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Do you hate sloppy caulk jobs?

May 11, 2010, 10:48:52 pm

I recently did quite a bit of recaulking in our shower.  The results are VERY professional-looking, if I do say so myself.  I perfected this technique over the years as a home owner.

For what it is worth, I like using a tool to "strike"  that is -- to smooth the face of the caulk bead you lay down.

Here is what I do. 

1)  Remove all old caulk.  Need I say this?  But just in case you've not done caulking before.
2)  Clean the surfaces that will hold caulk with rubbing alcohol.
3)  Use  Scotch Brand blue tape to mask off the area you do not want to caulk.  Keep the two rows of blue tape uniformly apart, but I find I don't have to get too fussy on this step.
4)  Use a quality brand and the correct type of caulk.
5)  Try to squeeze a uniform sized bead of caulk along the entire strip. Do not get carried away with the size of the bead. 
6)  Moisten the end of your finger or a tool and move it along the suface of the bead. 
7) As caulk builds up remove the excess from your finger or from the tool and continue until you are done.  Don't forget to remoisten what you are using to smooth the caulk.
Remove blue tape and allow to cure per package directions until caulk is set.

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Re: Do you hate sloppy caulk jobs?

Reply #1 – May 12, 2010, 08:48:04 am

George,

Exactly how I do it, except I add an 8 step of gently running my wet finger/tool over the caulk immediately after removing the blue tape.  If there was any thickness to the caulk where it goes onto the tape, there will be a sharp ridge when the tape is removed.  A quick, gentle final "smooth" takes care of that.

Brett

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Reply #2 – May 12, 2010, 08:51:04 am

A very handy tool for caulking is called the  " DAP CAP " it sells for about 2 bucks in hardware stores and an added feature is that it fits on the spout of the caulk tube and keeps it from getting hard.
Gary B
95 U280

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Reply #3 – May 13, 2010, 11:34:13 am

I just got to try this out and it was a big help, thanks for posting all the tips!

In finishing the bathroom tile I used sanded caulk along the top, bottom and corners, all the places that tend to have relative movement, as the caulk remains flexible and can absorb some of the movement.  Using the tape method really allowed me to keep the caulk between the tiles and not have it end up on the counter or cabinets, what a time saver.

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Reply #4 – May 13, 2010, 11:42:36 am

The proof of what he said

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Reply #5 – November 17, 2010, 08:44:42 am

I've always ran from caulking jobs in areas where it really needed to be neat because neat I have never been with a caulking gun. Howeva, using George's tips I did a pretty nice job on the outside trim of my coach last weekend. Proud of the results, thanks George.

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Reply #6 – November 17, 2010, 09:12:39 am

I am very flattered.  Glad it worked for you.  Us old dogs are here to help where we can,  Kent can attest to that.

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Reply #7 – November 17, 2010, 10:17:24 am

There are basically two types of caulk for your motor home, self leveling and vertical grade. Be sure to get the right kind for the job you are doing. I prefer urethane caulk to silicone. Urethane is typically more paintable if needed, has better adhesion to its substrate and usually better tensile strength under stress. The down side is cost, its harder to find and it doesn't last very long once opened and even in the unopened tube, short shelf life. 

There is a little tool kit I have found at the hardware store for removal and application of caulk. I believe it is also made by Dap. It has a removal tool that is has a V shape and flat scraper made of yellow plastic and an application tool with a triangular black rubber head and a yellow handle. The cost is about $8 for the pair. There is also a square blue silicone application tool with 4 different widths/angles of caulk finish that works very good and can be cleaned with harsher solvent than the rubber tool. I don't even use masking tape with these application tools and therefore don't have a ridge when the tape is pulled.

The most important tip George gave is to make an nice even bead. Less is better, don't use too much.   

FWIW

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Reply #8 – November 18, 2010, 08:05:44 pm

Kent,

Do you mean George S or George H?

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Reply #9 – November 18, 2010, 09:34:11 pm

Hi Gary, I meant George S. He really appreciates my babbling.

I sure enjoyed talking with you back in July. Glad to see you on the Forum.

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Reply #10 – November 19, 2010, 07:07:37 pm

Great tips! I have been a Professional sealer with Boeing for too many years to reveal : ) If you can't find a "seal spoon", you can use a tongue depressor or popsickle stick (depending on width of bead) to smoothly level your seal. The BIG secret is to have a small container of rubbing alcohol right there to dip your latex glove covered finger in, and smooth over the bead after running the spoon over it. This is how we get the "Machine applied" look to hand-applied work. Remember to pull the painters tape just prior to smoothing with alcohol. The edges will disappear. Also a good idea to wet the wooden popsickle stick first.

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Reply #11 – November 20, 2010, 10:21:44 am

I looked at a nice used motorhome at a lot yesterday.  Someone ran a wire out the side window to the roof, looked like a thermometer sensor.  They affixed the wire with a loopy 1/2 inch wide, sloppy, two-foot run of clear silicone caulk.  The "work" would have been embarrassing for a driveway crack, but on the body of a motorhome?  Jeeeez...

oldMattB

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Reply #12 – November 20, 2010, 10:53:02 am

Matt,
 
I sure hope it wasn't on a Foretravel.

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