13 DIY Tips for Caulking Bathroom Shower Tiles
TIPS FOR REPLACING THE CAULK IN BATHROOM SHOWER TILES
TIP #1 – You can prevent expensive repairs later by doing this smaller repair now.
The caulk around your bathroom shower tiles protects the wall behind it and the sub-floor below it from water damage. If the joints between the tiles are cracked or crumbling, then water can seep through and do its damage. This damaged wood attracts destructive insects like termites and carpenter ants. Serious damage to the structure of your home can occur. Mildew can penetrate the caulk and begin to grow behind the tiles. Serious health problems can be caused my mold and mildew. You should repair damaged caulking between your bathroom shower tiles as soon as possible.
TIP #2 – Caulk can be used to replace the original grout between bathroom shower tiles.
When your shower tiles were originally installed, grout was used to apply them to the surface. At that time is was practical for the installer to use that same grout to fill the spaces between the tiles. If that grout is now damaged it can either be replaced with matching grout, or with caulking. Note that you may not be able to find caulking in the original grout’s color so it won’t work well for touch ups. It is fine though if you are replacing all of the grout and matching is not necessary.
Replacing with grout is beyond the scope of this article. We will only be talking about caulking the bathroom shower tiles.
TIP #3 – Surface preparation is everything!
Properly preparing the surface is both the most difficult, and most important task when you caulk shower tiles. It’s critical that you completely remove all the old caulk or grout. The joints must be carefully cleaned out and the surfaces must be free of all soap scum and grime as well. The surface and the joints must be completely dry before applying the new caulk between the shower tiles.
TIP #4 – Choose a caulk that has an added mildew killer.
The two types of caulk that are most appropriate for bathroom shower tiles are Silicone caulk and PVA caulk. Both of these work well in areas with moisture such as a bath or kitchen. Some of them have mildew killers in their formulas. Using products that are extremely water resistant and have mildewcides mean the caulk between your bathroom shower tiles will last longer – and this is not a project you want to do any more than necessary.
The advantage of a 100% Silicone caulk is that it lasts a very long time (more than 10 years if properly applied). It is naturally mildew resistant and GE Silicone II with BioSeal has a mildew killer added as well. But Silicone caulk is hard to work with. It tends to be somewhat messy. It is very difficult to clean up after. It’s even hard to get it off your hands. Probably the biggest disadvantage is if it needs replaced at some point, it is really hard to completely remove and the new caulk (even new Silicone caulk) will not adhere to it.
For that reason, I prefer a PVA caulk. Two very good ones are Polyseamseal Tub & Tile Adhesive Caulk and DAP Kwik Seal PLUS Kitchen & Bath Adhesive Caulk with Microban. Both of these have mildewcides.
TIP #5 – For ease of use, the squeeze tubes of caulk can’t be beat.
For best economy use the traditional large tube of caulk and a caulking gun for this project. But you may want to use the smaller squeeze tubes if you are a novice, or just don’t have good hand control. They are much easier to use and it isn’t really that much more expensive to use them to caulk the tiles of a single bathroom shower.
TIP #6 – You can reattach loose bathroom shower tiles with some caulks.
The two PVA caulks mentioned in Tip #4 are also specially formulated so that they can also be used as an adhesive to reattach loose tiles. Otherwise you would have to prepare a grout mixture (or buy special caulk-like grout in a tube) to fix these loose tiles.
TIP #7 – Remove soap scum and grim from the surface before you remove the old caulk.
You might want to save time by doing all the cleaning at the same time – after removing the old caulk or grout. But there is a good reason to the cleaning in two phases. There is often a lot of soap scum on bathroom shower tiles. It’s important that it all be cleaned from the surfaces that the new caulk must adhere to. This will take not only lots of elbow grease, but lots of water. If the old caulk or grout has already been removed, then this water will saturate the surfaces behind the tile and you will have to wait until it dries.
So scrub those shower tiles clean when the old caulk or grout is still in place. Rinse well with clear water and then dry the surface completely. A dry surface is critical when applying the new caulk.
TIP #8 – Kill any mildew that remains with this inexpensive formula.
Mix 3 quarts of warm water with 1 quart of liquid chlorine bleach. Add 1/3 cup of powdered laundry detergent and mix well. Apply this solution with either a sponge or a spray bottle. Use lots of clear water to rinse well.
Please make sure that you have adequate ventilation! And don’t forget to wear gloves and eye protection when you use this solution.
TIP #9 – Your favorite home improvement store has products to make removing old caulk much easier.
The most difficult and time consuming portion of this project is the removal of the old caulk or grout. Unfortunately if you are removing grout, then nothing but old-fashioned elbow grease will do the job – although there are some tools that will make it easier. Ask about them at your local home improvement store.
If the old material is caulk, then you are in luck. There are several products that can help. Try to figure out whether the old caulk is Silicone, or PVC or latex. If it’s still somewhat soft and pliable then it’s probably Silicone. Ask at the home improvement center which caulk remover will work for you. Three common ones are 3M Caulk Remover, Dap Caulk-Be-Gone, McKanica Silicone Caulk Remover Gel.
Use the product according to the label directions. It will probably require leaving it on for some time to soften the old caulking. All the time needed to do this step well will be worth it when you enjoy your newly caulked bathroom shower tiles.
TIP #10 – Your second cleaning step uses alcohol, not water.
After you have removed all the old caulk or grout, vacuum any debris from the spaces between the tiles. Vacuum the shower tile surfaces too to remove all the dust. Now wipe the surface with denatured alcohol. If you used water at this point, you would be getting the now empty joints between the tile wet. It could take hours for it to dry. It’s absolutely necessary that the area be completely dry before applying the new caulk.
At this point make sure there is no mildew inside the joints were the old caulk has been removed. Unfortunately, if you find any mildew, you will have to use the bleach formula again. Spray it into the spaces between the shower tiles. It’s important to kill all the mildew. Any mildew left will continue to grow and spread to the wood and drywall and can cause serious damage. It will also damage your new caulk.
TIP #11 – Use a hair dryer to hasten the drying process
If the old caulk or grout had a lot of damage, then the surfaces behind the shower tiles may be quite damp. It will be necessary for it to dry completely before applying the new caulk to the shower tiles. You can use a hair dryer to speed things up, but be careful that you haven’t just dried the surface, leaving damp material underneath. It may be necessary for the area to air dry for several days.
TIP #12 – When applying caulk – less is more.
Re-caulking your bathroom shower tiles is a time consuming project. You don’t want to make it any more difficult than necessary. If you apply too much caulking then the cleanup process is more difficult. You want to apply only a narrow bead of caulk. To do this, cut only a small opening when you open your caulk tube. Experiment a bit. Make the opening larger if necessary but it’s better to lay down a small bead and then add a bit more, than to make a nasty mess.
You can also tape both sides of each joint so that any excess spills over onto the tape. But this isn’t usually necessary unless there is a big contrast in the color of the caulk and the shower tile.
Make sure you completely fill the joints between the shower tile with the caulk. Go back and fill in any spots that you missed. Then lightly press the caulk into the joint with your slightly moistened finger. Don’t leave any air pockets. Once the caulk develops a “skin,” it can’t be smoothed anymore, so work a small area at a time.
Let it cure overnight (or according to the product directions).
TIP #13 – enjoy the fruit of you labor.
Congratulations – You did it. You caulked your bathroom shower tiles and they look great.
Sources:
Allen, Benjamin W., ed. New Complete Guide to Home Repair and Improvement. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Books, 1997
Beckstrom, Robert J, et al, Ortho’s Home Repair Problem Solver. San Ramon, California: Ortho Books, 1995
“Polyseamseal Tub & Tile Adhesive Caulk“, Polyseamseal home page
“DAP Kwik Seal PLUS Kitchen & Bath Adhesive Caulk with Microban“, DAP home page
