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Should You Caulk Around a Shower Base? (Quick Answers)

Bathrooms are one of the moistest places in your house. Moreover, if you have a shower base in the bathroom, the whole place will be moist for a long time. On the other hand, we use caulk to seal edges and corners in the bathroom.

You might need to clean around the shower base, or sometimes you might have thought it was for additional safety. But you might be confused about whether you should caulk around the shower base or not. You have to know about the safety and consequences of using caulk around the shower base.

Should you caulk around a shower base?

You should caulk around the shower base. Sometimes, you might not feel the need to caulk around the shower base. But caulking around the shower base will keep the shower base moisture-free. Moreover, the caulk will prevent mold and mildew. As a result, the shower base will remain durable.

Whenever we want to seal any surface in a bathroom, we want to caulk the edges. Caulking makes the edges and corners protected from liquid leakage. Moreover, caulking helps to keep a place dry and moisture-free.

So, you might have thought of caulking your bathroom. In particular, the shower base is essential to be caulked. Because the shower base gets moisture more than other places in the bathroom.

So, if you don’t caulk the shower base, the shower will hold moisture for a long time. Moreover, liquid leakage can be possible if you don’t caulk the shower base. This way, more mold and mildew build-up will take place.

That’s why the durability of the shower base will reduce. Besides, you have to clean the shower base frequently if it has mold and mildew. Moreover, water damage can also be possible.

If you want to keep the shower base in your bathroom protected and clean for a long time, you have to caulk it. Most of the time, the shower base is caulked when doing the tile work in the bathroom. Sometimes, people also caulk the shower base later.

But the necessity of caulking the shower base is true. Caulking the shower base means protecting the shower base surface. Moreover, caulking will keep the shower base clean and durable for a long time.

So, for the overall advantage, you should caulk the shower base.

Should you caulk where tile meets shower pan? Do you caulk the inside of a shower enclosure?

Yes, you should caulk where the tile meets the shower pan. Because if you don’t caulk where the tile meets the shower pan, it can leak water from the shower pan. The shower pan is the place where water is used often.

The more a place remains close to water, the more it will develop mold and mildew. So, you will see mold and mildew where the tile meets the shower pan if you don’t use caulk there. Moreover, if you want to protect this place from water damage, you should caulk it.

Yes, you have to caulk the inside of a shower enclosure to keep undesired water from leaking through it. Applying caulk will seal an area that needs to be protected from moisture.

So, if you can caulk the inside of a shower enclosure, the enclosure will be safe from moisture-related damage. Otherwise, water damage will reduce the durability of the shower enclosure.

What happens if you don’t caulk the shower base?

Now that you know you should caulk the shower base, you might want to know what happens if you don’t caulk the shower base. Let’s see the consequences if you don’t caulk the shower base.

Water leakage:

If you don’t caulk the shower base, the shower base will not be protected from water leakage. The water might come from outside or might leak outside through the gaps. The shower enclosure or the shower base might have fine line gaps that you can’t see normally.

But water can leak through the edges and corners. If the shower base is always wet, it can cause other problems. So, if you don’t caulk the shower base, water will leak and create other problems.

Mildew and mold:

Mold and mildew grow more where there is moisture. So, if you don’t caulk the shower base, the shower base will contain moisture. If the surface is exposed to moisture for a long time, it will encourage the mold and mildew to grow.

So, the shower base will become dirty frequently. You have to make an effort to clean the shower base. So, if you don’t caulk the shower base, it will frequently grow mold and mildew.

Reduced durability:

The shower base will become less durable when it gets moisture most of the time. If the shower base is not caulked and doesn’t have good ventilation, the durability will reduce over time.

Moreover, if you don’t use caulk on the shower base, the shower base will experience water leakage. Water leakage will cause water damage and deterioration.

What is the best caulk to use for a shower base?

When you want to tile a shower base, you have to use suitable caulk. Because some caulks might not be effective and cause water leakage. You have to caulk the shower base in such a way that it can’t leak water.

So, you have to use the caulks that are comparatively better. For example, you should choose a caulk that you can paint over. Otherwise, the caulk will not look good on the surface. You can use siliconized latex sealant. This type of caulk will be waterproof. Moreover, you can paint over this type of caulk. It can be painted as well.

You can also use siliconized acrylic caulk. This caulk is also convenient. You can paint the acrylic caulk too. Moreover, the caulk will also make the shower base waterproof. But you have to make sure that the caulk has been cured for at least 24 hours. Otherwise, the caulk will not be effective.

How to prep shower base for caulking?

When you want to caulk the shower base, you can’t put the caulk randomly. You have to prepare the shower base first. Otherwise, the caulk will not stick to the shower base.

The main purpose of preparing the shower base for caulking is to keep the shower base dry and clean. Because a wet and dirty shower base will not be effectively caulked. So, first, you have to clean the shower base.

You can use a cleaning agent with detergent to clean the shower base properly. You can use a brush to remove the old residues. Moreover, you have to keep the shower base completely dry before caulking.

You should keep the shower base dry for at least 24 hours. Drying the shower base will ensure good adhesion with caulk. So, you should prepare the shower base before caulking.

How do you caulk around a shower base?

Caulking around a shower base properly will be beneficial in many ways. But you mightn’t know the appropriate way to caulk around a shower base. So, let’s see how you can caulk around a shower base.

Select the Best Caulk:

First, you have to choose the best caulk for the shower base. You have to choose a caulk that is waterproof and can be painted. So, you can use siliconized acrylic caulk to caulk the shower base. This caulk is one of the best for making a surface waterproof. Moreover, if you want to paint the caulk, the paint will also be compatible with the caulk.

Make the shower base:

Next, you have to prepare the shower base. Because an unprepared shower base will not be effectively waterproofed. So, you have to keep the shower base dry and clean before caulking.

You can clean the shower base with bathroom cleaner and detergent. You can also use bleach to clean the shower base. Then you have to rinse it and dry the shower base for 24 hours before caulking.

Cure the caulk:

After applying the caulk, you have to let the caulk dry and cure. For curing, you can keep the shower base for 24 hours. Then you can use the shower base for other uses.

Apply Caulk:

If you want to make the caulk look nice, you can paint over it. But if you don’t want to paint the caulk, it will be okay. So, this step is optional.

Final Thoughts

You can caulk around a shower base for many benefits. Moreover, caulking the shower base is pretty essential. It will make the shower base waterproof and protect it from water damage. Moreover, the shower base will be clean for a long time. So, you should caulk your shower base.