[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

 

[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.

 

[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---

 

[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?:huh:

Jaz