Caulking And Grouting

Caulking and grouting is typically found in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry area at connections between the toilet and floor; the bathtub floor and wall; the shower floor and wall; and sink back splash and counter tops. Deteriorated or cracked caulking or grouting can allow moisture to penetrate into structural framing, causing water damage (rot) or promoting the growth of mold. It is impossible to tell how long deteriorated grouting or caulking has existed, and moisture might have penetrated subject areas and caused damage which is not visible and can only be determined by remodeling/renovation or destructive testing.

Before deteriorated grouting or caulking is repaired, the substructure should be examined for evidence of structural damage or deterioration. While re-caulking and re-grouting normally is not a cause for concern, and homeowner maintenance typically is to be applauded, in today's world of mold disclosure and mold claims, the reason behind re-caulking/re-grouting is that moisture penetration into the structural framing might have occurred, possibly causing structural damage or promoting mold growth. Remodeling or removal of shower and/or bathtub sections could indicate moisture damage or structural damage that was concealed at the time of the inspection. I do my best to inspect your sub flooring under the kitchen and bathrooms when fully exposed, but finished basements with concealed defects are not within the scope of my home inspection. So if you decide to remove any tiles, bathtubs, basins or toilets, expect to find wood damage from over the past years.

caulking

How to properly apply caulk around a bathtub

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Dave had an impressive website that seemed to be too thorough to be anything but genuine. The thing that seemed to sell me was that he says right on his website that you may pay a little more for his service, but that his quality is higher. So I decided to give him a try even though I had no reference from another person hoping for someone of top quality. I was not disappointed. He was at the home early as promised and had done an inspection of the exterior and was writing up notes so that when I arrived, he walked me through the exterior first. Even with his early arrival, we were still there for about 3 hours looking through every little corner and cubby. He would occasionally stop and fill out his inspection forms which were easy to follow and read; he gives you a full folder of his notes that are well organized.

Dave was open to all questions and concerns so every time I saw something that was potentially concerning to me, he would look, give his opinion and often shared other experiences with similar circumstances. He also had a good sense of humor which helped to lighten what can be a stressful experience (having someone pointing out problem items that you didn't see). I would highly recommend Massachusetts Home Inspections.

Michael