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The caulking where the tile meets the bathtub in my bathroom was getting old and going pink so I decided to re-caulk. The bathroom is approximately 20 years old and otherwise in good condition. But when I took all the old caulk out there was a small amount of water seeping out of the grout. There was also some black mold on the grout that was under the caulk. I scraped out all the old caulk out and cleaned thoroughly with mineral spirits. I then tried to dry it out best I could and re-caulked with 100% silicone (all in the same day), but the new caulk was cracking. I have now taken out all the new caulk out and have a fan blowing on the area where the water is seeping.

My question is: do you think that if I leave it drying with fans and heat for three days the seeping will slow/stop to the point where I can re-caulk, or does a small amount of water seeping out of the grout indicate that the tile all needs to be ripped out?

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  • Is there pipes in the wall the water is seeping out?
    – crip659
    Commented Jan 15 at 19:35
  • Nobody knows if three days will be enough. Leave it open with heat & fans until the water stops seeping out. Also, as noted by @crip659, look for plumbing leaks.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jan 15 at 19:36
  • Thanks so much for the thoughts. No, there is no piping in that wall. I will leave it open with heat and fans and cross my fingers that the water seepage subsides. Sorry, I didn't mean to put an "exactly three days" timeline, I'm more trying to figure out if it is worth leaving it open for a while to see if it dries out, or I should be calling someone for quotes to replace bathroom immediately. It is our only bathroom, so time is not on our side.
    – Blair
    Commented Jan 15 at 20:50
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    If water got in once it will get in again unless you find the source and correct it. In a 20 yr old bathroom, it is likely that there is quite a bit of water seeping through old grout. Cleaning out the old grout and regrouting may help, but truth be told it is probably time for the shower surround to be rebuilt.
    – RMDman
    Commented Jan 15 at 21:08

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To answer your question, no amount of time spent drying it out will be effective if you haven't addressed the source of the leak. It isn't necessarily that either it dries out or you rip out the shower.

For example, in my current home there were quite a few leaks in the upstairs bathroom due to the roof needing to be replaced. In a previous home (condo/apartment) the plumbing hadn't been updated since the building was erected in 1916, and plumbing was a constant issue throughout the building. The first time there was an issue, it was my plumbing, the second it was someone two floors up.

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    Please take the tour, @Blair, so you can get a better feel for how this place works. You made a "comment" in response to an "answer", not a "comment". I am making a "comment" in response to another "comment". Also, you'll learn how to properly say "thanks" and what to do when you've found an answer that solves your problem
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jan 15 at 22:56

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