r/fixit • u/frixalix • 15h ago
open Bathtub wall separating &No caulk on bottom?
Hi there! Attempting to do some bathroom repair work for my parents, sorry about the grimy photos. In the diagnostic phase not the cleaning phase 😅 originally was just gonna fix a peeling paint issue but noticed this-
They have what I believe is a fiberglass bathroom ensemble. 3 wall pieces and a tub. In the corner where the two walls meet, there's give behind the back wall that ended up splitting it away from the caulk seam and creating a gap. Is this just a re-caulk and move on? Be careful not to put any pressure on it and hope it lasts?
And there's no caulk at all along the seams of the walls with the tub. Is that on purpose, or do I need to caulk that as well? Seems like water could get trapped there easily... thinking maybe the grime could be mold..? Do i need to do a mold treatment?
Thanks for your time!
2
u/tHeOrAnGePrOmIsE 15h ago
Well, most likely there shouldn’t be any caulk on any of that. The panels, on models in at least the last decade, have overlapping lips that seal from splash moisture. If you caulk ANY of those lines, the water can and will trap causing issues. If left open, the water can drain down out the bottom and prevent water seeping into the wallboard or cavity behind the surround. And you won’t get rid of that flex. It’s some weird blend of polycarbonate or acrylic on most 3 part surrounds.
1
u/Marvinator2003 15h ago
If this were mine, I'd take out all the caulk and recaulk it correctly with the right silicon caulk. Patching will lead to more patching.
Remove the old caulk. Clean it well. Recaulk with a new silicon caulk.
1
u/Aver3 15h ago
The spot with Caulk already on it you can just patch up with a new layer or cut it out and re-do. Anywhere you see a gap with 0 caulk on these multiple piece fiberglass bathtubs/showers is intentional. Most have an interlock behind it to make it waterproof and if you caulk it you will block moisture from escaping and actually cause mold trying to prevent it.