tiling corner joints

mymedi

Hi all,

We are installing a new wet room and in a couple of places the tiler has left a really tiny margin in the corner where one wall meets the other. By tiny I mean really less than 1mm. There is no way grout would fit in there, but since these joints are usually siliconed, I'm wondering about a couple of things:
- will silicone actually be able to fill such a tight joint?
- what's the minimum recommended width of a corner tile joint?
- won't lack of space for tile expansion lead to problems with the rest of the tiles on the wall down the road? such as buckling, tenting, cracking...

Thanks for your help.
Cheers!

phill99

You're seriously over analysing this. Clean the area down with methylated spirits (NOT White spirits) and run a bead of silicone along it. Don't worry about buckling and tenting. Tiles hardly expand.

mymedi

Admittedly, I am a little.

However, I think the concern about the joint being too narrow to silicone is a very valid one. If the joint is too narrow, it's impossible to clean out properly, and the amount of silicone that manages to squeeze through may not be sufficient to provide a completely waterproof seal.

Or would just the bead over the top of the joint be sifficient, you think?

Thanks.

phill99

Silicon doesn't have to go between the tiles to work. Its not grout. It sits as a continuous bead over the joint.

mymedi

Shouldn't there be a secondary protective bead of silicone between the tiles in case the top bead leaks? There is no way to tell if the top silicone is leaking, so there should be a fail safe, no?

Niv

mymedi wrote: »

Shouldn't there be a secondary protective bead of silicone between the tiles in case the top bead leaks? There is no way to tell if the top silicone is leaking, so there should be a fail safe, no?

no, its not essential, obviously some people would do that - but only if it is easy / possible to do so.

phill99

mymedi wrote: »

Shouldn't there be a secondary protective bead of silicone between the tiles in case the top bead leaks? There is no way to tell if the top silicone is leaking, so there should be a fail safe, no?

There is no point coming in here asking for advice, receiving advice and then deciding to question it. If you think you know best, just carry on.

mymedi

There is no need to be defensive.
I'm grateful for the advice, just making sure I've covered all the bases...
Thanks.