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I am caulking to YOU!

By
Home Inspector with Charles Buell Inspections Inc.

     Let’s play “Myth Busters.”   

     Everyone knows that it is important to keep the connections between tubs and its shower surround well caulked.

     I often find these areas recently caulked in an attempt to “spiff things up” for the sale.

     Take a look at this first picture.  This is brand new construction----doesn’t it look “SAWEEEEET?”  Don’t you wish you could lay a bead of caulk like that?

Very neat caulking at tub and wall connection

     Before you get too envious (you knew this was coming) I am here to tell you that the caulk should not be there.

     As commonplace as it may be----as seemingly logical as it may be----it is still wrong in many cases.  Caulking this connection is fine if the wall is some sort of one piece sheet or enclosure, but with tile it should not be there.  The grout joints are designed to prevent water from penetrating the wall but any small amount that does penetrate is able to evaporate out and/or weep out along the bottom.  If the tub/tile connection is caulked the water cannot wick out through the bottom grout joint and moisture builds up and is able to feed the mold that eventually develops.  I am sure you have all seen that grey discolored staining of the caulk that you would swear is “behind” the caulk----where it cannot be cleaned off?  And you would be right---it is behind the caulk.

Mold behind the caulk at the tub and shower wall connection

     The next thing that happens is that if there is enough water building up behind this area the water runs around the edge of the tub and down the walls behind the tiles “outside” the tub with the common resultant damage to walls and floors outside of the tub.  Sometimes this damage is just from water not being corralled into the tub by the shower curtain, but when the same thing happens with a shower door in place, these other factors may be at play.

     These conditions also “complicate” the inspector’s moisture meter readings.

     So if you have a tile tub enclosure----keep the grout well repaired----but don’t caulk the connection and the enclosure will behave itself much better.

 

Charles Buell

 

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Seattle Home Inspector

 

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Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Head'em up!  Tongue'm out!  Head'em up!  My dinnerrrrrr!

 

Very kindly,

 

Croakster

Mar 25, 2010 11:06 PM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Jay I think tha approach "can" work as long as the grout sealant holds up and NO water ever gets through the grout and heads by gravity toward the bottom of the tiles---just a little riskier. 

Mar 26, 2010 12:26 AM
Jason Sardi
Auto & Home & Life Insurance throughout North Carolina - Charlotte, NC
Your Agent for Life

Good stuff, Charles.  When remodeling for our abode goes into full gear, I think I'm just going to print out your blogs and put them in a binder. 

And who is this Croakster fella? :)

Mar 26, 2010 12:28 AM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Jason, croakster is just my rotund amphibian friend that pops in to croak about things now and then :)

Mar 26, 2010 12:34 AM

OK Charles, So after the 29 warm and fuzzy,  supportive comments already posted, I am going to be your first skeptic on this issue.  :)                                    ........This is quite the paradigm shift.

I am not saying you are wrong, but rather trying to grasp the concept. Maybe I can learn something?

But let me toss a couple things out, and see how you respond.

First do you have any technical sources that support "not caulking" the joint between the tub and the tile shower? It has always been my understanding that the Tile Council of America (TCA) has specified these joints to be caulked. I don't have the most current 2009 TCA handbook, so I can't look to see if anything has changed.

Secondly what I don't understand is what prevents the water from migrating into the wall through capillary action, when there is an absence of caulking.

Is there a difference in recommendations between the more modern (CBU) Cementious Backer Units and the ever so common shower tile adhered over drywall installation?

Also you stated that the reason not to caulk is to allow gravity drainage of moisture from behind the tile. With a properly installed tile shower wall, where would this moisture be coming from?

Thanks for reminding me that I don't know everything. :)

 

Comments

Harold, first of all there were a few "hints" of skepticism amongst the comments :)  For years too I assumed that this joint should be caulked but after seeing so many problems with it being installed there I did some research and discovered why this damage was happening.  All grouted tile joints accept water over time----this is why it is such a problem installed over drywall.  Cementatious backer board is really the only accepted substrate for tiles in a shower enclosure and stops the damage to substrate so common with drywall----but does nothing to stop the small amounts of moisture that does penetrate over time.  This moisture just needs a pathway out.  Ever notice that little cut-out along the joint of a plastic shower base that is a weep hole for trapped moisture when tile is used with the base?  It is the same principle with any enclosure where this small amount of moisture needs a way to weep out, evaporate out or run out.  If the connection is caulked, one risks trapping this moisture behind the caulk.  The better the caulk job and higher the grade of caulk the better the trapping.  I see mold growing behind the caulk as pictured above too often for this to not be the case.  With just a caulk joint---sure there is the possibility that it too will absorb some moisture but it can evaporate out---it isn't trapped.  Keep the tile grout sealed as conscientiously as possible and the enclosure will behave itself just fine wiithout caulking this joint.

Comments
Troy Pappas
Safe House Property Inspections - Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach Home Inspector

Very infomative post Charles. I like learning something new everyday. You are a great teacher.

Mar 27, 2010 01:46 AM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Troy, hopefully we all are----hard not to if we are paying attention:)

Mar 27, 2010 03:09 AM
Harold Miller
Miller Home Inspection - Stanwood, WA
Certified Professional Home Inspector

Thanks for the response Charles. You spoke of research. Can you refer me to any documentation. Certainly if I were to recommend this to my clients, I would want something to back me up.

Mar 27, 2010 03:15 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Mr Charles,

You are hanging by a thread on this one. I anxiously await your response.

Nutsy

Mar 28, 2010 03:16 AM
Harold Miller
Miller Home Inspection - Stanwood, WA
Certified Professional Home Inspector

So has Nutsy been traning for a space walk? .............

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1256202/The-squirrels-love-stuck-coconuts.html

Mar 28, 2010 03:26 AM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Nutsy, you are going to be in threads when that outfit goes off

Harold, great picture----however Nutsy's head is WAY to big to fit inside a coconut and it is just as hollow.  Also, hand in their----I am tracking down that info for you.  What I am finding out is that if NO grout is used then silicone caulk will be ok as it will fill all the way back to the underlayment and thus not trap moisture behind the caulk/tiles.  It is only when the joint is grouted that it should not be caulked over.

Mar 28, 2010 03:40 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Mr Charles,

It looks to me like Mr Harold, like me, has your number. Sometimes wiser heads prevade.

Nutsy

Mar 28, 2010 08:12 AM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

I'm proud to say I'm part of that exclusive 10%... now. 

Thanks for the info!

Mar 29, 2010 01:50 PM
Ana Hitzel
AccentPositives Home Staging - Corona, CA
Professional Home Stager Inland Empire

Thanks for this great information, it answers a lot of mold questions when everything seems so ship shape and tidy.  You are a fountain Charles!ems

Apr 02, 2010 05:12 AM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

Mind if I re-blog this entry on to my web site?

Jun 08, 2010 11:56 PM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Reuben, I am sure you are always at least 90% :)

Ana, yes----very commone

Reuben, plese be my guest.

Jun 09, 2010 02:34 AM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.
Aaron Silverman
SuccessfulRental.com, Bluewater Property Management, LLC and Lowcountry Turnkey Properties, LLC - Charleston, SC
Improving Real Estate Experience through Education

Good advice.  Thanks

Aaron

Nov 11, 2010 11:28 PM
Cynthia Larsen
Cotati, CA
Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

You are on a roll, my friend. I have two showers that are caulked and they shouldn't be. You just added an item to the honey-do list. RUN!

Mar 09, 2011 02:47 PM