Caulking 101

I rememer when I first starting to learn how to caulk. I was just a kid. My Dad was a painting contractor and I would go to work with him during the summer when school was out. From time to time he kept me out of his way by giving me some out of the way spot to caulk where no one would see the finished product.

As I got older and struck out on my own, I got a job with some siding installers. I was doing a very bad job at caulking around some windows and the homeowner said "I know everyone has to learn, and everyone has to start somewhere - but would you mind learning on someone elses house?"

From that moment on I knew that I was going to have to master the art.

In order to get serious about caulking, you must have good equipment - and by that I mean a good caulking gun. There are two types available. There is the type on which you must release the tube pressure when you stop, and then there is the "dripless" caulk gun. I prefer the latter. There is nothing more frustrating than laying down a nice bead of caulk only to have the tube keep spewing out gobs of caulk when you stop.

Once you chosen a good gun, you must choose he right caulk for the job. For tubs, a good silicone bathroom caulk is a good choice. For windows a good elastomeric or latex, siliconized paintable caulk for the interior and a urethane caulk for the exterior is the way to go. Keep this in mind - with caulk you get what you pay for.

The surface your about to caulk must be clean and dry. The smoother and cleaner the surface, the better the end result will be. Now - down to business.

Install the tube in the gun and cut a small angle on the plastic tip. For some applications cut from the very tip to make a small bead. For larger gaps, cut further down the tip for a larger bead. With urethane caulk you will have to insert a poker down the tip to break the membrane to allow the caulk to come out. With the latex caulk you won't have to do that.

Start at one end of the seam to be caulked. Place the tip into the corner at a slight angle with the opening facing in the direction you're tip will travel and gently squeeze the handle. When the caulk begins to come out, gently and with slow, constant speed, move the tip toward the end of the line you're cauking. The goal is to squeeze out just enough caulk to fill the gap completely, but only enough that you can smooth with the angled tip as you are squeezing it out. Don't stop moving the tube until the caulk has stopped coming out of the tip. It sounds complicated but it isn't. One rule of thumb. Regardless of what these vidoes that follow tell you - keep your fingers out of the caulk as much as possible. One video makes it appear as though smooting the bead with your finger is part of the process - but it isn't. Not unless you have to.. If it's not as neat as you would like it, go back and trim it with a Stanley knife after it dries.

There are some circumstances when you can't avoid it but do what you can to keep your fingers out. Once you put your fingers in the caulk be certain to have PLENTY of rags.

I would really welcome the opportunity to personally show you how to do it but the following videos should suffice. If you still have questions or difficulties, give me a call and I'll try to walk you through it. If it's something you don't think you want to get involved in, give me a call and I'll give you a free estimate.