Tile inside corner of tub wall

[metzcus]

I'm new here, and I am a fairly experienced Do-It-Yourself kind of person.... except when it comes to tiling. This is my first project and I have done quite a bit of reading.

There is an older ( a few years) post about this but I didn't really see a definite answer. It said to butt the tiles and caulk the corner.

My question... Can I just grout the corner? If so, can I still butt the tiles or do I need to 45 them? I'm using 6x6 porcelain tile with an 1/8" grout line. My concern is trying to find a caulk that would match the grout (polyblend non-sanded ,color-haystack from home depot)

Thank you for all of the help

Oh one last question... I have a 4"x12" mosaic border that will go around near the top. If I have to 45 the corner...how in the heck do I cut these pieces that are on the mesh backing. I have cheap tile saw, and I tried to 45 the mosaic.... it didn't work too good.

[scuttlebuttrp]

Hey Metzcus,
Do not butt the tiles together. I would leave a joint at the same thickness of your other joints (1/8") and caulk it. I've seen people grout that joint (it cracks) or grout then caulk over it (it still cracks). It just doesn't work. Plus industry standard is to caulk all changes of planes.

Home Depot can order any color of caulk to match Custom's grouts. It's in a big binder probably under/at the flooring dept. desk. Tell them to quit whining and look it up. The caulk is made by a company called Color caulk(?) or something like that. They will ship it straight to your house.

Unsanded? Why not sanded?

Might need a pic or name of the mosaic to help with the last question.

[metzcus]

scuttlebuttrp: thank you for the reply/advice

Re: Unsanded or sanded... the mosaic has a 1/16" gap. The picture and link is below. From what I have read, I should use unsanded up to 1/8" I was trying to make things easy with one grout. Should I use sanded for the wall and unsanded for the the mosaic only? On the plus side, I know Home Depot has the sanded caulk to match my grout in stock.

I will definitely caulk if that is the industry standard. I am all about trying to do things right the first time.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_84511-47603-...uantity_sold|0

[JCadorin]

Sanded or unsanded, you may have more options down at a local tile supply house. We have several here in our town. They all offer many grout options with caulking to match. I'm sure you will find several specialty shops in your neck of the woods. Plus they are usually quick to give you good advice - a much more trustworthy source than the guys in the orange aprons.

[scuttlebuttrp]

You could try Laticrete's Permacolor grout. It's a sanded grout designed to go in joints as tight as a 1/16". I've found it pretty easy to work with and it's stain resistant as well. They also make their own caulks and also make "Latisil 100% Silicone caulk which would be the correct choice for your shower.(TCA Handbook EJ171-09: "Suitable sealants include silicone, urethane, and polysulfide" pg.78 2009 version) Here's a few places i found in the Norfolk area that Laticrete's website identifies as distributers.

http://www.laticrete.com/contractors...ductid/50.aspx

4 Miles Morris Tile Dist-Norfolk Full-Line 1339 Ingleside Road Norfolk VA 23502 757.855.8017
8 Miles International Tile & Marble LTD-Corp Full-Line 828 Principal Lane Chesapeake VA 23320 757.549.0055
20 Miles International Tile & Marble/Newport News Full-Line 11761 Rock Landing Drive Newport News VA 23606 757.873.1343
25 Miles Morris Tile Distributors Full-Line 767 G Industrial Park Drive Newport News VA 23608 757.874.3418

[metzcus]

I must apologize and thank you all at the same time. How I managed to let that thought skip my mind...i'm not sure. I've been so used to going to the Depot for all of my lumber, windows, doors, etc... I had blocked out the local specialty stores. I need to distribute my money to better places.

Thank you again for pulling my head out of my a$$, and pointing me in the right direction, I will stop by at least one of those stores today.

UPDATE: I just got back from the store in Norfolk. They were EXTREMELY helpful, and I was able to buy all of the laticrete products that you recommended. I'll have the tiling done today, and hopefully grout tomorrow.