[MElizabethC]

I live in a rental apartment. When we first moved in, just a couple days after, the handyman re-caulked the part of the tub backer board tiles where they meet the tub. He said in a few hours it would be fine to use the shower. A few weeks later, the caulk is cracking and peeling off again.

The backer board has never laid flat against the wall. It's like it is too long, as if there is a "bubble" behind it. He came out just yesterday to re-caulk it. It looked great, until I used it- 36 hours later, after giving it plenty of time to dry, it's already starting to crack again. Is it because it isn't flat, and it moves around if you touch it? Is this something we could fix ourselves? Would the landlord need to redo the backboard to get it to work right? I'm concerned about water building up behind there and making mold or something. I feel like it's really the landlord's issue but it seems like all we do is put in maintenance requests- we have put in so many since move-in.

The only things I can think to do are either buy a high-quality silicone quick dry shower/tub caulk and do it ourselves, hoping the movement doesn't crack it open and that 36 hours really is enough dry time, or tell our landlord that literally the day after the repair the caulk is already cracking. She said she had asked the handyman to leave care instructions for us, but all he left was a note saying the time of the repair. Could she blame that on us? The internet said caulk only needed 24 hours to dry. Maybe there was moisture behind the tile when he caulked it? The caulk seems a bit squishy like it never really dried, but that might just be the water from my shower.

I feel like we could handle re-caulking it on our own. But I don't want to get into trouble for doing a bad job if the issue is more that the tile isn't flat. Would there be a way to make it stay still without completely pulling it off? I would not feel comfortable doing anything that major, and I feel like it could put me at risk with my rental contract.

 

[joecaption]

Not enough info and no pictures.
"tub backed board tiles" make no since.
Old caulking need to be removed before installing new.
Tub needed to be filled at least 1/2 full before caulking to weight it down.

 

[MElizabethC]

There is a sheet made to look like tiles. It's actually just one piece. It goes around the shower in place of real tiles.

I don't have a means of posting pictures, really. But the caulk is cracking and peeling off. I don't think the tub itself is moving, it's the fake tile board that is moving, so I doubt that filling the tub will make much difference.

 

[joecaption]

It's a rental, take pictures, keep written records of your complaints.
If it's what I'm thinking of (MDF tile board) it's all going to fail for sure!
It's not going to be your fault!
Just a cheap, fast way to make it look OK until the next sucker moves in.
Not meant to be an insult.
Just seen it way to many times.
All my rentals I use the best materials, I can get more rent and all most never have to go back and spend more time and money patching up all the screw ups.