Should This Be Caulked?

[yeldogt]

That's a two piece tub -- they bolt together. It's not a surround or a three piece unit. The tub flange on the ones we have installed in rentals goes up behind the upper part -- it gets a bead behind the visible gap on some ... I don't remember needing one on the last Lasco we did.

The whole point is to provide a nice look w/o ugly caulk ... get a brush and clean out the gap.

remember caulk always fails and it holds moisture

 

[PassnThru]

That's a two piece tub -- they bolt together. It's not a surround or a three piece unit. The tub flange on the ones we have installed in rentals goes up behind the upper part -- it gets a bead behind the visible gap on some ... I don't remember needing one on the last Lasco we did.

The whole point is to provide a nice look w/o ugly caulk ... get a brush and clean out the gap.

remember caulk always fails and it holds moisture

My bad - I said surround but it was a two piece replacement shower. Mounted on bare walls. It didn't bolt together - you pushed the nylon fasteners up through the bottom piece before you fastened it to the framing - then you pushed the top down on the fasteners to join the pieces at the joint and the fastened to the framing. That left an egress for water through the fastener holes. It was a Lasco purchased at a local plumbing supply house.

 

[D45]

That's a two piece tub -- they bolt together. It's not a surround or a three piece unit. The tub flange on the ones we have installed in rentals goes up behind the upper part -- it gets a bead behind the visible gap on some ... I don't remember needing one on the last Lasco we did.

The whole point is to provide a nice look w/o ugly caulk ... get a brush and clean out the gap.

remember caulk always fails and it holds moisture

good info, thanks

I might get a brush and/or a brush attachment on the vacuum

Just seems like a lot of dirt comes out of the gap when I use the hand wand, to rinse everything off

Could be construction dirt, I guess

Where would the manufacturers markings be on the tub or shower?

 

[Jake40]

good info, thanks

I might get a brush and/or a brush attachment on the vacuum

Just seems like a lot of dirt comes out of the gap when I use the hand wand, to rinse everything off

Could be construction dirt, I guess

Where would the manufacturers markings be on the tub or shower?

On the front down by the floor a lot of times they will be stamped or molded with the manufacturers name. If not there then there usually is a tag somewhere on the back.

 

[D45]

I did use 100% silicon almond "caulk" and used almost 3/4 of a tube......it looks much better now

 

[6768rogues]

If that tub and surround were made as a matching set, they are waterproof without caulk. I would not caulk it because caulk gets dirty and is a maintenance item.

 

[D45]

I used lifetime silicon with 10 year bacteria, mold and mildew protection

The unsealed seam was extremely dirty and was holding/collecting water

 

[dogdog]

No do not caulk it. The tub is made with a lip behind the walls, the crack needs left open for water to drain back in the tub. If you caulk it you will create mold issues. Mold will eventually start to grow on the caulk and will start growing inside the crack if moisture gets in there.

^^^This
I always caulk, but now I have to take it out....

if your bathroom is on exterior wall, it might cause this moisture/condensate issue and you really want moisture to drain out. There is a lip behind it... about 1" I think, unless you are really flooding the bath tube with water with your fun activities.... It shouldn't matter.

 

[DaveIRL]

no chaulk, silicon yes https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Ad...Evo-Stik+Trade+Sanitary+Silicone+280ml/p16592

 

[David C]

Jake40 is correct. I know this because I caulked a similar seam and the result was as he predicted.

That was 30 years ago and I still have mold problems at the caulked seam. The mfg recommended against caulking but I knew better, I guess.

FYI silicone caulk will help mold propagate.