Nobody thinks about caulking until it’s already screwed. You get it done, looks tidy, job’s done. Move on with life.
Except caulking doesn’t last forever. It cracks, shrinks, and more often than not goes black with mould. Water sneaks in everywhere. Next thing you know, there’s rot behind your tiles, dampness in your walls, and you’re staring at a repair bill that makes your eyes water.
To make matters worse, there’s Perth’s weather. Summer bakes it until it cracks. Winter rain hammers it. That cycle destroys caulking faster than most people realise.
So, when should you actually replace it? How do you know when it’s stuffed? And what happens if you ignore the warning signs? Let’s break it down properly.
Depends on Where It Is
Most decent silicone caulking lasts 5 to 10 years if nothing goes wrong. But that changes heaps depending on where it is:
Location makes a huge difference:
- Bathrooms and kitchens wear out faster (always wet)
- Exterior windows cop Perth’s brutal weather
- Spots with big temperature changes break down quickly
What you use matters:
- Cheap acrylic caulk is shot in 2-3 years
- Quality silicone lasts way longer
- Professional application means it actually sticks properly
How much you use the area:
- Daily shower use kills it faster
- Guest bathroom that nobody uses? Lasts ages
- High-traffic kitchens need checking more often
Where to Look First
- Bathrooms (Replace Every 3-5 Years)
Bathrooms destroy caulking. Constant water, steam, cleaning products, and humidity absolutely wreck the stuff.
Check these spots:
- Shower base edges where water pools
- Around the bathtub
- Basin joins
- Where tiles meet taps
How do you know it’s stuffed? Check for water leaking behind tiles, black mould along the seals and caulk feeling squishy when you push it.
Bathroom caulking needs to be done properly. Strip out the old stuff, clean it right, and put in fresh mould-resistant silicone.
- Kitchens (Replace Every 3-5 Years)
Kitchens are nearly as bad as bathrooms. Water splashing, grease, heat, and constant scrubbing wear caulking down fast.
Important spots:
- Around the sink
- Where benchtop meets wall
- Splashback edges
Failed kitchen caulking means water behind benchtops, rotting cupboards, mould growing under the sink where you can’t see it.
- Windows (Replace Every 5-10 Years)
Window caulking cops Perth weather hard. Summer bakes it. Winter rain pounds it. UV breaks it down constantly.
Check:
- Outside edges around frames
- Interior trim gaps
- Where frame meets wall
- Bottom sills
Failed window caulk means drafts, higher power bills, water in your walls, and timber rot.
Signs It’s Stuffed
- Cracks and Gaps
Caulking should be smooth. Cracks mean it’s brittle and can’t seal anymore. Even hairline cracks let water through.
Got gaps between the caulking and the surface? Water’s already getting behind there. That gap will only get bigger.
- Black Mould
Mould spots along caulk lines aren’t just gross. They’re colonies feeding on moisture that’s gotten through the seal.
You can bleach the surface all you want. If it keeps coming back, the caulking itself has failed. Mould grows inside the dead caulk and underneath it.
Peeling Edges
Press your finger on the edge of the caulk. Feel it lift away from the surface? That’s adhesion failure.
Once caulking starts peeling, water flows underneath every time you use the shower or sink. You’re basically flooding behind your fixtures.
- It’s Shrunk
If caulking looks thinner than before or has pulled away from surfaces, it’s degraded. Shrunk caulk can’t bridge gaps. It’s done.
- Water Marks
Water stains on walls below caulked areas? Dampness behind fixtures? The caulking is letting water through.
This needs fixing immediately. Water damage spreads fast.
What Happens If You Ignore It
Some people see buggered caulking and think, “I’ll sort it out later.” Bad idea.
The damage gets worse:
- Water seeps behind tiles and fixtures
- Timber frames rot out
- Mould spreads through wall cavities
- Structure starts failing
- Bills skyrocket
Replacing caulking costs a few hundred bucks. Fixing water damage from failed caulking costs thousands. Simple maths.
DIY or Get Someone In?
Can you do it yourself? Yeah. Should you? Depends.
DIY is fine for:
- Small simple spots
- Areas that don’t get wet much
- Quick temporary fixes
Get professionals for:
- Whole bathrooms or kitchens
- Shower boxes
- Outside windows
- Anywhere that already has water damage
Professional caulking isn’t just squeezing a tube. It’s prepping surfaces properly, getting all the old caulk out, picking the right product for each spot, and applying it so it actually works.
Dodgy DIY jobs fail in months. Professional work lasts years.
Perth Weather Kills Caulking
Perth is brutal. Summer hits 40 degrees, bakes caulking until it cracks. Winter rain tests every seal.
Heat and wet cycles kill caulking faster here. What lasts 10 years elsewhere might only make it 5-7 years in Perth.
Check your caulking twice a year. Wet areas, especially.
Make It Last Longer
You can’t make caulking last forever, but you can help:
Basic stuff:
- Keep caulked areas as dry as possible
- Wipe shower seals down after use
- Run the bathroom fan properly
- Don’t scrub caulking with harsh chemicals
- Fix small problems before they spread
Catching issues early means quick fixes instead of complete replacement.
When to Replace
Don’t wait until everything’s completely rooted. Replace based on these timelines:
Every 3-5 years:
- Showers and baths
- Kitchen sinks and benchtops
- High-moisture bathrooms
Every 5-10 years:
- Windows
- Low-use bathrooms
- Expansion joints
Right now, if you see:
- Water damage
- Mould
- Big cracks
- Peeling
Look After Your Caulking
Caulking is cheap insurance when you stay on top of it. It’s an expensive nightmare when you don’t.
Check it regularly. Replace it before it completely fails. Use decent products and get it done properly. Those thin lines of sealant are all that’s stopping water from wrecking your home.
Spotted cracked caulking? Black mould growing along seals? Water stains appearing? Don’t wait around thinking you’ll get to it later. Every day you delay, water’s getting deeper into your walls. Damage spreads. Costs multiply. Small problems become massive ones.
Get someone out to look at it. Fix it while it’s still cheap and simple. Your future self will thank you when you’re not ripping out rotted timber and dealing with mould throughout half your house.
Silicone Caulking Perth has been sorting Perth homes for 25 years. Bathrooms, kitchens, windows, all of it. We use proper silicone built for Australian conditions. Licensed people who know the stuff. Call 08 9375 7948 to discuss and fix the issue!
