HOME REPAIRS

TIPS FOR CAULKING AROUND THE HOUSE

03/20/2023

HOME REPAIRS

TIPS FOR CAULKING AROUND THE HOUSE

03/20/2023

Caulk is often an overlooked aspect of your home comfort. This humble sealant helps fill gaps in your home to protect you from seeping air, moisture, and uninvited critters. Today, let’s uncover what caulk is and how to apply caulking around the house successfully.

What is a Caulk?

Caulk is a tube of waterproof sealant made of silicone, acrylic, or silicone. They’re commonly used to fill in cracks and gaps along windows, walls, tiles, and doors. Handymen often use a caulking gun to apply evenly on the gaps along the baseboards and trim. Once the caulk is applied, it creates a tight seal to ensure there are no seeping air, water, or unwelcome pests that enter your home.

What Happens if You Don’t Use Caulk?

When the caulk is not applied or applied properly, you’ll often discover:

Seeping Air/Drafts: If you’re finding that there’s outside air leaking into your home, your caulking may need to be reapplied to seal the gaps along your windows and trim. This can impact your energy consumption when it comes to your heating and cooling systems.
Moisture Leaking Into Home: Water and moisture that seeps into your home can cause mould, mildew, and/or water damage. This can become a health hazard if neglected.
Unwelcome Pests: During the colder months, pests are on the hunt for warmer territory to inhabit. By sealing the gaps in your windows and trim, you’ll eliminate pests to enter your home.
Aesthetics: Caulking your windows, trim, and tiles can enhance the aesthetics of your home. You may find it hard to ignore when the caulking looks unfinished or grungy.

You can prevent these above problems by properly maintaining the caulking in your home. Not only will you be more comfortable but it’ll also be far more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing.

Where is Caulking Applied?

You’ll often find caulk applied:

Around windows and door frames
Bathroom: Around your sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and windows.
Kitchen: Around your sinks, backsplash, countertops, and windows.
Exterior of home: Around pipes, vents, siding, bricks, masonry, and electrical boxes.

You may find this article useful to get an idea of what kind of caulk you need to get your desired outcome.

Tips for Caulking Around the House

Now that we have the foundational information out of the way, let’s get into the tips for caulking in and around your house:

Some items that may make your life easier:

Spray bottle
Painters tape
Acetone (just in case)

Scope out all of the locations that require some TLC
Investigate what kind of caulk you need for each location: Some options include silicone, acrylic, latex, silicone-latex, silicone-acrylic, and polyurethane to name a few. Additionally, you’ll find various colours and textures that suit the aesthetic look you’re going for.
Optional: White you’re at the home improvement store, grab a roll or two of painter's tape. If you’re new to DIY caulking, it may create cleaner lines if you tape along the surface.
PRO TIP - Fill a spray bottle with water: You’ll be using this after application to clean your lines without a big mess on your hands.
If you choose to use a caulking gun: Put them together now.
Cut the tip of the caulk tube: It’s easiest to use scissors or a utility knife at a 45-degree angle. PRO TIP - Cut a very small tip to control the amount of caulk that comes out of the tube. You can always cut more if you need to match the size of the gap that you’re looking to fill.
Apply with precision: Hold your caulk or caulking gun at a 45-degree angle. Squeeze the tube as you apply it in a swift motion. It may help you practice your movement before applying it.
After you apply the caulk: Spray water onto the fresh caulk to make it easier to wipe away the excess without it getting all over your finger.
Wait for it to dry and cure properly (you may find the drying time on your tube)
Do you have leftover caulk? Wrap the tube thoroughly in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Store it in a cool, dry place to extend its lifespan.
If you’ve used up your tube, check your local recycling website to see how to properly dispose of it.

Shoutout to Andrew who gave us the pro tips!

There are numerous tips and hacks online to apply caulk yourself. Not everyone has the time, energy, or patience to accomplish these tasks. We’re here to make your life easier and get the job done quickly.

If you’re looking to get some home renovations done, you may also be interested in our limited-time, exclusive offer:

Q & A

How long does it take caulking to dry?

Drying time varies depending on the type of caulk you’ve purchased. Read the instructions on your tube to find out. Something to note: Drying time also varies on the indoor humidity and temperature as well.

Generally, caulk fully cures and hardens in 24 hours. Again, consult the instructions on your tube as it may be different depending on the ingredients.

If you’re looking to paint on the same day, we highly suggest that you allow the caulk to cure completely. This way you’ll prevent uneven surfaces and smearing fresh caulk.

How do you get caulk off your hands

This is something many amateur home repair enthusiasts ask. If you used our method of spraying water after freshly applying caulk, you shouldn’t have this issue. But if you skipped this step, getting caulk off your hands can be a frustrating situation.

Pure acetone or vinegar has been known to break up and weaken caulk. Rub your hands together and wash them off.

Again, we recommend that you use the spray bottle method to avoid getting caulk on your hands. If silicone, acrylic, latex, and polyurethane are left on your hands for a long span of time, it’s been known to cause a number of issues – nausea, upset stomach, dizziness, and other complications. The most common irritation has been when the caulk dries on your hands, it can tear, crack, and dry out your skin.

Call High Mark One Call's expert technicians to schedule your caulking maintenance and installation at 604-253-7377.

Wrap It Up

To sum it up, do your research before you begin your caulking process in your home. You’ll want to make sure you are purchasing the appropriate caulk for the specific locations. And finally, try out the spray bottle method to prevent the caulk to stick to your hands!

We hope this blog post was informative for you!

We’d love to hear from you:
Do you apply the caulk in your home yourself?

Let us know when you try out the spray bottle method!

Share your tips and tricks over on our Instagram or Facebook pages.

We’re looking forward to connecting with you on our social media!

What is a Caulk?

What Happens if You Don’t Use Caulk?

When the caulk is not applied or applied properly, you’ll often discover:

Seeping Air/Drafts: If you’re finding that there’s outside air leaking into your home, your caulking may need to be reapplied to seal the gaps along your windows and trim. This can impact your energy consumption when it comes to your heating and cooling systems.
Moisture Leaking Into Home: Water and moisture that seeps into your home can cause mould, mildew, and/or water damage. This can become a health hazard if neglected.
Unwelcome Pests: During the colder months, pests are on the hunt for warmer territory to inhabit. By sealing the gaps in your windows and trim, you’ll eliminate pests to enter your home.
Aesthetics: Caulking your windows, trim, and tiles can enhance the aesthetics of your home. You may find it hard to ignore when the caulking looks unfinished or grungy.

Where is Caulking Applied?

You’ll often find caulk applied:

Around windows and door frames
Bathroom: Around your sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and windows.
Kitchen: Around your sinks, backsplash, countertops, and windows.
Exterior of home: Around pipes, vents, siding, bricks, masonry, and electrical boxes.

You may find this article useful to get an idea of what kind of caulk you need to get your desired outcome.

Tips for Caulking Around the House

Now that we have the foundational information out of the way, let’s get into the tips for caulking in and around your house:

Some items that may make your life easier:

Spray bottle
Painters tape
Acetone (just in case)

Scope out all of the locations that require some TLC
Investigate what kind of caulk you need for each location: Some options include silicone, acrylic, latex, silicone-latex, silicone-acrylic, and polyurethane to name a few. Additionally, you’ll find various colours and textures that suit the aesthetic look you’re going for.
Optional: White you’re at the home improvement store, grab a roll or two of painter's tape. If you’re new to DIY caulking, it may create cleaner lines if you tape along the surface.
PRO TIP - Fill a spray bottle with water: You’ll be using this after application to clean your lines without a big mess on your hands.
If you choose to use a caulking gun: Put them together now.
Cut the tip of the caulk tube: It’s easiest to use scissors or a utility knife at a 45-degree angle. PRO TIP - Cut a very small tip to control the amount of caulk that comes out of the tube. You can always cut more if you need to match the size of the gap that you’re looking to fill.
Apply with precision: Hold your caulk or caulking gun at a 45-degree angle. Squeeze the tube as you apply it in a swift motion. It may help you practice your movement before applying it.
After you apply the caulk: Spray water onto the fresh caulk to make it easier to wipe away the excess without it getting all over your finger.
Wait for it to dry and cure properly (you may find the drying time on your tube)
Do you have leftover caulk? Wrap the tube thoroughly in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Store it in a cool, dry place to extend its lifespan.
If you’ve used up your tube, check your local recycling website to see how to properly dispose of it.

Shoutout to Andrew who gave us the pro tips!

If you’re looking to get some home renovations done, you may also be interested in our limited-time, exclusive offer:

Q & A

How long does it take caulking to dry?

Generally, caulk fully cures and hardens in 24 hours. Again, consult the instructions on your tube as it may be different depending on the ingredients.

If you’re looking to paint on the same day, we highly suggest that you allow the caulk to cure completely. This way you’ll prevent uneven surfaces and smearing fresh caulk.

How do you get caulk off your hands

Pure acetone or vinegar has been known to break up and weaken caulk. Rub your hands together and wash them off.

Call High Mark One Call's expert technicians to schedule your caulking maintenance and installation at 604-253-7377.

Wrap It Up

We hope this blog post was informative for you!

We’d love to hear from you:
Do you apply the caulk in your home yourself?

Let us know when you try out the spray bottle method!

Share your tips and tricks over on our Instagram or Facebook pages.

We’re looking forward to connecting with you on our social media!

LIKE THIS ARTICLE?

Bryan Reed

With 30 years of experience, Bryan has acquired quite the reputation in the industry. Holding a Masters in Painting and 30 years of general construction experience it is no wonder why customers keep coming back to use Bryan's services. A happy husband with 5 children and 4 grandchildren, when not with his family you can see Bryan fishing, though he will not tell us his secret fishing spot.

TIPS FOR CAULKING AROUND THE HOUSE

TIPS FOR CAULKING AROUND THE HOUSE

What is a Caulk?

What Happens if You Don’t Use Caulk?

Where is Caulking Applied?

Tips for Caulking Around the House

Q & A

How long does it take caulking to dry?

How do you get caulk off your hands

Wrap It Up

What is a Caulk?

What Happens if You Don’t Use Caulk?

Where is Caulking Applied?

Tips for Caulking Around the House

Q & A

How long does it take caulking to dry?

How do you get caulk off your hands

Wrap It Up

LIKE THIS ARTICLE?

Bryan Reed

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