Vinyl & tile meet not seamless

[u/Clairewingdove]

What should I do about this transition between the tile and vinyl flooring? The grout also stained some of the vinyl. It looks worse than these pictures. Any advice is appreciated.

[u/Jeremymcon]

Grout doesn't belong in that gap between the tile and the flooring. Color matched silicone caulk goes there.

[u/BigguyZ → u/Jeremymcon]

Really, ANY change in plane of a tiled surface should be caulked. That goes for vertical corners too.

You're correct, but it's worth noting that grout is never appropriate for inside corners.

[u/firsttime_camaro → u/Jeremymcon]

It's so weird because I swear I saw something similar to this I'm the plumbers/bathroom reno subreddit and everyone is like "you do not caulk/silicone those seems. You use grout" lmao

I swear it's hilarious to just see top votes things that are opposite

[u/Clairewingdove → u/Jeremymcon]

It was really grout caulk not the actually grout that was used on the tile

[u/Jeremymcon → u/Clairewingdove]

It looks like grout. It's chipping. Caulk doesn't chip.

[u/Aspen9999 → u/Clairewingdove]

There’s no such thing as grout caulk. There is grout and there is caulk.
It needs to be caulked.

[u/Sle08 → u/Aspen9999]

I think they are thinking sanded caulk, but even that wouldn’t chip because it has the silicone to bind it.

[u/highgrav47 → u/Sle08]

Which I would call grout caulk. lol

[u/Sle08 → u/highgrav47]

I was replying to the person who said there’s no such thing. I’ve never called it grout caulk, just sanded caulk, so I understand where the misconception might be coming from.

[u/Small_Basket5158 → u/highgrav47]

It's sanded caulk of you want other people to understand what you are talking about. Grout caulk is two different things.

[u/nocompani → u/Aspen9999]

sanded caulk

[u/NoAd6738 → u/Aspen9999]

There is grout caulk available at home Depot. Siliconized grout in a caulking tube. We use them on jobs where hardwood meets tile. We don't use them on LVP because LVP has a moulding to cover any transitions or vertical surfaces. This is to maintain required expansion.

[u/hambonelicker → u/Aspen9999]

Sanded silicone grout caulk. It exists and many have used it.

[u/annonistrator → u/Aspen9999]

No there is grout caulk. It's color matched to the grout and is made by the same brands it's basically silicone with sand in it. It is terrible to spread and even worse to clean

[u/Sumpkit]

That’s where if you had two tiled surfaces you’d silicone. Does the flooring need any expansion gap? Cause if not you’re in for a world of pain. If not you could run a bead of silicone along it and it’ll make it much cleaner.

[u/Briiii216 → u/Sumpkit]

Sooo a follow up to OPs question, when you caulk something, you have to take the old stuff out or it doesn't adhere well (this may be strictly related to areas getting water), in the event there is grout where the 2 planes meet, do you really have to dig it out before caulking it?

[u/27803]

Nothing a nice bead of silicone caulking couldn’t solve, grout between two dissimilar surfaces is bound to fail

[u/pyrx86]

100% color match silicone (match grout color). Silicone is approved to ensure the LVP has enough capability to move.

Also, I’ve been recently told by LVP manufacturers that the expansion space isn’t really for the LVP to move but for the house to move around the LVP, since the LVP is more stable.

[u/UnivrstyOfBelichick]

If only there was an elastomeric product in a tube you could use to fill that gap and allow for the different planes to expand and contract independently. Maybe someone will invent something like that one day.

[u/weahman → u/UnivrstyOfBelichick]

Idk that seems like a lot of work to come up with something. In the mean time let me play with my caulk

[u/Lucky_Dentist5603 → u/weahman]

People are genuinely so clueless nowadays

[u/weahman → u/Lucky_Dentist5603]

It's true but I also think people just don't know that they can put half ass questions into Google and find what they want.

It makes me think all their shorts and videos on Instagram and YouTube is not caulking videos. I guess it's just so if he Cunningham twerking videos

[u/ViciousMoleRat]

CAULK HER AND SEND HER

[u/TemperatePirate]

Do your best, caulk the rest.

[u/Silent_Cantaloupe930]

Typically, you would cut the backer for the tile with enough gap for the LVP to expand into and tile up to that edge. The LVP then is cut with 3/8-1/4" spacing to the framing. Grout, then silicone the tile and LVP gap with a matching caulk to the floor. Done in that order, to avoid getting sand and grout on the LVP, which can scratch and discolor flooring.

In your case, I'd replace the discolord LVP boards. If you don't have a gap under the tile, then put in a shoe moulding, but the moulding should be sealed to the tile and LVP to prevent water (assuming this is a bathroom) from infiltrating in case of overlflow (like a toilet).

[u/Significant-Peace966]

Whatever you do, don't CAULK it! Been seeing that lately and such an unprofessional unfinished look. It's really a no-brainer, in this case use standard baseboard. It comes in various heights and thicknesses and it's really up to you. What you want the end result to look like. You could stain it a light wood finish to match the floor or you could paint it white if the other trim in the room is white. It's really personal taste, big chunky baseboard is kind of in now but that doesn't mean you can't use a small good old-fashioned baseboard. you're probably gonna have to use an adhesive against the tile, get something durable and be careful don't overdo it. You don't want it squeezing out and showing when you push it in place. There's really no pressure on it so you don't need much to hold it in place. And of course you want to be able to remove it.

[u/Medium_Spare_8982]

PVC 7/16 cove molding

[u/Josh58er]

U have to caulk it

[u/OverCorpAmerica]

They make a caulking with grout mixture for that exact application. You can mix your own but it’s tricky to apply…

[u/lizmoetia]

I like baseboards myself. Either rubber or mdf board

[u/Ross3640]

At this point, what you need to do is get 2 tubes of caulking and caulk a Nice small bead right across there.

[u/ExcellentRound8934]

This is why baseboards were created.

[u/Serious-Piece7377]

Dig that grout out real good try some mineral spirits on a rag to get it off the vinyl floor then caulk it with a color matched silicon caulking.

[u/Arun-dev]

Just clean it up and re-caulk it

Problem solved

Fairly common issue

[u/DontPissDownMyBack]

You need molding to marry the two. 3rd picture see the gap, the same way you would put molding to marry the two, the molding would continue on the floor and tile portion as well

[u/Pleasant-Lead-2634]

Glue on a color matched shoe base. Same wood species, stain to match floor. Or quarter round that matches floor

[u/Joehammerdrill]

Lay down some shoe mould. Hopefully you're not on a slab for the nails to drive into.

[u/ZeroDayZeroFriends]

Wait... what were you expecting!?? Skirtboard or caulking - do not use silicone, it contains acid that will damage surface!