Shoutout to the plumber who told me to stop sealing my shower niche grout with silicone

Val Shah · 2026-09-30T15:05:04.809966+00:00

So back in March I finally tiled my shower niche and did what every YouTube video told me, which was run a fat bead of silicone along every inside corner where the tile meets the shelf. Three weeks later the silicone was peeling in two spots and there was dark mold growing behind it. My plumber buddy came by for a beer and asked why I caulked a wet area that never moves. He said the niche corners move with temp changes and silicone just traps water, so grout with a sealer is better for those inside corners. I scraped it all out, regrouted, and sealed after 72 hours, and six months later it still looks new. Anyone else had a pro tell them the internet got a step totally backwards?

Vivisector

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Shoutout to the plumber who told me to stop sealing my shower niche grout with silicone | Bathroom Remodeling - Vivisector