Caulk is the cheapest part of a bathroom and the part that fails first. That thin bead around the tub is the only thing stopping shower water from running behind the tile and down into the wall. In a condo, that wall might be your downstairs neighbour's ceiling.
Here's how to tell when yours needs redoing, why it keeps failing in Toronto condo bathrooms, and what a proper job looks like.
Signs it's time to redo it
- Black or grey spots inside the caulk. That's mould growing in or behind the bead. You can't bleach it out. If it's under the surface, it comes back.
- Peeling or lifting edges. Water is getting underneath.
- Gaps or cracks, especially in the back corners and under the tap.
- Caulk that's gone hard, yellow or chalky. It's past its life.
- A water stain on the ceiling below, or a complaint from the unit below. That's urgent. Stop using the shower and get it looked at.
Why it fails so fast in condo bathrooms
No window. Most condo bathrooms in Toronto towers are interior rooms with only an exhaust fan. If the fan is weak, noisy and never turned on, or the duct is clogged with lint, moisture sits in the room for hours after every shower. Mould loves that.
It was caulked over old caulk. This is the most common shortcut we see at turnovers. Fresh silicone doesn't stick properly to old caulk or soap scum, so it peels within months, and the mould underneath is still there.
The wrong product. Painter's acrylic caulk is cheap and easy, and it doesn't belong in a shower. Wet areas need a caulk made for kitchens and baths, usually 100% silicone with a mould inhibitor.
The tub moved. Acrylic and steel tubs flex a little when they fill with water and a person. If the caulk was applied with the tub empty, the first full bath stretches it and opens a gap. Pros fill the tub with water before caulking for exactly this reason.
Nobody waited for it to cure. Silicone needs time to cure before it gets wet, often a full day. Check the tube. A shower two hours later can ruin a perfect bead.
What a proper recaulk looks like
- Cut out all the old caulk. Every bit, with a blade and a caulk remover if needed. This is most of the job.
- Clean off soap scum and mould. Then let the joint dry completely. Damp joints are why so many DIY jobs fail.
- Fill the tub with water so it sits at its loaded position.
- Run a continuous bead of kitchen-and-bath silicone and tool it smooth.
- Leave it alone for the full cure time on the tube, then drain the tub.
Caulk or grout?
Grout goes between tiles across the flat part of the wall. Caulk goes where two surfaces meet at an angle or where materials change: tub to tile, inside corners, around the tap and spout, and where the tile meets the floor. Grout in those corners cracks, because those joints move. If your corner grout keeps cracking, it probably should have been caulk.
When it's more than caulk
Recaulking won't fix:
- Tiles that move when you press them
- Soft or crumbling drywall behind the tile
- A leaking tap, spout or shower valve
- A crack in the tub itself
If you press on the tile around the tub and it gives, water has already been getting in for a while. That needs a closer look before new caulk goes on. Leaks at the tap or valve fall under our plumbing repairs.
Landlords: put it on the turnover list
Fresh caulk in the tub and around the kitchen sink is one of the easiest ways to make a unit look clean and cared for, and it prevents a lot of mid-tenancy calls. It belongs on every turnover. See our tenant turnover checklist for Toronto landlords and tenant turnover service.
A small habit that makes it last
Run the bathroom fan during every shower and for a while after. If the fan barely pulls a tissue toward the grille, it may need cleaning or replacing.
Getting it done
Recaulking tubs, showers and sinks is part of our general maintenance service in condos and houses across Toronto and the GTA, including Downtown Toronto, North York and Mississauga.
Caulk looking rough? Call or text 416Fix at (365) 360-1416 with a photo of the tub corners and the tap area, and tell us if there's any staining below.
