Bathroom Caulking

satchmo

My wife spotted some cracks along the tiled interior of our shower stall. We bought the condominium in May.


Click on the thumbnail for the larger image

She's worried that the cracks may lead to leaks down the road. We have a two-floor condo, and we don't want the upstairs bathroom to leak down to the downstairs unit.

So, do we need to caulk the cracks?

Thanks in advance.

Sammy

I would clean out the old caulk and recaulk with a mildew resistant caulk. Keep an eye on it for awhile and see if water puddles there after the shower is used.

Did you get a home inspection? Some of those gaps look a little big and should have been picked up by the home inspector.

satchmo

Thanks.

We did have a home inspection, and the inspector did not mention that in the report.

He came highly recommended by many online customers, and he did a pretty thorough job (we were with him during the entire inspection).

Is caulking enough?

Sammy

The cracks dont look big enough for backing. I would clean out the old caulk, maybe spray it with a water/bleach mix, let it dry well, then recaulk.

satchmo

What's the best way to clean out the old caulk?

Is white caulk better than translucent caulk?

Sammy

Putty knife or a screwdriver should work o.k. to get the old caulk out.

I would go with a white versus a clear caulk. Main thing is use a caulk for baths that is mildew resistant.

satchmo

Thanks a bunch!

Sammy

Good Luck!