I discovered a small gap in the caulking between the floor and the bathtub. The gap is an inch or two long — but it's right where the water sprays at the edge, when someone takes a shower, and a very small puddle always forms there.
I propose to fill it with some silicone caulk. Do I need to pull up some of the floor first to make sure the subflooring is not damp?
Should I run a space heater and a fan for 24 hours before caulking?
Is there some way of detecting whether there's a moisture problem underneath the floor?
Best Answer
OK, you had me at "a bulge with cracking". This is a little scary. Even though you don't feel any moisture doesn't mean it's not pooling on the top and rotting the wood. Tubs are heavy and tubs filled with water are a lot heavier. I really think you need to check into this a whole lot more unless you want a tub in the basement. You mentioned LVT flooring in the bath. You might want to consider removing a few planks and examine the subfloor. Hopefully some planks were leftover from when the floor was put down. If you determine all is good, a good silicone caulk applied after everything is dry and scraped clean is all you need. As mentioned above, try to eliminate the water running down the side or at least throw a towel down there before showering. Good luck.