Post by DerbyDad03Post by n***@aol.comI agree.
It takes a LOT of practice to get really good at it. I have myself and one guy then do all the difficult caulking against bricks, rock and on faces masonry, etc. My other guys and none of my subs but my painter can lay a consistently sized bead that is nearly perfectly smooth.
In fact, my work was just barely presentable for years until I had a painter that was working
for me help me get the hang of it.
If someone helped you get the hang of it, then it's not only about the practice. There must have
been tips and techniques passed on from the other person. Can you share what he shared?
Some of the pointers posted already are valid. Some are not. Don't want to start a war, so I will tell you what works for me.
First, squeeze the caulk in the tube at the store. Some caulks go bad rapidly, or worse, are stored and handled improperly. I have had caulks in my storage that have gone bad in just a few months, in my tool box, about three. Unless it is the old fashioned paper tubes, the tubes for most sealers are plastic and should be pretty easy to squeeze and feel some movement.
Don't buy cheap caulk. Cheap caulk manufacturers use equipment that can introduce air bubbles into your caulk, and if you are pressed into putting a single pass, "no touching, no smoothing bead" you are screwed as the bubble will leave a hole.
Don't buy cheap caulk guns, or the really heavy duty guns. The cheap ones flex too much for you to get a good even squeeze on grip to discharge an even bead. The heavy duty caulk guns are actually for adhesive applications and push out the material tube too aggressively. Buy a medium priced gun with a quick release tab under the compression rod. The quick release tab works much better than the "no drip".
A few issues I didn't understand. First, the cut of the tub point must be CLEAN. Second, the cut needs to expose the exit hole to be not much larger than the crack/crease to be filled. Third, I put too much material on. Fourth, I didn't understand when to move fast or move slow.
So, cut the tip of the tube with a very sharp knife, box cutter, etc. The tip should be perfectly smooth and anywhere from about 30 to 45 degrees. I cut the heavier angles when I am caulking areas I have a hard time seeing the bead (windows, walls, etc.) but less shallow for horizontal surfaces where I am directly over the work. If you are caulking 1/8", then you should have an exit hole on the tip about the same. If you simply whack the end off the tip you will almost always put on too much material. Yet, I see guys hack a chunk off the tip and leave a big wide bead over a small crack. If the crack is irregular, caulk the small end first, cut the tip as needed to get to the wider sizes.
Put as little caulk on as needed, let the material flow out of the tube. Proper application is a combination of getting material out of the tube and using the tip to push it into the crack. On smooth surfaces (like cracks on inside walls, siding trims, etc.) I squeeze the gun hard and move fast. When caulking cracks in bricks and mortar, etc., I have the hold cut to the proper diameter and almost seal over the crack very slowly, leaving the caulk behind, level to the adjoining surfaces.
Cracking the irregular surfaces won't be so bad if you have the right amount of caulk coming out of the gun and then work slowly with an even amount of pressure. If you are applying properly you won't need much tooling. But... stuff happens. I use a wet finger, cleaned frequently with a wet rag. On really fine corners (like a kitchen cab refinish) I use my fingernail and apply enough pressure to cut the caulk into the corners. Don't use soap. If you have to put another coat of caulk on top of the existing, you have fouled the surface so it won't stick. Likewise, paint won't stick to soap either. Also, the sticky residue you leave behind can get sticky and attract dirt.
More than anything since today's caulks really stick well, practice on things that aren't appearance grade. Caulk can be impossible to get off of different surfaces so practicing on things you and others will see can be taking a pretty good chance.
Robert