Asked on Apr 04, 2016

How to do caulking job on bathtub?

Eve5227863
by Eve5227863
I want to do a neat job with caulking on bathtub.
  14 answers
  • Barrett etc Barrett etc on Apr 04, 2016
    be sure to fill the tub up with water BEFORE you start your caulking job.
    • See 6 previous
    • Debb Kopp Debb Kopp on Apr 05, 2016
      @Nancy Oden : I apologize, Nancy, but I don't see any misspellings in what I wrote. BTW (By The Way), the initials at the end mean: Don't Ask Me How I Know - DAMHIK :)
  • Nancy Oden Nancy Oden on Apr 04, 2016
    I saw something recently where someone had placed that green painters tape around the edges of the tub...they right where the caulk was to be added...one long strip on top..and one below with just enough area left open for the caulk to be added.....seems pretty foolproof to me...protects the area around the edges...and also seems to create a clean neat line of caulk..its worth trying..I intend to when I recaulk some areas in my house...all the best..
  • William William on Apr 04, 2016
    That's the way to do it! Fill the tub with water - many forget this step. Run a 1/4" bead of caulk where the tub meets the wall in one smooth pass. Wet you finger and smooth out the bead with very little pressure. This will force the caulk into the seam and give a finished look. Wait about thirty minutes before draining the tub for the caulk to set up and a few hours or overnight before using it. Some people do use painters tape, as Nancy says, on the wall and tub to prevent the caulk from spreading too much. Make sure you use kitchen and bath caulk. It has some mold and mildew resistant properties.
  • Kathy Bitzan Kathy Bitzan on Apr 04, 2016
    I didn't know about the water and I just did mine, I stood in the tub so maybe that will be good. I was going to mention the green tape idea also. I wish I had known about that. But just make sure you don't cut the hole in the tube to big.
  • Beth Beth on Apr 04, 2016
    The key may be to remove the old caulk first, especially if it's mildewed or lumpy from previous applications. Use Caulk-Be-Gone to soften up the old caulk and remove it with a plastic putty knife. Be sure the area is free of old caulk and any soap residue before applying new caulk. Cut an angled hole in the tip of the caulk and apply at an angle, then go back with a wet finger and smooth it out. They also make a tool for getting it neat.
  • Margaret Margaret on Apr 04, 2016
    I just used the green/blue painter's trick recently and it worked great. I smoothed out the excess with a damp finger, then immediately removed the tape and lightly ran a damp finger again to feather out the edges. Worked best in segments of no more than 3-4 feet, as the caulk (I used silicone based) starts setting up pretty quickly. I second Beth's comments - be sure the area is clean of old caulk and dry before you start, especially if the old caulk is silicone.
  • Chris Richter Chris Richter on Apr 05, 2016
    I put my caulk in a small elmers glue bottle and you get a nice clean line!
  • Nancy Oden Nancy Oden on Apr 05, 2016
    Goldrushgal..we must be reading the same material..:)
  • Sally-Charles Evans Sally-Charles Evans on Apr 05, 2016
    You call my very sweet son-in-law who just happens to be very good at caulking! He is a welder and claims that to be why he can do such a good job....ALSO.... he says to PUSH the caulk rather than pull it.
  • Dan Pieniak Dan Pieniak on Apr 05, 2016
    Might be a good idea also to put some water in the tub - maybe halfway, to pull down the tub and open up the crack.
  • Chris Moore Chris Moore on Apr 05, 2016
    To get a smooth surface when calking have a bowl of very soapy water big enough to get your fingers in them as you calk use your soapy fingers to smooth the calking compound into place, works every time.
  • Trudy Trudy on Apr 05, 2016
    I tape off the edge of the tub with painters tape and use a wet finger. Latex caulk is much easier to work with, then peel off the tape while the caulk is still wet.
  • Eve5227863 Eve5227863 on May 07, 2016
    Really appreciated. helpful tips. it's done well. Thank you very much....