Grout or Caulk?? around toilet/sink base

"Martin Hirsch" wrote in news:MzkKc.1508$ml.1179@lakeread05:

Esthetically very beneficial for both and no drawback for the pedastal sink. Caulking around the toilet base can mask possible leaks, although I've usually done it anyway. If the toilet mount is very stable and allowed to "prove itself" over a period of time, I'd go ahead and caulk it.

So what you are saying is the grout will make the toilet more stable and quickly expose a leak if one exists.

"Martin Hirsch" wrote in news:eTkKc.22902$ve2.13186@okepread05:

Well, yes, in theory. Although the toilet should be made entirely stable by use of shims, tight bolting, etc., before any filler product is used. Because the grout hardens and the caulk remains pliable, the grout would tend to add additional stability. Also, in most cases, the grout would allow any moisture from leaks to work it's way through the grout to the outside and become visible. That is, unless the grout is extremely well sealed, which might prevent it.

Caulk has flex - won't crack. Use grout when there won't be any movement at all. Use caulk in your situati0on.

Now that is just ridiculous. You don't use grout for additional stability. If it's entirely stable, you don't need any more. If it's not "entirely stable" (whatever that means), you don't rely on grout to do it for you. If there is an "instability" that you can see, you did something wrong. Where caulk will help is with "micro" instability - i.e. little amounts of setlling or movement that you can't see, but that will crack grout.