Caulk on sterling surround?

[lumsden]

Hi,

I recently remodelled a bathroom and installed a Sterling Ensemble tub with 3 piece surround. The surround is one where they recommend not caulking the seams. The only place they recommend caulk is on top and next to the drywall where the tub and surround connect. I've followed all their instructions but I'm worried about the caulk-free installation. How well do these work? Would it be safer to caulk the seams?

Thanks,
Mark

[jimbo]

The Sterling is a good procuct, and we almost always recommend following manufacturer's installation instructions. There is a reason why they recommend what the say. Caulk is always a secondary barrier, and is a maintenance item down the road. If you don't need it, why go there?

[lumsden]

Thanks for the reply.

One of the reasons I was thinking about it was the gaps between the tub and the surround. They recommend a gap of 1/32" and there are a couple of places where my gap is slightly more than this (less than 1/16"). Any thoughts on how crucial this gap is? Since the room is now finished, I can't go back and adjust the fit. The gap is rather small and if I hadn't tried to slip a credit card through the gap I wouldn't have noticed anything.

Thanks,
Mark