There is about a 1/2" gap between the bottom of my shower walls and the top of the bathtub which is causing water to get behind the wall. Is there something besides caulking that can be done to waterproof it? The caulking seemed to peel away quite easily the first attempt.
I appreciate your advice.
2007-03-05 13:17:44 · 5 answers · asked by Steve W 4 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
Actually, ive figured out something alot better than anything youve heard yet. get the sanded grout and fill the gap. let that dry a day or so, then run a thin layer of clear silcone over the top of the grout. now youve waterproofed the gap and it looks good too.
ive been doing this a couple of years on door thresholds and other problem areas where grout has a tendancy to crack.
2007-03-05 15:06:02 · answer #1 · answered by tilebutcher 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've remodeled more bathrooms than anu other task it seems but you leave out some important details.
First of all the GAP is far too large to be normal no matter the shower/tub wall substance, and that's confusing. Is the enclosure tile? Plastic Tub surround? Drywall painted? It would help to know.
If it's tile, I don't want to insult you IF you did the job, but if not I'm also curious about how long this condition existed, and if it existed when you bought/rented/or moved into the house?
What is the substrate in tha 1/2 inch space??? can you determine that? Is it drywall, no matter green board or not? Is it concrete backer board? Is it open studs?
In any decent home improvement store you will likely fing a rubberized moulding, usually creased in the middle, and usually about 1 ince wide, designed for tub/wall sealing. It may even be that it has an adhesive backing, and is usually sold in white.
The caulk used should be Tub/shower, and/or 100% silicone, also sold in white.
I'd first try to determine the WHY of such a large gap, and in fact in thinking about it, this sounds like it may have been a TUB replacement where the wall was cut high enough for the tub rim to clear the cut in order to remove. If in fact the case is that your tub has such a RIM, just tap with a screw driver. If it's an enameled glazed steel tub, you'll note the sound. In any case even a fiberglass tub would have such a RIM to allow that a finish wall covers to the top horizontal tub surface.
Steven Wolf
2007-03-05 22:18:50 · answer #2 · answered by DIY Doc 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
See if u can find a piece of marlite, the can be trimed for the space. Then caulk it. Also, u can fit a piece of blue board in there and then caulk it. The secret to caulking is the surface you are apply too must be dry and let the caulking dry before using the shower or tub. Depending on the wall material, will pretty much dictate what you can use to repair it. There is also a bath, caulk type coving sold in a roll. It is simply peel and stick to a dry surface.
2007-03-05 23:05:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
first of all, is there a problem causing this gap, has it increased over the last year? something I have done in the past with a similiar situation is use bondo... tape both sides as not to make a mess, install backer rod if necessary and carefully apply bondo (if you have never used it before)... smooth and sand, taking care not to scratch the tile or the tub...
2007-03-05 21:25:41 · answer #4 · answered by prop4u 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
caulking will work but you have to clean the surface real good for it to adhere.If it's a bubble tub or a garden tub, you may want to fill it up before caulking
2007-03-05 21:46:27 · answer #5 · answered by trekkie706 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋