Tiling floor around bathtub

digexpressions · 02-18-2008, 03:45 PM

I will be re tiling the floor in my bathroom. I had a question regarding how to tile around the bathtub area. Is it best to tile right up to the side of the tub or should there be a grout line there? Does it make a functional difference or is it just aesthetic? I saw a contractor caulking around a tub on a laminate flooring, is this also done on tile? Not sure how this would look. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

jerryh3 · 02-18-2008, 03:59 PM

Leave approx 1/8" between the edge of the tile and the tub and fill with a quality silicone caulk. Do not fill with grout because it will likely crack.

JazMan · 02-18-2008, 05:08 PM

I agree the gap should be caulked. I do not recommend silicone though. Most people would make a royal mess of it, plus you're limited to the colors you can get.

I recommend leaving an 1/8" (+-) gap and using a caulk color to match the floor grout. Matching caulk is available from all grout manufacturers, including both unsanded and sanded varieties.

Jaz

Bud Cline · 02-18-2008, 06:02 PM

Caulking laminate to a tub? How does that work I wonder? Floating laminate flooring caulked to anything wouldn't last more than forty seconds I wouldn't think.

Leave 1/8" gap and caulk it with grout-matching caulk.....oh wait, Jaz already said that.

mike costello · 02-18-2008, 06:26 PM

Floating laminate in a bathroom period is a bad deal

JazMan · 02-18-2008, 09:12 PM

Floating laminate floor ANYWHERE is a bad idea! It's cheap looking, sounding, feeling etc. It's possibly a half step up from vinyl is all. I mean it's fine, but some toot it as an upgrade premium floor, it is not.

Jaz