Tile grouting and caulking

kathyll · 08-04-2011, 03:54 PM

I'm getting conflicting views. I am tiling a shower area.
Should the corners where the back wall meet the side wall be grouted and then caulked or just caulked? I'm thinking just caulking incase there's movement or house creaks. Whatever the answer, can you tell me why you are saying what you do so I can understand.
Thanks.

**oh'mike** · 08-04-2011, 04:14 PM

In an ideal world you would only use caulk in the corners and no grout---

However,In the real world (mine anyway) you are going to end up with grout there--

Best to take a knife and open that joint after washing while the grout is still soft.

Then use 100% silicone caulk the next day after the grout is dry.

When using epoxy I grout the corners and add silicone on top the next day--never had a call back--Mike--

Bud Cline · 08-04-2011, 04:47 PM

Quote:

I'm thinking just caulking incase there's movement or house creaks.

There ya go, you just answered your own question.

If it was me I would use grout-matching colored caulk and stay totally away from 100% silicone.

JazMan · 08-04-2011, 10:05 PM

I won't use silicone either, Now siliconized acrylic is common and it's what the grout manufacturers make to match their grouts.

Jaz

kathyll · 08-05-2011, 08:53 AM

Thanks for the reply. I hear you O'Mike - the real world is so different than my world. I will plan to just silicone it then. There seems to be different views on the types of silicone - why is one better than another?

I'm attaching a couple of photos. I haven't attached photos to a thread before, so I hope they come out. This is our first try at tiling and I think it's coming out pretty nice. However, I now have a new appreciation for people who do this work - it's a HUGE job - especially if you do it right - plan the layout, level everything, use the spacers, etc. It's quite overwhelming and SLOW but rewarding in the end.

Bud Cline · 08-05-2011, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Thanks for the reply. I hear you O'Mike - the real world is so different than my world. I will plan to just silicone it then. There seems to be different views on the types of silicone - why is one better than another?

Testing testing, microphone test, testing. Is this on? Can you hear me out there?

kathyll · 08-05-2011, 09:04 AM

yes, what would you like to say?

JazMan · 08-05-2011, 10:31 AM

Testing testing, microphone test, testing. Is this on? Can you hear me out there?

Huh, either my mic isn't working either, or her eyes aren't listening.

Jaz

kathyll · 08-05-2011, 03:54 PM

Jax man is that type of comment really necessary? All I was asking was why is the 100% sylicone caulk not OK? If the only reason is that the other is grout-matching colored and is syliconized acrylic which is common- I was asking why is that better. I'm just trying to learn something here and not be sarcastic. Why bother answering that way? thanks anyway.

Jackofall1 · 08-05-2011, 04:04 PM

Kathyll, silicon doesn't have the bonding strength of siliconized acyrlic grout, the latter of which is available in colors which will match your grout and is available in sanded or non sanded.

Mark

JazMan · 08-05-2011, 08:26 PM

Kathy,

Sorry if you took offense, but Bud led me and it was a perfect opportunity to try to be funny. You apparently didn't get Bud's humor either. After Bud & I told you to nix the silicone, you said you're gonna use it anyway. So, we thought you can't hear.

Most of us do not like silicone and the grout manufacturers' agree. The average DIY'r would make a total mess of it.

Jaz

**oh'mike** · 08-05-2011, 09:14 PM

Jazz and Bud --what brands do you prefer?

I've always used 100% silicone---never a failure,but I'm open to new and better ways.--Mike---

Top notch work----very good---

JazMan · 08-05-2011, 10:11 PM

Mike,

Every grout manufacturer makes sanded and unsanded caulk to match their grouts.

I hate silicone mainly because it's difficult to work with, and matches nothing. So if you want white or clear you're fine. I also have a suspicion that silicone can trap moisture that gets behind the tile work and the results is moldy silicone. Of course when that happens the wall is shot anyway, but people often don't believe us until the tiles fall on their heads,

Jaz

MikeKy55 · 08-05-2011, 10:53 PM

At Bud Cline and Jaz's direction, I used the sanded grout caulk that matched my grout. You cannot tell a difference and I'm convinced the flexability of the caulk will last longer than grout in those corners. When I did mine I taped both sides of the seam, applied the caulk and then smoothed it with my finger and then while it was still fresh, removed the tape. The edges look great.

Bud Cline · 08-05-2011, 11:31 PM

It is not the success or failure of using 100% silicone that worries me. It is the ease of installation that is the culprit.
One hundred percent silicone caulk requires some experience to work with it. It is a mess to work with. It makes a mess to use it. Once it is smeared beyond where it is needed it is unsightly and next to impossible to improve its appearance or remove it. In the hands of a skilled craftsman that uses it regularly it may have its attributes even though it is only (readily) available in limited colors.

In the hands of an inexperienced DIY'er it could be the ruination of a project that took many many hours of toil to complete only to have the damned silicone trash it all.

There are ways to tool 100% silicone and there are solvents that will help tool it and clean up some of the mess but I won't even go there. It isn't worth my time.

If oh'mike knows of a way to instruct first-time users on its clean and efficient use then I wish he would offer up some advice, I could use it also.

I know how hard these people that come here work on their projects because I do them every day of the week myself, every day of the year I do this type of work, I've been doing it for more than thirty years. I can not in good conscience suggest to anyone that they use 100% silicone to put the caulk (icing) on their brand new shower (cake).

If kathyll chooses to ignore my advice, that's her business. If kathyll has no sense of humor, that's her business. If kathyll chooses to use 100% silicone, she can go ahead. I can assure you if she does and she ruins her new tile installation she won't be back here saying Bud/Jaz by God you guys were right. She will simply disappear never to be heard from again knowing all along she screwed up her tile installation and it is/was no one's fault but her own.