My sisters had a water leak in her kitchen ceiling, she asked me to take a look at it. I found out it was coming from the bathroom tub on the floor above the kitchen. The caulking had cracked under the tubs faucet, so I just added some caulk over the crack. Four days later, she calls me again and tells me the kitchen is leaking again. The caulk had cracked open again, this time I removed all the old caulking, cleaned the area real good and re-caulked(bathroom/tub caulk). Another four days or so, it cracked open again. I have re-caulked about seven times and it just keeps cracking again, it's driving me nutz!!  The first three times I used the same bathroom caulking, the fourth time I bought a new tube from a different company, the last few times I tried marine caulking.  The tub is solid, not rocking at all, all the tiles and wall grout are securely in place. Suggestions, please.

Fill up the tub and then caulk. I'm betting when its full of water it moves

Quoted: Fill up the tub and then caulk. I'm betting when its full of water it moves

Especially if it's been leaking for a while. There could be some soggy wood under there.

Quoted: I'd bet it's leaking inside the wall.  Dig deeper would be my suggestion.   There is no reason for signficant amounts of water to enter at the top of the tub.  It could be the pipes to the manifold or the drain.

That's what I was thinking, but it does not leak into the kitchen the few days the caulk remains intact. If their is a leak in the wall, maybe the water is causing the caulk to crack???  OOooo, wait 'till I tell her I have to open the bathroom wall

Quoted: Fill up the tub and then caulk. I'm betting when its full of water it moves

I just called her, she said nobody had taken a bath in a long time, only showers.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Fill up the tub and then caulk. I'm betting when its full of water it moves I just called her, she said nobody had taken a bath in a long time, only showers. In that case it could be just the caulk line--if the caulk sticks to the tub and pulls away from the wall, then the caulk will act as a dam to push the water into the wall.  Still, the front of a shower doesn't get a large volume of water running down it.   Doesn't the house have an access panel behind the plumbing?  Usually things are arranged to have the other side of the wall be in a closet or somesuch and a panel is in place to allow access--for exactly this purpose.  Otherwise--get out your Sawzall.  [Throws head back like Tim The Toolman Taylor]  Arrr, Arrrr, Arrrr  [/Tim The Toolman Taylor]

SAWSALL it will be!  It's not my house!!