Caulking Points

Some call it a disaster in a tube, it congers up images of sticky fingers and uncontrollable globs of goo oozing out of a tube and onto the top of your shoes. of course I am describing that homeowner nemesis...Caulking. It doesn't have to be that way, in fact just by avoiding a few common caulking mistakes you can caulk like a pro. First, buy the right caulk for the job.There are a lot of different brands of caulk on the market but there are only a few types available for residential use, so let's keep it simple. 100% silicone- solvent base, not paintable, available in stock colors and clear, difficult to use. 100% silicone- waterborne, paintable, available in stock colors and clear, easy to use. Acrylic/Latex- water based, paintable, available in a few colors, easy to use. Acrylic/Latex Siliconized- water based, available in a few colors, easy to use. Now let's determine which caulk to use for the job at hand. If you are planning to caulk your woodwork (interior or exterior) before painting use a general purpose White Acrylic latex caulk (siliconized or not). If you intend to caulk the Counter Top or the Bathtub Surround use a 100% silicone, I recommend the waterborne (paintable) type for it's ease of use. You can choose a color that closely matches you Counter Top or opt for the clear variety. Ok, so we got the right stuff, how do we use it without making a mess. Buy a good caulking gun, look for the type with an auto-release feature that prevents unintended ooze from the caulking tube's tip. Cut a small hole the size of a coat hanger wire ( diameter) at the tip at about a 45 degree angle. A common mistake is to cut the hole too large and straight across. Remove as much of the old caulk as possible from the work surface.Wet and wring out a cotton rag leaving it damp. Start caulking in a corner keeping an even pressure on the gun's trigger while pulling the tip along the work surface in a smooth stroke. Smooth out the caulk with the damp rag wrapped around your index finger,be careful not to remove too much caulk. keep the rag rinsed out and wipe off the tip of the tube between pulls. Keep the application light, if the caulking shrinks or sinks into the cracks simply apply another bead after the first has dried. That's it, with a little practice you will be caulking like a pro.