On Nov 5, 4:59 pm, Norminn wrote:
On 11/5/2011 9:44 AM, RicodJour wrote:
On Nov 4, 8:34 pm, wrote:
On 11/4/2011 6:13 PM, RicodJour wrote:
On Nov 4, 4:50 pm, wrote:
On 11/4/2011 3:43 PM, chaniarts wrote:

corners are especially bad for grout cracks. they should have been
caulked instead. you probably need to remove the grout and caulk to get
a final solution.

No need to go overboard removing the grout...just enough for the caulk
to grab into (it sticks to the surface of the tile ennyhoo).

Gotta call you on that one. The caulk will stick, but it won't be
long lasting and it won't be gua-ran-teed to be 100% waterproof.
It's not all that much work to remove the old grout and clean out the
joint. Do it right, do it once.

Gotta call you on that one. My caulk will stick for a long time...clean
the meeting surfaces obsessively, wipe with full strength bleach, let
dry, caulk. Done (unless I smudge it and have to do it over) )

You're not arguing with me, you're arguing with the physical
properties of caulk. Caulk won't stretch in every direction equally
regardless of area of adhesion and thickness. Unless you control the
joint width and depth, and insure that the narrow dimension is normal
to the direction that the joint will move, the caulk will fail.
Murphy's Law requires it to fail in a way that is most unfavorable to
your desired outcome - waterproofing.

Some people just goober on the caulk right over the grout and bridge
the joint. That may work for a while, but it's a non-starter if you
want the job to last and don't want the caulk job to yell out,
"Amateur!" Caulked joints should be almost indistinguishable from a
grout line - uniform along it's length, color matched, and as close to
the standard grout line width as possible.


It's pretty unlikely to find a corner joint with tile where the gap is
as fine and even as a grout joint

Look at any of my tile jobs and you'll see they're all like that. It
takes longer, but I'm only doing it once. But it doesn't matter how
big the gap is, within reason, it matters how you approach caulking
the joint. Filling the joint, or attempting to bridge it, without
taking into account the caulk bead depth and dimensions is a surefire
recipe for failure.

...and stretching is only minimal;
consider how wide the fine crack is if the joint is grouted. We're not
talking about trampolines.

The water we have around here does not discriminate based on the size
of the gap. If there's a gap, the water will enter it. It's a
shower, eh?

As far as the amount of stretch - that's exactly the point. You don't
fight the material, you work with it. The caulk should be adhered at
both sides and the caulk thinner in the middle so it'll stretch the
way it is supposed to and not pull the caulk away from the tile on one
side.

Different ways to caulk correctly:
http://www.inspectapedia.com/BestPra...Figure1-38.jpg
http://www.inspectapedia.com/BestPra...Figure6-37.jpg

Carpentry, but it applies to tile as well:
http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/wp-co...kerRod-1_1.jpg

Shows preferred caulk bead dimensions:
http://www.jlconline.com/isroot/jlco...01Mc51.eps.gif

This is all well established caulking practice. You appear to be
saying "it doesn't matter", but it does. A slow leak is not better
than a fast one. A big gap/leak will show up more quickly and is less
likely to do extensive damage. A small gap/leak can go undetected for
years, and then when it is finally discovered it is never good.
Reframing and mold remediation are the usual outcomes.

R