Hey everyone! I live in a 50-year-old condo that has seen its fair share of quick fixes over the years. Recently, I've noticed that the lower third of my bathtub tiles is covered in caulk, probably because the previous owners patched up broken grout and called it a day. When I started recaulking, I found some tiles were loose and could even move in and out when I pressed them. I'm worried about what's happening here. Is this just adhesive that has come loose, or could it be something more serious like wall deterioration? Can an average DIYer tackle this project? If I want to do it right, would it involve taking all the tiles off, fixing any water damage, and then reapplying them with thin-set and grout?
1 Answer
It sounds like you might have drywall behind those tiles without any vapor barrier, which used to be a common practice. I had a similar situation when I moved into my 1965 home. When I tried to redo the caulking, a whole row of tiles just came off! Wet drywall can turn to mush, so even if there's a little water getting through, it could cause issues. I ended up ripping out all the tile in my shower and redoing it properly with cement board. If you can't do that, just make sure whatever solution you go with is watertight. It’s definitely better to do it right now than have more problems later!
I'm pretty handy with cars but haven’t done much home repairs. Is tearing out drywall, replacing it with cement board, applying thin-set, and re-tiling something a DIYer could handle, or should I hire a pro?