[thechat] Mouldy Grouting

[David Wagner]

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 00:04:17 -0000, thechat at cjmarsh.com
<thechat at cjmarsh.com> wrote:

> I have grouting between the tiles (on the wall) and the bath in my
> bathroom that seems to be mouldy. The grouting has a rubbery or
> plastic-like consistency. I've tried bleach, and a number of other
> preparations, but nothing seems ot shift it. I'm a little worried that
> applying too much effort to the task will result in the grouting being
> damaged. Has anyone had this problem and found a successful solution?

Best guess: what you're messing with is silicone caulk, which is a
sealant (rather than masonry) and does indeed attract mold, mildew,
and all sorts of nasty things. The standard repair option once
something green or brown has thoroughly set in is to pull it out and
redo it.

Most of the time, it's not as bad as it sounds; quite often you can
slice it away from the tub & wall with a utility knife and pull it all
out in one chunk, then (after a little scraping) apply a new bead,
make it "pretty" by running a wet finger over it, and let it set up.

Occasionally you'll discover that some handy[person] decided to use
the caulk as glue, and the tiles will start falling down around you.
If that happens, call a contractor.

Or maybe your grout really has turned to rubber, in which case you're
probably screwed.

Good luck!

-- 

David Wagner 
medialyte at gmail.com