There is small crack along the grout line between the granite countertop and the tile backsplash. What is the way to fix it? It is about 1mm in width.
Pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/5423000...7638536078325/

Thanks

On 12/10/2013 12:31 AM, Dennis C wrote:
There is small crack along the grout line between the granite countertop and the tile backsplash. What is the way to fix it? It is about 1mm in width.
Pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/5423000...7638536078325/

Thanks

all I got was pop of advertising. Don't go!

--


___________________________________

Keep the whole world singing . . .
Dan G
remove the seven

On 12/10/2013 1:31 AM, Dennis C wrote:
There is small crack along the grout line between the granite countertop and the tile backsplash. What is the way to fix it? It is about 1mm in width.
Pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/5423000...7638536078325/

Thanks


It is usually practice to caulk, not grout, where rigid surfaces
meet....expansion and contraction cause cracks. Flexible caulk will
give a little and not crack.

"Dennis C" wrote in message

There is small crack along the grout line between the
granite countertop and the tile backsplash. What is the
way to fix it? It is about 1mm in width. Pics here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/5423000...7638536078325/

Thanks

I'm not going to sign in to Yahoo to look at the photo but my suggestion
would be to add some grout. Or caulk, either will do.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Mon, 09 Dec 2013 23:31:59 -0700, Dennis C wrote:

There is small crack along the grout line between the granite countertop
and the tile backsplash. What is the way to fix it? It is about 1mm in
width.
Pics here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/5423000...7638536078325/

Thanks

As you may have noticed, once cracked ALWAYS cracked.

I was JUST going to update on solving similar problem with cracks in
travertine flooring grout! People here had recommended everything from
regrout to 'sanded caulking' to plain caulking.

If cracking is not obtrusive, you can use a close color match of DAP's Tub
n Tile Sealer. It's water proof, easy to work with, and squeegies down
into cracks nicely, BUT! it has a smooth final surface which may catch
your eye, especially since what you describe is counter top height.

To match texture, find the same color "sanded grout" caulking. Comes in a
tube about $4-$5 at HD or Lowes. Don't trust the colors on the tube, but
you can match very closely by taking a sample of your grout [if possible]
to compare to sample colors as shown for the bags of grout [bags of grout
and sanded caulking tubes have the same names, but don't EXACTLY match,
but may be close enough for govt work, eh?]

Before I got a piece of old grout large enough to take in to HD, I bought
bag after bag at HD, got just enough powder out of the bag to make a small
slurry mix, then apply with finger tip onto existing grout, let dry, and
examine in several forms of lighting to check for match. That several
forms of lighting is super important! I confirmed that sunlight spectrum
and lightbulb spectrum are WAAAAY different. Surprisingly close doing
this, but not close enough. The best color match occurred when I could
take the actual piece of grout in to compare using HD's color samples. So,
close. Slight difference is probably difference between Lowes vs HD brands.

*IF* you go with sanded grout be ready for one small problem. IT SHRINKS
LIKE NOTHING I've ever seen before! Fill a crack and it's like it sucks
into it! But, and this is important, it LOOKS like grout. Even at only
about 2 ft viewing distance looks great!

Two ways to go here. One is to barely cut off the tip of the tube and put
the smallest bead you've ever made in there and never touch it again. If
you have that skill, kudos, if like me and there's a bit of hesitation
along your line. Carefully, can't stress this enough, carefully use finger
tip to even the surface. I found best to let excess migrate along the
horizontal surface NOT the vertical surface, else almost start over.

Finally, *IF* you're a real perfectionist on this stuff; leave the
'rounded' bead alone, you can finish the final caulking surface after it
cures a bit by taking a sharp box cutter blade and cut absolutely level
with BOTH surfaces, remove the tiny rubbery bit, and you'll be left with
an incredibly FLAT surface that still has that 'grout' look. [Don't try
to smooth while working the wet bead with water. BIG MISTAKE! Working
while wet, makes this stuff appear glass smooth and you lose your texture
match. Leave alone, work with it semicured instead.]

And the other caveat: patience! I found I could only work about six to 12
inches at a time. Low humidity here cures the stuff too fast to work on
longer lines. You know the problem, catastrophic rubbery roll ups that
then pull out your work, making huge mess, so you can start over type of
problem.

Dennis C wrote in
:

There is small crack along the grout line between the granite
countertop and the tile backsplash. What is the way to fix it? It is
about 1mm in width. Pics here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/5423000...7638536078325/

Thanks

http://login.yahoo.com/InfectMyMachinePostLogin

On 12/10/2013 1:31 AM, Dennis C wrote:
There is small crack along the grout line between the granite countertop and the tile backsplash. What is the way to fix it? It is about 1mm in width.
Pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/5423000...7638536078325/

Thanks


All of the DIY experts I've read say that caulk is the right choice for
corners....when the plane changes, expansion/contraction will cause
grout to crack. In addition, small cracks between backsplash and
counter can allow in enough moisture to mess up the wall or counter.

Here is a link with good info:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-...357621,00.html

It can get tricky trying to caulk along a tile surface because the caulk
tip won't slide evenly across the grout lines. When I did that, I used
masking tape to mark the edge of the caulk, taking pains to try to keep
it adherent down into the grout joint. Gotta take the tape off right
away for the caulk to smooth out and not stick to the tape. I also used
caulk with masking tape to "fake" a grout joint where tile and wallpaper
met next to shower....worked very nicely, as a very thin white line the
same width as the grout lines was sufficient to seal off the edge of the
wallpaper and keep moisture out.

Dennis:

That joint is always going to crack because or tiny relative movement between the counter top and the wall.

If it were me, I would have caulked that joint instead of grouting it.

All the grout lines on the wall or on the counter top can be grouted, but that one joint between the wall and the counter top should be caulked IMHO.

On Wed, 11 Dec 2013 01:58:31 +0100, nestork
wrote:


Dennis:

That joint is always going to crack because or tiny relative movement
between the counter top and the wall.

If it were me, I would have caulked that joint instead of grouting it.

All the grout lines on the wall or on the counter top can be grouted,
but that one joint between the wall and the counter top should be
caulked IMHO.

+1

Tile stores sell grout with matching caulk, both in either sanded or
unsanded. They do a very good job of matching them.

On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 22:31:59 -0800 (PST), Dennis C
wrote:

There is small crack along the grout line between the granite countertop and the t
ile backsplash. What is the way to fix it? It is about 1mm in width.
Pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/5423000...7638536078325/

Thanks

Tub caulk

Sorry I think I didn't make the photos public, so it was asking you to log on. Please try this link: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjNMd6pt

Sorry everyone and thanks for all the responses.

Sorry I think I didn't make the photos public, so it was asking you to log on. Please try this link: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjNMd6pt

Sorry everyone and thanks for all the responses.

"Dennis C" wrote in message

Sorry I think I didn't make the photos public, so it was
asking you to log on. Please try this link:
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjNMd6pt

Sorry everyone and thanks for all the responses.

Nope, that is no good either.

Regardless, I re-read your post and realized that the exact location of the
needed repair had not dawned on me. You do NOT want grout between counter
and back splash; what you DO want is silicone caulk and that is what should
have - probably was - used when things were originally installed.

You don't want grout there because it will wick in water and that water
may - with time - mess something up, You can tell whether what is there now
is caulk or grout by pressing it with your fingernail...grout is hard, caulk
will flex. If it IS grout - shouldn't be but if it is - I'd probably use
grout to fill the missing part. If caulk...

Silicone is rather messy and does not keep well once opened so this is what
I would do...

1. Buy the smallest amount of silicone - PURE silicone - caulk you can find
in the color you need.

2. Mask off both counter and back splash as needed to keep the caulk only
where you want it.

3. Squeeze out an appropriate amount and push it in with your finger. Clean
your finger, dampen it (finger) and smooth the caulk to conform to the shape
of what is/was there; generally, that is a slight cove feathered out to
nothingness at the edges which is where the masking tape should be.

4. Remove tape and let the caulk cure.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

You don't want grout there because it will wick in water and that water
may - with time - mess something up, You can tell whether what is there now
is caulk or grout by pressing it with your fingernail...grout is hard, caulk
will flex. If it IS grout - shouldn't be but if it is - I'd probably use
grout to fill the missing part. If caulk...

Silicone is rather messy and does not keep well once opened so this is what
I would do...

1. Buy the smallest amount of silicone - PURE silicone - caulk you can find
in the color you need.

2. Mask off both counter and back splash as needed to keep the caulk only
where you want it.

3. Squeeze out an appropriate amount and push it in with your finger. Clean
your finger, dampen it (finger) and smooth the caulk to conform to the shape
of what is/was there; generally, that is a slight cove feathered out to
nothingness at the edges which is where the masking tape should be.

4. Remove tape and let the caulk cure.



Still can't see the image....set up as "private"!

I would not obsess about the caulk being silicone, especially clear
silicone, because sometimes it is very shiny and that might stand out
like a sore thumb.....unless there is a lot of splashing around and
water standing on the counter, sili/latex, color matched, should be fine.