Tile to Tile corners

[ben2579]

Our recessed shower had had its tile to tile corners grouted but have now cracked and I have to say i do not think they are too old. The tiles are on a backer board but stud wall behind that! I assume the movement was too much. I think it was flexible tile grout but still!

I have seen mention of Caulking them? And others have said use silicone sealant. I know that they are not quite the same product so which is best? Or are they in fact talking about the same thing.

Also should I remove all of the old grout?

Should i Re grout before sealing? or just seal over grout?

Sorry If these questions seem a little basic and a littler counter intuitive but I have read so much contradictory advice tonight I did not want to make any assumptions.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and help a very frustrated soon to be DIyer!

 

[misterhelpful]

I'm not a tiler but have done my fair share of it and always seal the corners with silicone. If I can't find a silicone that matches the grout/tile colour, I will grout the corner and then seal with clear silicone once it is dry. If you can find a matching colour silicone then you should be fine to remove any loose grout and then seal the corner directly.

As a decorator, I can say that caulk is not a suitable product to use as it is something that really needs to be painted to achieve any sort of waterproof level (but still not great). I think people just use the word 'caulking' as a general term for sealing with variuos types of mastic sealants.

 

[ben2579]

thank you so much - so if I just remove the loose grout it should be fine - or should I spend the time and get the majority out.

I think you are right about caulking and think it is used loosely to mean many things.

Also could i just ask what you use to fill around skirting and door frames before painting.

 

[misterhelpful]

It should be fine to just remove just the loose grout and put a nice even bead of silicone in the corner - just make sure it slightly laps onto the tiles rather than just in the gap or it might start to split like the grout.

Decorator's caulk is the right product for around skirtings and door frames, even in bathrooms, as when it is painted it with gloss, etc, it is waterproofed to a certain extent. Silicone can't be painted but, if you have a steady hand and can apply a nice bead without getting it all over the woodwork, I suppose it would be ok to use it in the bathroom where tiles meet the timber, but not in other rooms.