Shower Tile Caulk Or Grout Corners

Simply put because of movement.

Shower tile caulk or grout corners. Why does grout crack in the corners of showers backsplashes and against abutting surfaces. This area gets a lot of water and this are this is where the caulking will need to be replaced most often in a tile shower. Though grout is more porous than caulk it s best for tiled shower walls and floors. Tom meehan a second generation tile installer and co author of working with tile who lives and works in harwich mass responds.

Still there are many tile installers who always grout around the base of a tile shower floor. This is largely because of the way grout binds with backer board the concrete material placed behind tiles. With gaps that large what you can do it install a bead of silicone against one side about 1 8 thick leaving the rest of the gap open then once cured grout between the tile and silicone. The vast majority of showers that i ve tiled have had no problems when i use grout in the corners.

My tile installer recently told me that he wanted to use caulk in the corners of a tiled shower instead of grout is that necessary.