Caulk in shower corners? not just corners, but all change of planes!
We did a video recently where we reacted to popular tile tik toks.
If you follow the Tile Tik Tok world at all, you’ll be familiar with That Tile Chick, (Go Follow her!) she makes great value content for tile lovers like us and does a great job educating her audience.
In this video, she did not hold back !
“As you can see, I’m not packing my inside corners with grout” she begins
“And that’s because it’s an ANSI standard that you are supposed to put caulking in all of your changes of plane”
OUCH!
ANSI calls for caulk, not grout.
(ANSI stands for American National Standards Institute)
This isn’t just her opinion—it’s in the standards!
According to ANSI guidelines, any change of plane should be caulked, not grouted.
What that means is
- Wall to wall corners
- Wall to floor
- Around tubs, pans, or ceilings
Anywhere two surfaces meet at an angle—that joint needs to be flexible.
Why not Grout?
Grout is rigid. It doesn’t move.
But your shower does, framing shifts slightly, materials expand and contract, normal use creates movement over time.
So when you put grout in a corner, it might look good at first…
But eventually It can crack, separate or let water through.
And once that happens, it’s game over!
This is why it’s crucial to waterproof your shower.
We’ve repeated this “ad nauseam” Tile and grout are not waterproof.
Grout is porous, water will get through eventually. And WHEN it does, you want to make sure that what’s behind the tile and grout is protecting your shower structurally.
We ALWAYS waterproof our showers with Schluter systems.
We offer the Schluter 10 year and lifetime warranty and so far, we haven’t had any customers activate their warranty.
This is why we’re confident that our showers will stand the test of time!
That being said… there’s always areas of improvement…
Back to the point of the video…
Why Caulk in corners:
Caulk is designed to flex with movement.
When installed correctly, it will absorb movement, keep the joint sealed, and prevent cracking.
That’s why the standard calls for it.
Follow Da Standards ?
Most people have moved away from silicone, but standards are standards for a reason!
Thanks again to @ThatTileChick for making sure we are following industry standards, we will definitely following this one more closely.
Shameless plug: Roast & Remedy
If you’re not aware yet, we’re making content hoping to reach homeowners, DIYers and tile professionals. Visit our You Tube Channel to watch our series “Roast & Remedy”, where we take a look at common tile world problems and offer an educated solution based on national standards.
This is why this video from that tile chick hit home, because we’re trying to do our part to uphold the standards and do things by the book, and if you’re a DIYer or Tile Pro, you should too!
Read this article on vapor management systems we wrote as part of or R&R series.