Caulking Tips

• In order to use the caulk properly you will have to first go through the label of the caulk carefully before using it. Go through the instructions provided will help you ensure correct application of the caulk.
• Make sure that you remove any existing old caulk in the area you are going to apply the caulk on with the help of a utility knife. Once you have removed the caulk from the area, clean it thoroughly to make sure the area is dry.
• Purchase a good quality caulking gun in order to ensure quality and desired results. For people who have not used a caulking gun before, practice is quite essential. You should practice holding the tool in different angles to get an idea of the movement of the gun and how it works. In case of a small area, a caulking gun is not required; a squeezing tube of caulk will prove to be more useful.
• Cut open the caulk tube and make an opening on the tube which is more than ¼ of an inch in width. Make sure that the opening is not larger than this since it will make you overuse the caulk. Also, make sure to make the opening at an angle of 45 degrees. This will help you to place the caulking tube properly in the gun.
• Once you have properly prepared the caulking gun, start applying the caulk in one area which is not easily available for a test. This will hide any mistakes you make initially and will provide you with a better hand to work with in other areas. Make sure that you press the trigger of the caulking gun gently for the caulk to disperse evenly. Now, smooth out the bead of caulk before the top layer hardens up. Make use of the caulk smoother for this purpose.
• You can make use of masking tape on both sides of the area in order to keep the line of caulking neat and straight. Once you have applied the caulk all over the area, remove the masking tapes.
• Once the caulk dries up it tends to shrink. Therefore, if you want to paint the newly caulked surface, you must wait till it cures completely. If you don’t follow the instructions, the applied paint will crack because it cannot stretch.

Bathtub Caulking Tips

• It is important that you make the areas like the bathtub, faucets, sinks etc moisture free before applying the caulk. Make use of the bathroom cleaner in order to clean up the dirt and debris and then apply rubbing alcohol to eliminate traces of any moisture.
• You can make use of some special kind of caulk that is available to fight back mildew and yeast growth.
• When you apply the caulk on the bathtub, make sure to cover the gaps in one single motion without stopping in between to ensure uniformity in the application of caulk beads.
• Make sure not to use the shower area for at least 24 hours after applying the caulk.