Flooring Tile - cracking grout around bathtub

About a year ago, I had my bathroom remodeled and added a showerhead to my bathtub. I also had new tiling installed. A few months ago I noticed that the grout alongside the bathtub is cracking. Is this normal or did my contractor do something wrong? If so, how do I fix this problem? I don't want water to get behind the tile.

Is this normal or did my contractor do something wrong?

Don't know, what exactly did he do?

I'm not an expert, but I do know that where the tile hits the bathtub, and up along where wall meets wall, grout should not be used at all. It will crack. He should have used a color-matched caulk along these seams.

Call him back and ask him to fix. The caulk is cheap, but scraping the grout out will not be fun.

Where the tile meets the tub must be caulked. Tubs move quite a bit and grout will always crack there. This should be caulked as picasso said. Additionally your contractor should have caulked any change of plane (wall meets wall, wall meets ceiling etc.). If these were grouted as well future grout cracking is a possibility. Did your contractor warranty the job? If so, for how long? You may be able to get him back in to do it the right way. If not, you can remove the grout and caulk it yourself. Its a p.i.a. job but you can do it.

Just curious. When the contractor did the tiling, did he remove the drywall surrounding the tub, put in a poly vapor barrier and 1/2" cement board before he tiled? Did he use mastic or thinset to set the tile?

i've actually followed these guidelines. however, the caulk tends to get moldy and dirty over time. is this a natural phenomena? because of this, we have to rip out the old caulk and re-caulk every once in a while.

i realize it's easier than having to rip out the old grout, but it sux having to do it at all.

i wonder if grouting first and then caulking over it after it sets is a viable option? this way, you don't have to dig too deep to remove the mold on the caulk when you need to do it.

what do you think of this?

Dont grout it. Try GE Silicone II for bathrooms and kitchens. It has a mold inhibitor. Its a little more difficult to work with than the latex caulk but it will last longer and be more resistant to mold. Eventually though you will have to replace it.:)