When it comes to most homeowners, caulking your bathroom’s tiled surfaces seems to be an easy DIY project. In fact, you may not even think you need to venture to YouTube in order to know what you’re doing. However, many homeowners are recaulking their bathroom tiles incorrectly. One of the most common questions we receive is, “Can I recaulk over existing caulk?”. The answer is quite simple and may even surprise you. In most cases, customers have been incorrectly recaulking their bathroom tiles for years and years and haven’t been informed otherwise. That’s why it pays to call a professional caulking company for your bathroom’s tiles.
Our answer to the question, “Can I recaulk over existing caulk?” is simple. Caulking over existing caulk can be done and many homeowners, as well as contractors, take this shortcut. However, the reason you are recaulking in the first place is due to the existing caulk failing. Caulk fails for a variety of reasons. It can shrink as a result of mold, improper installation or simply due to time. Our simplest answer to this question is: Never caulk over existing caulk. First, remove the failing caulk, then apply a fresh, even bead of new caulk. This will ensure your new caulk has an area to which it can properly adhere.
While we, too, are fans of DIY projects, caulking your tiled surfaces is extremely important and it should be performed correctly. Failure to do so can result in water leaking into your walls or your tiled surfaces and causing your wood to rot or resulting in mold growth. If your shower’s caulk is so old that you don’t remember who it was that installed it, then it may be time to call a professional to check if you’re in need of recaulking services. Remember, caulk doesn’t have an infinite lifetime. You will need to replace it at some point. In some cases, it’s very apparent that you need to replace it and in other situations, you don’t notice until it’s too late.
The Grout Medic of Central New Jersey is both licensed and insured in the state of New Jersey. We offer all new customers a 100% free, in-person consultation. We’ll come to your home and inspect your caulking and provide you with a free estimate for full-tile recaulking, as well as determine if your caulking even needs replacement at all. We want you to know your options and will include different estimates for different degrees and volume of recaulking.
Make the smart choice and rely on the local tile recaulking experts in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. You can reach us by calling us at 732-876-9835 or by filling out our form here. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
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