Tile Floor to Wall Intersection

Tile Floor to Tile Wall

• It is paramount that a tile floor-to-tile-wall intersection (especially in a wet area such as a shower) has enough room for expansion and is caulked-in instead of grouted. Experienced tile setters leave at least a 3/16-inch grout joint (seam) between the horizontal and vertical surfaces. They fill the seam with caulking, preventing both moisture and expansion-related cracks.

Tile Floor to Drywall

• Tile craftsmen install tile flooring leaving a 1/4-inch or greater size gap at the tile floor to drywall intersection. Caulking fills the seam and baseboard covers it up. Additionally, if there is no baseboard, tile setters leave a consistent 3/16-inch seam along the tile floor/drywall intersection, caulking it in when the job is complete.

Additional Considerations

• Do-it-yourselfers need to make sure that they leave enough space in the tile-floor-to-wall intersection to allow for caulking application. An extremely small seam (1/8-inch or less) may look great but it doesn't provide enough room for caulking and potential expansion.