Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Mold where Tub meets Tile - How to Clean and Redo?

I have a 3 year old bathroom that has had mold where the tub meets tile and it has gradually been getting worse to the point where it now needs to be redone. It looks like there is grout and then a silicone layer...

Please advise on how to clean the old stuff out and what to put in there to do it right... I am in NY area and it is hot and humid here so I don't know if the humidity is a factor... Should I wait until fall?

THANK YOU!

Since all of my installation experience has been in a very dry climate where mold is pretty rare, I'm unsure as to the "wait till fall" thing, but, I can tell you how to deal with it. There should be no grout in that joint, it should just be caulk. Use a knife or something and remove as much of the silicone as you can to get to the grout. Get a grout saw from a hardware or flooring store and use it to remove as much of the grout as you can. Once you see the tool, you'll understand. Use the knife or whatever you have that will work to get the rest of the grout. Use a Q-Tip or something to get in there and swab the area with Clorox bleach. This step will kill anything growing in there. Go to a flooring store and get a tube of color match caulk. Every grout made has a corresponding caulk made to go with it. You may have to borrow a set of grout samples to take home and determine which color to get. The stuff dries just a bit darker than the grout so keep that in mind while choosing. Caulk the joint with this stuff, clean it up with a wet sponge, and let it set up good before using the shower.

THANK you!

The grout in the joint could have led to the problem... it looks like there is a thin layer of caulk on top of the grout and that just got nasty...

If there are cracks in the grout in the corner of the shower wall from expansion, how can i fix that? Can I patch or do I have to redo?

OK, sounds like a few basics and then you'll understand better. Grout is very rigid and doesn't like movement. Although you can't see it, your walls are moving all the time, independent of each other. The rules are, caulk any joints that are angle or plane changes or any place dissimilar materials meet. Different materials expand and contract at different rates and will also result in cracked grout. Any joints like these need the same process.

Sounds like they didn't do the job right in the first place.... since there is grout in the angles of the walls and where the tub meets the tile... It's all white... tub, tile and grout. I guess i have to figure out the right 'white' caulk so I don't end up with bright white or whatever...

It also looks like i have to remove the caulk from the wall angle and caulk it instead, right?

Unfortunately, it's sounds like an accurate assessment. You'll need to follow the procedure first described on all of them if you want these joints to not leak or grow crops.

The mold is obviously caused by moisture. To keep it from coming back, make sure your exhaust fan is in good working order and moving moist air out of the room, Turn the fan on and hold some toilet paper up to the fan (a 4 square piece should do). If the fan is operating correctly, it should pull the paper toward the fan and grid and hold itself up there after you let go. If there is a blockage in the line, it will instead blow the paper away from the grid.

Once you have determined that you have good airflow, think about leaving the curtain (or door) open immediatedly after you use the shower to help evaporate the remaining water. (my folks are diligent about using a little squeegie to wipe the water off the walls in their Fla. condo).

Here in SEast Va. a little mold can turn into a big problem. What you see on the surface can sometimes be a hint that other issues are lurking behind the walls. But anyway, you need to starve the mold of one of its main needs - Moisture.

The other posts are great at fixing the repair, but keep this in mind if you want to prevent it from coming back.

After you make repairs at the tub and wall seam and let cure as per the directions, try using a 2 part water to 1 part bleach solution for any mold on the tiles. Place it in a spray bottle for ease of application. Spray and let it sit overnight. Re-apply the next day, if needed.
Then when the mold is gone and the area is dry, spray clear silicone liquid over it and wipe off excess.
From my experience, mold forms on bathroom tiles and at the seams betweeen tub and tiles from keeping shower doors closed all the time or keeping shower curtains closed all the time. This prevents proper air circulation. I always keep the shower doors open. I know it looks better with them closed but the area should be given a chance to dry out between uses. With your excess humidity, its probally your only economical option.