I'm wondering ow often should I recaulk the ceramic-tiles (with silicone) in my bathrooms and kitchen to prevent any water penetration into the walls?
Thanks!
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1Easy answer - When they need it? I guess the question is after that, how can one tell when it's time to recaulk, eh?– Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2Commented May 13, 2015 at 0:55
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@Paulster2 thanks Paulster2! But the thing is that I don't know when they need it...I'm a new home owner and have never done the house maintenance work before. Currently in my bathroom, the ceramic-tiles are not caulked by silicone yet. Should I do it immediately?– Ariana K.Commented May 13, 2015 at 22:15
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Yes. Then followup with sealing the tile/grout as well. The caulk should last for quite some time if done correctly. I'm talking years.– Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2Commented May 13, 2015 at 23:44
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1Tiles are grouted, not caulked. Are you talking about between the tiles and something else?– Marc StoberCommented Aug 14, 2015 at 22:22
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To echo Marc, we need more clarity to be able to answer the question. Caulk is applied only in certain areas of tiled walls.– DA01Commented Oct 13, 2015 at 18:50
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2 Answers
Truly it's not a dumb question. I know I've got kids (3-4) and they can TEAR UP any caulking laid down in a matter of months. For clarification, I am talking 'caulk', the sealant to keep the puddles of water from water-logging and destroying walls/flooring/underpinning etc. in between the tile and bathtub; grout is a different issue, of course (as others have stated, grout being the 'cement' between and under your tiles, holding them in place).
Back to the silicone, honestly, I have found myself caulking their entire bathroom down only to find it 8-10 months later peeling back/cracking/ missing places... It truly depends on what is going on in said room how often one might wish to reapply/replace. I use a "holy hell, how can this be possible?" sliding scale to determine the NEED for replacement- however, as stated, with the kids and appreciation for puddling up the entire bathroom floor; I make sure there are NO breaks in the seal where water might seep through and cause damage... I'd say a good rule of thumb is if you feel like water (or any amount of moisture) could collect/ make it's way through- it's probably a good idea to knock it out. If it peels/flakes away easy, is receding from either side, starting to crack or chip, etc. there's a good possibility that it can/will allow water damage under- causing MUCH BIGGER issues... Much rather do it and not need it than need it and not do it! haha
The best answer is to reapply when they need it, but if you're nervous you could pull it up and apply every year or two. In a perfect world, it would last much longer than that.
I'd use a putty knife to scrape up that existing silicone so that the new bead gets a nice clean seal. You don't want to just keep adding more silicone on top of what's already there.
