About two years ago, I had a "cultured marble" we are very high-class
HAHA shower enclosure installed and then had the bathroom floor done
in ceramic tile.

When the tile butts up against the shower enclosure, the grout has
cracked, separated, pulled away -- not sure what you call it. I
posted pictures of it on my flickr page, you can see them he

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62275472@N06/

What I THINK is happening is that the shower enclosure "flexes"
slightly when people use it (it is used rarely, btw) and it has caused
the "inflexible grout" to crack.

Any thoughts about a solution? Obviously, I guess I could try to chip
out the loose grout and put in more grout, but I think I'll have the
same problem. Alternatively, would some sort of caulking work?

I'm pretty much unskilled in this "field" -- in other words have no
idea what I am talking about. Any thoughts?

Oh, if you look at the pictures, if you "double click" on them, they
come up larger, making them easier to see....Tim

On Apr 28, 12:33*pm, tim birr wrote:
About two years ago, I had a "cultured marble" we are very high-class
HAHA shower enclosure installed and then had the bathroom floor done
in ceramic tile.

When the tile butts up against the shower enclosure, the grout has
cracked, separated, pulled away -- not sure what you call it. *I
posted pictures of it on my flickr *page, you can see them he

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62275472@N06/

What I THINK is happening is that the shower enclosure "flexes"
slightly when people use it (it is used rarely, btw) and it has caused
the "inflexible grout" to crack.

Any thoughts about a solution? Obviously, I guess I could try to chip
out the loose *grout and put in more grout, but I think I'll have the
same problem. Alternatively, would some sort of caulking work?

I'm pretty much unskilled in this "field" -- in other words have no
idea what I am talking about. *Any thoughts?

Dig it out and put in white caulk.

On Apr 28, 9:36*am, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Apr 28, 12:33*pm, tim birr wrote:
Dig it out and put in white caulk.

Yeah, flexible caulking is sort of where my "clueless" brain is
leading me....

Does everyone else agree?

If so:

1) What type of caulking -- acrylic -- ?? (tons of different caulking
at the store all made from different stuff).

2) Any tips on digging out the existing grout....I'm thinking there
must be something that might make it a bit easier.

tim birr wrote the following:
On Apr 28, 9:36 am, jamesgangnc wrote:

On Apr 28, 12:33 pm, tim birr wrote:
Dig it out and put in white caulk.


Yeah, flexible caulking is sort of where my "clueless" brain is
leading me....

Does everyone else agree?

If so:

1) What type of caulking -- acrylic -- ?? (tons of different caulking
at the store all made from different stuff).

Caulk made for bathroom shower and tub enclosures.



2) Any tips on digging out the existing grout....I'm thinking there
must be something that might make it a bit easier.


You may not have to dig it out at all. Just caulk over it.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

On Apr 28, 6:05*pm, tim birr wrote:
On Apr 28, 9:36*am, jamesgangnc wrote:

On Apr 28, 12:33*pm, tim birr wrote:
Dig it out and put in white caulk.

Yeah, flexible caulking is sort of where my "clueless" brain is
leading me....

Does everyone else agree?

If so:

1) What type of caulking -- acrylic -- ?? (tons of different caulking
at the store all made from different stuff).

2) Any tips on digging out the existing grout....I'm thinking there
must be something that might make it a bit easier.

Silicon high modulous. Better than acrylic. Don't buy the cheap
stuff. Corning make a good one.

On Apr 28, 12:33*pm, tim birr wrote:
About two years ago, I had a "cultured marble" we are very high-class
HAHA shower enclosure installed and then had the bathroom floor done
in ceramic tile.

When the tile butts up against the shower enclosure, the grout has
cracked, separated, pulled away -- not sure what you call it. *I
posted pictures of it on my flickr *page, you can see them he

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62275472@N06/

What I THINK is happening is that the shower enclosure "flexes"
slightly when people use it (it is used rarely, btw) and it has caused
the "inflexible grout" to crack.

Any thoughts about a solution? Obviously, I guess I could try to chip
out the loose *grout and put in more grout, but I think I'll have the
same problem. Alternatively, would some sort of caulking work?

I'm pretty much unskilled in this "field" -- in other words have no
idea what I am talking about. *Any thoughts?

Any change in wall or floor plane will experience movement and should
be caulked. Any change in adjoining types of material will experience
movement and should be caulked (with the exception of 'like' materials
- stone to tile, brick to tile, etc).

Remove the old grout, clean the joints as well as you can, final wipe
down with alcohol to remove any soap or grease residue. In general
you should not fill deep joints entirely with caulk if it is a
critical joint. As yours are not, it's probably not an issue. Use a
good quality silicone or polyurethane caulk meant for bathrooms (has
mildewcide in the mix), and in the color of your choice.

For critical joints deep joints should be partially filled with some
type of backer so that the caulk is thinner in depth than in width so
that the caulk will stretch more in the direction you want it to
stretch, and not pull away from the critical attachment points.
Again, not really an issue for your situation.

R

On Apr 28, 6:05*pm, tim birr wrote:
On Apr 28, 9:36*am, jamesgangnc wrote:

On Apr 28, 12:33*pm, tim birr wrote:
Dig it out and put in white caulk.

Yeah, flexible caulking is sort of where my "clueless" brain is
leading me....

Does everyone else agree?

If so:

1) What type of caulking -- acrylic -- ?? (tons of different caulking
at the store all made from different stuff).

2) Any tips on digging out the existing grout....I'm thinking there
must be something that might make it a bit easier.

Essential to remove existing material before applying new.
This will depend on how well stuck it is.
If it's very well stuck, I would use and angle grinder with diamond
blade.(These are very thin.)
If not well stuck, a thin bladed tool like a scraper & maybe a hammer
to tap the handle.
You need to be careful to avoid disturbing/loosening the tiles.

OP, again....

Thanks, guys. I'm starting to "picture" all this.

My only issue with silicone caulk would be that I used it years ago in
another house, along a bathtub glass/chrome door, if I remember
correctly. Needed to remove it a few years later and the silicone was
just about impossible to remove -- OK it was impossible.

While I don't plan on removing this, you never know. Would the
polyurethane have good flex, as well as be somewhat "removable" in the
future?

About two years ago, I had a "cultured marble" we are very high-class
HAHA shower enclosure installed and then had the bathroom floor done
in ceramic tile.

When the tile butts up against the shower enclosure, the grout has
cracked, separated, pulled away -- not sure what you call it. I
posted pictures of it on my flickr page, you can see them he

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62275472@N06/

What I THINK is happening is that the shower enclosure "flexes"
slightly when people use it (it is used rarely, btw) and it has caused
the "inflexible grout" to crack.

Any thoughts about a solution? Obviously, I guess I could try to chip
out the loose grout and put in more grout, but I think I'll have the
same problem. Alternatively, would some sort of caulking work?

I'm pretty much unskilled in this "field" -- in other words have no
idea what I am talking about. Any thoughts?


*The joints where you have cracks all seem to be narrower than the joints
between tiles. Usually in small joints an unsanded grout is used. I
suspect that the regular grout was used on the whole shower. I couldn't say
for sure, but I think that you should clean out the old cracked grout in
those small joints and regrout with an unsanded grout.

Of course you could caulk, but you may not like the way it looks.

On 4/28/2011 12:33 PM, tim birr wrote:
About two years ago, I had a "cultured marble"we are very high-class
HAHA shower enclosure installed and then had the bathroom floor done
in ceramic tile.

When the tile butts up against the shower enclosure, the grout has
cracked, separated, pulled away -- not sure what you call it. I
posted pictures of it on my flickr page, you can see them he

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62275472@N06/

What I THINK is happening is that the shower enclosure "flexes"
slightly when people use it (it is used rarely, btw) and it has caused
the "inflexible grout" to crack.

Any thoughts about a solution? Obviously, I guess I could try to chip
out the loose grout and put in more grout, but I think I'll have the
same problem. Alternatively, would some sort of caulking work?

I'm pretty much unskilled in this "field" -- in other words have no
idea what I am talking about. Any thoughts?



Grout is the wrong choice when one surface (wall or floor) joins
another. Flexible caulk is the right thing to use. There is enough
normal expansion/contraction to produce enough movement to crack grout.
I would dig out the loose grout, clean the surfaces at the joints of
grout, dust, soap, etc., and caulk them.