Here are the tools you’ll need to caulk your bathtub efficiently:
1. A caulking gun
2. caulk
3. A utility knife (sharp)
4. A bead head
5. A bead cleanup tool
6. A rag (dampened and ultimately disposable)
None of these items is particularly expensive; most will cost a buck or two (except for the caulking gun, which can be purchased, even on the high end, for less than $10). Caulking guns are big hollow tubes into which is inserted a caulk tube. A long trigger pressures the caulk and forces the dispensing. You’ll want a gun that maintains constant pressure on the tube base as the trigger is being depressed—which will yield a consistent and professional-looking bead.
Bead heads are a recent addition to the caulking world, but they are one of the keys to a professional-looking caulk job. Beads consist of a series of cones (3-4) that screw together. At the tip of each cone is an opening that ranges in size from 1/4” to 1/16”; adding or removing a cone alters the bead size. Bead heads promote a steady, uniform bead.
A bead cleanup tool is a device about six inches long and made from plastic. It is shaped like an “L†cross-section. One end corner is graduated, allowing you to trim a notch the size of the bead you want to create (if you mess up the first notch, you can use the other end, and if you botch that one as well, the tools themselves are cheap; consider buying two or three to keep as spares). Once the bead is laid, fit the cleanup tool into the angle between wall and tub to easily remove the excess caulk.
Follow these easy steps to give your bathtub a professional-looking caulk.
1. Using the graduated markings, trim a notch in the corner of the bead cleanup tool (sized to your choosing).
2. Using a utility knife, slice the tip off of the caulk tube. If you are using a bead head, it doesn’t matter how you remove the tip; if not, cut the tip at an angle so that it fits flush in the seam between wall and tub.
3. Attach your bead head, which will screw onto the tube tip and create its own threads.
4. Insert the tube into the caulking gun and pump the trigger until the caulk oozes. Remove any excess.
5. Place the tip of the caulk tube in a corner where two walls and the tub meet and, using steady pressure, lay the bead in the seam until you’ve reached the your stopping point (generally, the opposite wall or some fixture edge).. Take it slowly and try to do an entire wall at once, if you can manage it.
6. Use the bead cleanup tool, remove any excess caulk from the bead. You do this by placing the notched edge of the tool in a corner and then following the seam with the tool until the seam ends. Position the tool so that one side touches the wall and the other touches the porcelain; the notched corner should be flush with the bead. Excess caulk should accumulate in the L-bend.
7. Discard excess caulk. Using the damp rag, carefully remove any additional caulk on the porcelain or tile surfaces. At this point, the caulk should still be moist enough to wipe up easily.
8. Repeat this process for any other interior seam. Then, if necessary, caulk the exterior seams between the floor and the top of the tub using the same process.
9. If the caulk still seems uneven, don’t be afraid to drag a wet finger across it before it dries. This will help smooth it out. Make sure that your finger is wet, however. Caulk likes a wet finger.
10. Allow your caulk to cure for one day (longer, if you can) before using the bathtub.
And there you go. Your bathtub is now professionally caulked, and you’ve avoided the unpleasant and onerous task of scraping up excess caulk later. With a bit of planning, you can adapt this process for toilets, tiles, sinks, and anything else that enjoys a nice watertight caulk –- all for less than the price of the special edition DVD of Batman Begins!
(Source: Essortment)
previous: some notes and tips on fileting fish; some notes and tips on paneling; some notes and tips on replacing storm windows
update: Additional tips by caulking knowitall Jonathan D in the comments.
Because of the epoxery?
GAY PORN CAULK OF LIES!
Oh…how about some turpentine? Or caulk? Delicious caulk.
So do you moonlight as a technical writer? And if so where are the fuckin’ diagrams man? I got to be able to look at the pictures so’s I can grasp the concept podnah!!
TM: space – as in caulk fills space….just like cock.
You forgot about the large jug of rum you’ll need when your wife comes in and says, “It doesn’t look like that when the guy on TV does it”.
Just giving THE PEOPLE something they can use, man. Unlike more Miers commentary or a lot of talk about how linguistic assumptions inform policy and law—which, let’s face it, that kind of bullshit ain’t gonna keep the linoleum from buckling when the floor boards warp following a substandard caulk job.
I’m a giver.
Stephen Bainbridge and Ann Althouse have more.
Yes, but what did the bathtub have to say about your caulking job? Did the two of you have a nice conversation?
caulk: “So. How does it feel to be out of the closet?”
me:
caulk: “Admit it. You love the caulk. You crave THE CAULK!”
me: “I have a gun.”
You da Man Jeff.
WHERE IS THE GROUTRAGE?
You probably should use a 100% silicone caulk, that will maintain some flexibility for 30 plus years and is waterproof.
Also
filling the tub and getting in to caulk it will weigh down the tub so that the caulk you put on will cover all the area that will be pulled down by gravity when its actually being used.
But Jeff, we need to know who was your original source for this information. Outing a covert bead head could be a serious breach of national security.
I’m all for the DIY where appropriate but I think he left out a step with a Mohel or Surgeon.
If you do use silicone or a siliconized caulk, use rubbing alchohol instead of water during the cleanup.
And if you folow Jonathan D.’s advice, it gives you a somewhat more plausible reason to caulk naked.
With that caulk I would recommend wearing a raincoat.
Did someone say naked caulk? I guess it all depends on your pronunciation of “caulk.” Personally, I try not to say it like this guy …
I question the timing.
<a href=”http://www.incompetenthandyman.com/?page=How to Caulk a Shower” target=”_blank”>Mine is funnier.</a>
I wish they’d make it flavored. I’m always licking my fingers to smooth it in better.
Well this is all very nice, but what do I do about that row of tiles around the bathroom floor that take the place of the baseboard?
Just because it has an “ly” at the end does not make “orderly” an adverb.
So: “efficiently, and in an orderly fashion.”
(The same applies to “timely.” It’s “in a timely manner.”)
And I don’t care what Gail says; I’m right about this!
[t/w: If I ran the world, I’d set some stringent standards for usage—believe you me!]
From Paste-eater to Caulk-sucker: A Carpenter’s Life, Lived Well
Soon coming to Amazon.com
Huh? what did I say, Joy?
If i’m caulking with latex or “painter’s caulk” I use a small bucket of water and a sponge. Just keep the sponge wet and keep rinsing out. Perfection!!
With silicone I don’t get too hung up on getting the the excess cleaned. I concentrate on a professional “bead” and can go back later with a razor blade and clean up any excess on adjoining surfaces.
Try to stay away from “clear” silicone as it will “yellow” over time.
Joy–not wrong, just archaic.
You forgot to mention the importance of surface preparation – without a clean, dry seam you can
caulk-cock-up the whole job.Thanks for the tips!
I’m done.
I just love putting the caulk in the crack….
Ok Jeff, somewhere between steps 6 and 7 I managed to caulk my head solidly to the side of the shower.
Why isn’t a spatula listed as a necessary tool?
If you are going to use silicone – do NOT use a wet finger to smooth it out. It will kill the anti-bacterial qualities that will only happen when the silicone sets. If you’re using vinyl adhesive, like a Phenoseal, water clean up is best. The caulk tool (should be by Tower Industries, Seattle, Washington) should not need to be “resized”. Make sure to clean the clean-up tool before the caulk overlaps the edge and starts back in on your caulk line.
Excess silicone will just bead up on you later and can be wiped away. It may stay flexible for 30 years, but the seal won’t last that long.
Good luck.
Grout! Grout, get it all out!
That preparation guy knows what he’s talking about
The measure of an extremely successful blogger: attracting 30+ comments to a slow Friday posting on caulking tips. And not a single one from Carl Hudecek griping about G–dam caulking Jooz.
Cordially…
It occurs to me it’s more a measure of some dozens of folks with too much time (and caulk) on their hands.
Cordially…
Caulked and loaded!
Had a miserable time with silicone caulk at first. Instead of cleaning up I just threw everything away. Including the bathtub. I eventually discovered that masking tape works wonders.
I had just finished cleaning out the old caulk and was going to put in the new tonight when I saw this. I hadn’t heard of a bead head or bead cleanup tool. I’m going to get them now and I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Speaking of Althouse: Some time back she devoted an entire post to what she perceived as clumsy double-entendre on some TV show or other, every bit of which was predicated on her utter ignorance that the “l” is silent in “caulk”.
I’m pretty sure that was the same day I decided she was irrelevant, no matter how often Glenn links her.
See there? You left out the most important item needed for recaulking a bathtub…
… a bathtub.
After all, we can’t presume that just EVERYONE has access to a bathtub, you know. That would be, like, insensitive.
You forgot the mushrooms.
It seems Batman Begins is running at about the price of dinner at a nice restaurant. Yikes. ‘Cause around here, I can only get dinner at a nice restaraunt for the price of dinner at a an extremely expensive restaurant.
Bah! I hate those bead cleanup tools. They’re the surest way to make an awful mess. Just lay the bead right the first time.
In the case of painter’s caulk though, some deft fingerwork (well-moistened, of course) can make up for any deficiencies in your caulking technique.
TW(I kid you NOT!): girl
See, Gail–I knew you’d correct my correction. I have, like ESP or left-handedness or whatever.
I shall have to fall back on the logic I use with my husband: “you must be wrong, because you disagree with me, and I’m right.”
(t/w: persons. Nada. Can someone else figure it out for me? Or is the system failing?)
So, you like moonlight at Menard’s or something? You should look into an HGTV gig (“Pimp my Cubicle” or maybe “Design on a Dime Bag”).
At one time in my life, I was a painting contractor, and I thought I would share an easier way to caulk a tub – or gawk a tub, as one bim who had apparently traded her brain for a BIG SUV called it.
1. Call Ernesto from downstairs.
2. Wave the caulk gun at him and then at the bathtub.
3. Say the magic word: “Comprende?”
4. Come back in one or two hours.
5. If unsatisfactory, call Guillermo from downstairs and repeat steps 1 through 4.
This is not always the fastest way, but it is by far the easiest.
Yer hiiiiRED!
Caulk likes a wet finger
Who doesn’t?
Old joke: What happened to the woman who didn’t know the difference between caulk and vaseline?
All her windows fell out.
niggaz iz niggaz so fuck um