Why Recaulking and Regrouting Your Bathtub, Shower and Countertop Is important

As a homeowner, you have to regularly check the condition of your house and all its amenities. It’s not enough that you just bought a house for your family—you’d also need to make sure that your home is fully functional so you can get the most out of your investment. Recaulking and regrouting your bathtub, shower, or countertop is an important component of maintaining your home’s value, keeping your kitchen and bath in good condition and allowing the entire household to enjoy these facilities in the long run.

sealing surfaces

Both of these methods are means of sealing surfaces, but the two processes are distinct in some ways. While recaulking is the process of using a thick substance, usually made of acrylic, latex or silicone, regrouting uses a mixture of cement, sand, and water. Caulk is typically used around the edge of the bathtub while grout is for keeping tiles in place. Your bathroom should regularly undergo these routine maintenance procedures for the following reasons:

1. It Can Reduce Your Work

You’re responsible for keeping your house clean. You should make sure that your home doesn’t become a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. After all, you don’t want your family members to be sick just because they often stay indoors. Regrouting or recaulking different areas of your home can reduce your cleaning time by up to 50%. Sealing the surfaces of your bathroom makes it very easy for you to wipe away dirt and debris. You won’t have to strain yourself in scrubbing too much just to keep these surfaces sparkling clean.

2. It Can Keep Debris and Mold Out

Regardless of the material used in your shower, bathtub, or countertop, expect that debris and mold will grow over time. You’ll be utilizing these surfaces with water so expect that water and moisture will eventually seep in. As one way of keeping debris and mold out, recaulk and regrout regularly. You could compare it to sealing wood flooring or outdoor decks. Once surfaces are fully sealed, dirt and grime won’t easily penetrate, keeping them free from any germs and bacteria.

3. It’ll Keep Your Investment Beautiful

Keeping your home functional is one thing, and making sure it looks good all year round is another. Since you’ve invested a lot into your home, help it keep its presentation and value through regular maintenance. Routinely inspecting the grout and caulking is one way of doing this. It will make it easier for you to clean different surfaces and keep mold away, you’ll be able to enjoy an aesthetically pleasing bathroom today and in the years to come. With regular maintenance, these surfaces will look new even if you’ve already had them for years.

4. It Can Provide a Watertight Seal

Every home needs plumbing fixtures, and eventually, every plumbing fixture will need repair. If you don’t want a leaking faucet or shower to snowball into more significant problems, recaulk and regrout your surfaces. The mixture used in these procedures is watertight, which means that it can prevent water from seeping into different cracks and crevices. Adding grout and caulk can help to prevent water from reaching the floor and cabinet under your sinks, containing the problem in one area only. The smaller the problem area is, the easier and cheaper it’ll be for you to repair it should problems arise.

5. It Can Lower Your Energy Costs

For you and your family to be comfortable inside your home, it should be well-ventilated. If you have an air conditioning system, the unit should be placed in an area or room where cool air can circulate easily. But no matter how powerful your unit is, if the room has drafts or holes, cool air can easily escape. This situation can lead to higher energy costs because your unit will have to work doubly hard in order to cool a room. Checking the grout and caulked areas can help improve your energy costs in this regard.

Once these drafts and holes are caulked, cool air can stay in one place or area alone. Your air conditioning unit won’t be exhausted because cool air is contained in one place only.

6. It Can Protect the Interiors of Your Home from Outdoor Elements

You’re willing to spend a lot of money on buying a home because you believe that this will protect your family and valuables from outdoor elements. However, if your home has drafts and holes, you can never achieve this goal. Once rain or snow enters your home, the structure and strength of your home will be compromised. Your wallpapers or wood flooring can rot or warp. Over time, these can cause mold and mildew, putting your family’s health on the line. If you don’t want to experience any of these, always recaulk and regrout your surfaces at home. These techniques can close any gaps and keep your home safe from outdoor elements.

Hire the Pros

Recaulking and regrouting the amenities in your home is actually an easy task. If online guides and tutorials aren’t helping, don’t hesitate to ask for help from your friends and family or even from a professional handyman or plumber. Paying for their services can be a cost-effective way of maintaining the overall condition of your home.

Author Bio

Edward Flanagan is the founder of Edward’s Enterprises, a handyman service & licensed general contractor that has been improving homes and providing facilities maintenance in Southern California since 1996. Their plumbing and handyman services include shower & bathtub installations as well as tile regrouting & bathtub recaulking. Edward currently divides his time between Camarillo and Venice Beach, CA, and loves the 405.