Need help re-caulking/grouting wall tiles

Rav

I'm not sure this is the right forum (since what I have is bathroom wall tile and this forum says "flooring"); if not, please direct me to the right forum.

Please see picture below. The tile on our bathroom wall is probably original to our 1931 house. At least a few decades ago someone re-caulked one area, doing a sloppy job, with the wrong color, and it's cracking. I assume what they used is caulk -- it's "rubbery." The area they caulked is between the last row of flat tile at the bottom of the wall and the "curved" tile (which butts up against the floor tile).

I want to remove all the old caulk and re-caulk (or re-grout?) it. The gap to be done is 1/4 inch wide and also deep.

I started pulling the old caulk out with a butter knife, but there's many feet to do. What hand tool would make removing the old caulk easier -- A caulk removal tool? A "QEP" grout removal tool? Or ... ?

Then what is more appropriate to refill the gap: Caulk, or grout? I've read that caulk should be used at "plane" transitions, but I wasn't sure the curved tile was considered a plane transition. And what kind or caulk/grout? Any tips for what tools to use to apply it, and any that would help give it a nice finished look?

In case you can't tell I've never done any tile work before, so thanks very much for any help! / Rav

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joecaption

Unless that floor is flexing in my opion that area should have been grouted not caulked.

DannyT

all corners where tile meet should be caulked, grout will just crack with the movement of the floor and walls.

joecaption

That's not a corner, it looks like where the sanitary base meets the wall tiles.

oh'mike

What a shame---sloppy work---you will have some time into removing that---a Multi-tool will aid in getting the old caulk removed---Harbor freight makes a good one at a fair price---

then it's hand work--razor blade--possibly a solvent like xylene (Goof off) and a scrub pad--

After it's clean I suggest you use a sanded tile caulk----they are available in all grout colors.

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epson

this is the tool i use to remove caulk

DannyT

right joe, it looks like a ledge about an inch wide behind the tile now that i look at it more closely. is that bath paneling on the wall?

oh'mike

House is from 1931----it's most likely a porcelain tile---

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JazMan

The floor tiles are porcelain, the wall is ceramic and so is the A106 cove tile. I can assure you it is not all original, (probably none of it).

I agree it is very sloppy work, the old HO's must have done it themselves. What's with the narrow grout line on the wall?

Jaz

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