Bathroom grout cracks?
Grout cracks. It happens. It’s just the way of things.
Houses are constantly moving in tiny increments as a result of foundation settling, humidity, temperature, and other factors. If the grout in a bathroom is an inflexible material, as most grout is, cracks can develop when a bathtub moves one way while a tile wall moves another way.
So, either you can think about how good your grout looked before it cracked, or you can get to work.
Good choice. Let’s fix that grout.
Patch It Up
In most cases, you should only be dealing with a few cracks in isolated spots – which means you’ll be able to handle things yourself.
Step 1 – Let’s completely remove the old grout from the affected area. Considering the grout is cracked, it might even be crumbling, which will make this part of the process relatively easy. Once you’ve removed the damaged grout, vacuum the crack thoroughly to capture any dust left behind.
Next, it’s time to choose a replacement that is less likely to crack. We recommend silicone caulk for a variety of reasons. Primarily, it’s flexible. If your cracks are caused by shifting surfaces, a line of caulk may survive where grout failed. Silicone caulk also dries quickly compared to other grout mixtures. Make sure to choose a color to match your bathroom grout that is already present. And most importantly, check to see that it can be used in wet environments and is mildew resistant.
That’s it. That wasn’t too hard, now was it?
Although, if your grout is cracking all over, you may have a larger issue at hand. It never hurts to call a professional like Dauenhauer just to take a look before you try fixing things yourself.
Have any other questions about fixing cracked grout? We have an easy answer. Call your local Lexington Dauenhauer, any hour.