plan is to scrape the grout out, clean the area with alcohol, and then caulk? Should I ensure it's completely free of grout or is it okay if it's just mostly clean?
What’s the downside of just caulking over the existing grout instead of removing it? Sounds like a lot more work and mess to grind it out.