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How Often Should You Recaulk a Tub or Shower?
Short answer
Plan on recaulking a tub or shower about every five years, which is the interval Home Depot Canada suggests. Do it sooner if the caulk is cracked, peeling, pulling away from the wall, or has mould that comes back after scrubbing.
The two-minute check
Dry the joint with a towel and run a fingernail along it. Good caulk is firm, stuck down along both edges, and bounces back when you press on it. Replace it if you can lift an edge, see a gap, feel it crumble, or find dark staining that scrubbing doesn't shift. Check the inside corners and the spot where the tub meets the wall under the taps, since those stay wet the longest.
Press gently on the wall tiles while you're there. Tile or wall that moves or feels soft points to a bigger problem than caulk, and we cover that in our guide to signs of water damage behind a tub.
What shortens the interval
A shower that runs several times a day will wear through caulk faster than one in a guest bathroom. So will a weak or unused exhaust fan, because the joint never fully dries between showers. Acrylic caulk in a wet area usually gives up well before silicone does, and a tub that flexes when you stand in it keeps working the bead loose.
Waterloo Region also runs on hard groundwater. Scale doesn't dissolve silicone, but it does build up on the bead and leave a rough surface that holds soap film, and hard scrubbing to get it off is rough on the seal. A gentle clean more often beats a harsh clean twice a year.
Why it's worth keeping up
Health Canada's guidance on moisture and mould specifically tells homeowners to repair or replace open, cracked or damaged tile, grout and caulking around showers and tubs. A failed bead lets water run behind the surround or down to the subfloor, where you can't see it. New caulk is a small bill next to opening up a wall.
How to make new caulk last
Run the bathroom fan during the shower and for at least 30 minutes after, which is Health Canada's recommendation, and squeegee or wipe down the walls when you can. Keep indoor humidity between 30% and 50%. Avoid scraping at the bead with anything sharp when you clean it.