Watch out for bad caulk jobs on new builds near Raleigh

I was looking at a friend's new townhouse in a development outside Raleigh and noticed gaps around the bathroom sink where the caulk was already peeling. The builder used cheap acrylic caulk that shrinks up fast, and now water can get behind the backsplash. Check yours if you moved in less than 6 months ago, because fixing it now is way easier than dealing with mold later. Has anyone else seen this on newer builds?

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parker_patel842mo ago

Laughing at the cheap acrylic caulk move, classic builder special. They probably used the same tube they found in a van from 2019. I've seen it in a few newer places near me too, where the caulk around the shower base is already cracking like a dried up riverbed. Water's gonna find that gap and start a mold rave behind the tiles, you just know it. Good call on catching it early, because fixing that later means a whole demolition dance.

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umamurphy2mo ago

Did they at least use a backer rod behind that cheap caulk, or did they just goop it straight into a deep gap? I've seen builders skip that step so the caulk sits way too thick and basically rips apart from the first time the house settles. It's like they expect the silicone to do the job of structural foam.

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