How to caulk.....like a pro

How to caulk....like a pro....is easier....than you think. How to install caulk takes a little practice but "caulk how to" is easy once you get the hang of it. There is a right way to caulk & a wrong way to install painter's caulk. Here's how to caulk & what you'll need to know:

* I'll be explaining to you how to install caulking with a painter's caulk gun & a tube of caulk. Before painting your wall, door frame, wall trim, or baseboard, it is important to caulk all the edges before installing your paint. It is important to realize that every "edge" will show if you paint your project without installing the caulk....no matter how tight your "edges" are. You may think that the paint will cover the tightest of lines but your project will not turn out like you want if you do not use caulk on "all of your visible edges/lines.

* Caulk is the "wonder material" that makes a paint job look great rather than just OK. Cut the tip of the caulk tube as small as you can letting only a little caulk out at a time. A small tip on your caulk tube will work better than making this tip too big. Most of your caulking chores will be easier to accomplish if the caulk tube has a small tip rather than a large tip. Cut the caulk tube at a slight angle then you're ready to go.

* Caulking around door jambs & door trim takes a bit of time so be patient & work kind of slow making sure you do a good job. You can always go a little faster once you get better. Put the bead of caulk on for maybe a foot or so then wipe off the edge with your finger. The caulking should blend into the edge you are working on without building up any caulking excess.

* If you are building up too much caulking on your finger or if the caulking is spilling over onto the adjoining wood trim as you are pulling it down, that means you have applied too much caulking. Try another section with a little less caulk & pull it down with your finger again. Keep working & you will eventually get the feel for how much caulking to apply. Now you're ready to install a longer bead of caulk. See why you need a small tip on your caulk tube?

* If you are working on an area that needs more caulk than a small tip will allow for (caulking exterior trim for example), you can always cut the tip bigger but once you cut the tip bigger (the first time) you should never use this caulk tube again for any small beads you may need to apply at other areas as the caulking gets very messy......you'll see what I mean.

* Depending where you are caulking, you may want to pull the caulk with your finger then wet your finger on a wet rag then wipe the caulking again to get off any excess you may have. This works pretty good so always have a wet rag handy when you are installing caulk.

* Latex caulk works well for painting projects. You can also use acrylic latex caulking too. Just don't use "real" silicone sealant because paint will not cover over real silicone. Save the real silicone for applying around tubs,toilets,sinks,& any other "wet" areas, etc..

* I know....you want to start painting....but caulking your project first (& spending the extra time making sure the caulking is installed properly) will make your project look better than ever!

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Paint On!

VideoJoeKnows