Caulk Like a Pro

I recently had a breakthrough in caulking, and so a job I used to despise is now one I kind of love!

If you had told me that I would be doing a post on caulking, I would have laughed. Because not long ago, caulking a project I was finishing actually made me cry and throw out a few choice words. In the past, I often avoided caulking because it stressed me out and was a MESS! If I were to write a post, it would have to be what NOT to do, right?

Well, maybe not.

Some things clicked for me, and I’m excited to pass on my tips for what I’ve changed. After all, a good caulk job can make mediocre woodworking look wonderful. And a bad caulk job can just look like a mess. Cracks don’t look good, and dry bumpy caulk is incredibly difficult to clean (think of those little window sill corners that are impossible to wipe out).

Spackle, putty and a little paint,

Make me the carpenter I ain’t!

So with the idea that the best caulk job is the one you don’t see, I want to share with you the few changes I made to go from hating to seriously loving this part of my projects! First, I’ll tell you what I was doing wrong.

Be sure to also check out my YouTube Video on caulking which will help to show you my complete process.

Crappy Caulking

I used to try to lay an entire bead at once. I stressed about getting enough caulk in the joint that it wouldn’t crack or gap, because this would be evident even after painting. I wanted to be sure I had enough caulk that I wouldn’t have to feather in more. Also, to prevent cracks, I used a lot of pressure to push the caulk into the joint.

This all led to an absolute mess! The excess caulk and excess pressure led to too much caulk to clean up. I had to keep lifting my finger when smoothing the bead so that I could wipe all the extra caulk off. I wiped it off on a wet rag, which, after a few wipes, meant I was just rubbing very wet, runny caulk all over my hands.

And kind of like running a snow plow, this extra caulk resulted in almost a ridge on either side of the joint. I would try to wipe it off, but my rag was a mess and just got more caulk on the wall. And you can imagine how much of a mess it was!

I go into more detail about poor caulking jobs in my YouTube video. Here’s a shot below:

At the same time, every time I put my caulk gun down, it would continue running, leaking caulk ALL over the place. Yikes! It’s no wonder I hated caulking!

But I promise you, there is a much easier, practically fool-proof way… Read on.

This method of caulking is for aesthetic purposes, not for the purpose of sealing or waterproofing.

Grab Your Supplies

Caulk gun – I struggled with a bottom-of-the-barrel caulk gun for a while. And granted, the one I am using now is still a cheapie, it’s just not the absolute cheapest. Going from a $4 gun to a $10 gun made a huge difference. It’s easier to squeeze, light weight and it ratchets, which minimizes drips (this is really important for maintaining sanity).

Bowl with water – you’ll need a small bowl of water for dipping your finger

Non-white dry rag

Caulk (obvioiusly!) – This is the caulk I use for finishing my picture frame moulding.

Lay Small Beads

It is much easier to add in caulk than clean out a mess, so start with small beads.

To do this, start with a very small 45 degree hole on your caulk. You can cut more off if needed once you get a feel for it. It will of course take some practice with respect to both the pressure you put on the gun and the speed at which you move it. Lay the caulk in your joint at roughly a 45 degree angle.

Smooth It

It’s ok if it doesn’t lay down perfectly. Sometimes there will be gaps, or the caulk won’t go in right at the joint. But take your finger, dab it in a tiny bit of water, and then run your finger over the caulk. A wet finger is necessary to easily glide over the joint. If your finger is dry, it will create friction causing bumps in the caulk or make it obvious where you stopped or started smoothing. Once dry, these bumps not only look bad, but they trap dirt and can also become difficult to clean.

Do not push too hard, or really at all. I used to think I really needed to push the caulk into the joint, but this will result in excess caulk plowing off the sides, which besides being a waste and a really big pain to clean up, causes ridges you will see later. You want the joint to be nice and smooth, so don’t push all of the caulk out of the way!

After each run, wipe the caulk off your finger on the dry rag, wet your finger, and go to the next spot. The non-white rag helps me know which part of the rag is clean so I can wipe off my finger without just getting more on it.

Add more caulk if needed

Run another bead in any areas where you have gaps. Feathering in the second layer is no problem when you don’t have excess caulk and you use a wet finger to reduce drag.

Sometimes, you don’t even need to use your gun. Once you have that bit of caulk on your finger, it will probably be the perfect shape. Lay your finger over the gap and smooth down again.

On some projects, there might be a larger crack. For example, I just installed chair rail in my dining room, and one wall was quite bowed, causing the chair rail to sit away from the wall a bit more. This meant I needed a thicker bead/ more beads to build up the crack.

Use the smallest bead you can. It is so much easier to go back and add some in then it is to keep wiping away too much. If smoothing out your joint looks like you’ve just been plowing snow, you have way too much. It then becomes difficult to clean off the sides without messing up the newly caulked joint. Even if you smooth out the sides well enough, they will still have a different texture and sheen than the drywall or trim. Remember, caulk does not sand, so you want it to be smooth before it dries.

To Summarize

Caulking is essential to make your trimwork look finished. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my posts on picture frame moulding, which is a great place to start with trim.

I hope this helps you take your trim work to the next level!