How To: Caulk. The CAULKING SECRET REVEALED!

How to caulk. How to apply caulk. Caulking., An Uncle Knackers Exclusive!. No longer does caulk / silicone need to end up all over you or over your mum's new carpet. This technique can be used for things like caulking bathroom tub or shower caulking etc.What you will need is a tube of caulk / silicone, a caulking gun or silicone gun (which are the same thing but some people have their own preference as to what they call it), an ice-cream or popsicle stick, pieces of paper cut into squares about 10 centimetres (four inches) x 10 centimetres (four inches), a plastic water bottle sprayer and some dish washing detergent.

To apply the caulk follow these steps;

Open the caulk tube by cutting the tip at a 45 degree angle and puncturing the inner seal with a long nail or wire. Many newer caulk guns have built in tip snippers and puncture wires.

Apply the caulk at a 45 degree angle between horizontal and perpendicular.
Make sure to squeeze hard enough to get the caulk fully into the joint.
Work at a speed that is slow and consistent. The smoother you make the joint to start with, the easier the job will be.

In deciding which caulk to use for a particular job here's a quick run down. Caulking comes in three varieties.

Latex (Acrylic, which can be cleaned up in water).

Acrylic latex caulk is the general purpose workhorse. It's inexpensive, fast drying and can be painted. Another nice feature is that since it's latex based, you have water clean up. Don't ask it to fill larger cracks though. It's best used for caulking around wood trim and thin joints in dry areas.

Silicone Caulk:
This is the premium caulk for jobs exposed to water.
Silicone has outstanding adhesion and flexure characteristics coupled with long life.
It also is mildew resistant, watertight, won't yellow or discolor.
The caulk of choice for showers, tubs and other areas exposed to water.
Typically cannot be painted but some companies have come out with paintable silicone.

Unlike acrylic caulks, silicone is not water clean up, so you will use rubbing alcohol or turpentine during the application to clean up.

Butyl Rubber

This type of caulk is primarily for outdoor use. It's a great sealant for storm windows and doors, downspout and gutter seams.

This is one of Uncle Knackers little gems.