# Re-grout of shower almost complete, caulk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955 "2011-12-12T21:12:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955/1 "2011-12-12T21:12:32Z")
Hello Everyone, Thanks for the advice given before about re-grouting my shower. Today I applied the last grout to the floor and the grouting is done! It came out fantastic, better than I had hoped. The grout lines are nice and even. I learned a lot and when I re-grout the other shower it should come out even better. Amazing how much knowledge you can get by just doing. Now, I am going to let the grout dry for 24 to 36 hours before I continue. My question is: I am planning to seal the grout using a spray sealer. Should I caulk prior to sealing the grout or after? I worry that if I do it prior, the caulk won’t stick will because of the sealer. The spray makes it easy to apply to only the grout lines, but some overspray will happen. If I do it after I am wondering if the sealer is bad for the caulk. Or perhaps it just doesn’t matter. Any advice would be appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955/2 "2011-12-13T00:15:58Z")
101 views and three hours, but no answer? Come on guys you can’t let me down on this one. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955/3 "2011-12-13T00:42:20Z")
Is there any indication on the sealer? ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955/4 "2011-12-13T00:45:59Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Is there any indication on the sealer? Nothing that mentions the caulk. I am thinking of doing the caulk fist and then the sealant. I can’t imagine that the sealant would hurt the caulk. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955/5 "2011-12-13T01:32:37Z")
Could you just put down a little painter’s tape or something where the caulk will be, then spray, if you are that concerned. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955/6 "2011-12-13T01:44:54Z")
I think you’d be fine either way. Caulking adheres to most surfaces very well, I’d have little concern with it not holding on top of the sealer. I haven’t done a lot of bathrooms, caulking tends the be the very last step and I hand it off the the painters because they are better at it. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955/7 "2011-12-13T01:46:37Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > I think you’d be fine either way. Caulking adheres to most surfaces very well, I’d have little concern with it not holding on top of the sealer. > > I haven’t done a lot of bathrooms, caulking tends the be the very last step and I hand it off the the painters because they are better at it. Yeah, from what I have seen the painters are pretty good at it. I had no problems doing the grout, but I have my reservations at doing a good job on a caulk line. Everyone say’s that it’s easy, but I have seen so many terrible caulk jobs, so it can’t be that easy. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955/8 "2011-12-13T01:59:08Z")
Caulk is pretty easy just use a small bead and wipe most of it off in one smooth motion. Bad caulk jobs are from people treating it like cake frosting rather than filler. I would seal the grout a couple of times and then caulk, but really only because I always caulk last. I have never heard of the sealer interfering with caulk but I don’t have a cite or anything. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-grout-of-shower-almost-complete-caulk/605955/9 "2011-12-13T02:27:48Z")
FWIW, I recently had a new tile floor put down in a kitchen. The tile installer told me to wait about a week before sealing the grout. Something about it being fully cured. I would go ahead and caulk, then apply the sealer. I tend to think that it really makes no difference.