I'm not exactly sure where to post this, but plumbing seems the closest. I've been Googling this for quite a while, and I haven't found any answer to my question.
I have a shower with a fiberglass Jacuzzi pan, with Corian surround. The shower pan has a flange that goes all the way around the sides and back, behind the surround.
The shower pan instructions are for installing with a tiled surround, which specifies cement wall panels, which the tiles cover, and a 1/2" gap all the way around the pan behind the tiles. The tiles are supposed to come within 1/8" of the rim of the pan, and this gap is supposed to be caulked, leaving a "weep hole" at the front of the pan on each side. This is to allow water that seeps through the tile grout to run out into the pan, and go down the drain. That is all well and good. But unlike tile, the Corian is completely water tight. It was installed without cement panels, or any other spacing between the pan flange and the surround. It comes down to within 1/8" of the pan rim, and the gap was caulked.
So here's my question: installed this way, is there actually any need for caulking between the Corian and the shower pan? What function does the caulk provide?
I have a shower with a fiberglass Jacuzzi pan, with Corian surround. The shower pan has a flange that goes all the way around the sides and back, behind the surround.
The shower pan instructions are for installing with a tiled surround, which specifies cement wall panels, which the tiles cover, and a 1/2" gap all the way around the pan behind the tiles. The tiles are supposed to come within 1/8" of the rim of the pan, and this gap is supposed to be caulked, leaving a "weep hole" at the front of the pan on each side. This is to allow water that seeps through the tile grout to run out into the pan, and go down the drain. That is all well and good. But unlike tile, the Corian is completely water tight. It was installed without cement panels, or any other spacing between the pan flange and the surround. It comes down to within 1/8" of the pan rim, and the gap was caulked.
So here's my question: installed this way, is there actually any need for caulking between the Corian and the shower pan? What function does the caulk provide?
