For caulk to crack, it means you probably made mistakes when applying the caulk, there are many reasons how that can happen that I will discuss in more detail below.
Having a crack in your bathroom where you initially applied caulk is dangerous and ugly at the same time.
This crack may affect the walls just behind your bathroom or even support the growth of moulds.
In addition, liquids flowing inside the cracked gaps will automatically lead to rotting or structural damage.
You will surely want to re-caulk but the process might actually take longer than you expected.
It will also cost you some cash because of some supplies needed but after the project, you won’t regret your actions since you have prevented damage that was to occur.
In this article, I will talk about why the caulk in your bathroom keeps on cracking, what type of caulk to use in bathrooms and how to re-apply caulk to ensure it lasts long.
Why your caulk is Cracking.
For caulk to crack, it means you probably made mistakes when applying the caulk. There are several reasons why your bathroom caulk is cracking, some of them include;
• Using the wrong caulk. This means that you either used caulk made from the wrong material, maybe it was old or rather it wasn’t of high quality. In caulking places like the bathroom, you require a high qualified waterproof caulk to perform the best service.
• Another mistake you may have done is applying a new one on top of the old caulk. This will surely lead to caulking, you are advised to clean out the old caulk first before applying a new one.
Know the difference between grout and caulk.
Grout is sort of a cement mostly applied between tiles, it does not support movement. When it comes to preventing your bathroom from cracking, you will sure want to know the two differences.
When the grout is used around the bathroom, it mostly requires sealing to enable it to stay waterproof.
On the other hand, caulk aims for flexibility and is best designed for bathrooms because of its waterproof nature.
You can have your caulk spreading around your bathtub rim to stop water from licking into walls and floors.
When you are ready to take a shower, and you fill the tub and then get inside it, the applied caulk should be able to sustain the pressure it is receiving.
• Don’t use the two in the same position.
As most people are doing, the grout is used to fill the small gaps between the tiles but after you are done, you will want to leave some margin in order to apply the caulk in the bottom edge.
A good example is my bathroom, it is filled with grout in between the tiles but as you keep on moving to where the shower bed meets bottom tiles at the perimeter, I added caulk and it was truly a nice idea.
The best Shower Caulk to use to avoid cracks
In the current market, caulk exists in many types with each having a specific purpose. When talking of bathroom caulking, silicone sealant is the most preferred superior caulk.
It is more of a flexible and stretchy type of caulk that is reliable at most times. Remember to always check the labels to understand the specific use of the caulk.
The best time for re-caulking cracks in shower.
Most silicone sealants have a lifespan of about seven to ten years but most service providers disagree on this issue, giving it a lifespan of approximately three to five years.
For those looking to sell a house and make it as marketable as possible, you will need to caulk your bathrooms once again for it to be more applicable to the customers.
What to do if the shower caulk keeps cracking?
If your caulk keeps on cracking it means you did something wrong the last time.
After deciding that you want to do a re-caulk, always make sure that that the old caulk is removed and done away with, make sure the place is clean and mostly dry so that the caulk can stick in permanently.
What leads to caulk cracking in shower?
You probably wondering why your caulk keeps on cracking forcing you into re-caulking process.
The reason why caulk is cracking is because of the water that penetrates into the ground, filling up the area under the tiles.
In wet areas, caulk starts to peel off as this encourages the growth of moulds.
This results in adhesive weakening that was initially applied under the tile.
When the temperature around the area is dry, you will notice gaps around the shower corner, this is because the caulk has shrunk and cracked leaving those spaces that will lead to mould development due to the stagnant water.
You are advised to use sentura which is more of a permanent sealing compared to caulk. Try this new sealant today and reduce your bathroom problems.
