Replace Grout Along Your Kitchen Counter With Caulk

Stephanie Abbott
by Stephanie Abbott
3 Materials
$15
1 Hour
Easy

After 3 years of watching the grout along my kitchen counter top crumble, I finally made time to fix that problem. The general rule is that caulk should be used whenever tile meets a solid surface, like a tub or a counter. Caulk sealant has more flex and holds up longer than grout during little shifts in that area, from heat, cold, water, etc. BUT, luckily, it's a pretty quick fix, most of the time. Watch the video to see how easy it actually is. icon

You can see that the grout between the tile and counter was crumbling away and starting to discolor.

I used a utility knife to carefully scrape away all the old grout. Be extra careful to avoid scratching the tile or counter. You can see how I do this in the video.

Grout will generally pop out pretty quickly, as long as it isn't an unusually thick or deep grout line. Old caulking can be removed the same way, BUT it will take more time and effort to remove.

I used Kwik Seal Plus Sealant because it's easy to use and every plumber that's been to my house lately has been using it. That's a pretty good recommendation in my book.

Use the caulk that matches your counter best. Sometimes clear caulk sealant is the best matching option, especially on dark counters.

You can apply a thin bead of caulk and push it into the joint with a wet finger. Be sure to wipe away any excess caulk before it can dry.

Sometimes you'll need to apply a second coat, after 24 hours. Apply that second coat whenever it looks like you didn't completely fill the joint. You want to make it nice and watertight. Again, you can see how I do this in the video.

I removed the old grout and finished the new caulk for the whole kicthen in less than an hour. Stop by my blog post to see more of my favorite easy DIY home maintenance tips and videos.

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Stephanie Abbott
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Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Ingrid Ingrid on Sep 09, 2019

    Do you think it would also be possible to use on the kitchen floor?

  • Judy Judy on Sep 09, 2019

    I keep caulking my bathtub and it peels away in certain areas. What am I doing wrong.

  • Sissy Sissy on Sep 26, 2019

    Can I do this to the grout on my bathroom floor?

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  • Carla Carla on Sep 09, 2019

    Great idea!

  • Leigh Neubuck Leigh Neubuck on Oct 08, 2019

    I did it even before I saw this and it looks so nice and clean and new!!!! Kwik Seal is very easy to use too, once I open a tube I go around the house to see what else I can fix up (you can squeeze a little thru the opening and recap it to save, you do not have to use the entire tube in one sitting). I would start out with cutting a little bit off the tip until you see how to manage the flow and you can always cut off more for a wider bead. When you are using it plan to do your area, run your finger thru it with out interruption so it doesn't have time to set before you are done - move obstacles out of the way ahead of time to ensure a clear path, put on a rubber glove to be ready to run your finger thru it - just think ahead before you start so it ends up looking great when you are finished.


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