Wicked Good Caulking

Jeremy E

It didn't seem right to piggy-back on Georgia Dawg's tubs and toilets thread, so here goes...

I'll cop to being one of those carpenters that the painters are always complaining about. I'm about as good with a caulking gun as my two-year-old is at putting his own toothpaste on the brush. So I'm ready for the learnin'.

I always believe that the last thing to go on a project is the first thing that people see. I'm always appreciative of the skills of good painters, especially when they've followed-up my work with a knock-out finish. I know that the roots of a good finish are deeply embedded in the prep work, so what are the tips, tricks, secrets, and techniques that produce a perfect caulking job?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and helping to put an end to trade-on-trade crime!

TaitINC

I know i'm by far not the best caulker around, but when i'm done it looks good. So here are my few tricks i've learned over the years. cut the tip of the caulk tube small(or according to the size of the gap your caulking)and on an angle. DO NOT put too much caulk on. It easier to add a little then try to clean out the waves after you tool it. Only apply so many feet at a time. Youd don't want it to start to skin over before you tool it. I like to use a wet sponge or rag to tool it. lastly keep a nice smooth pace and flow of caulk. you will develope your own pace after enough caulking.

spencer

remember
caulk and paint make a carpenter what he ain't

J F

Hey Jeremy

Take a look at this site: http://www.painttalk.com/, if you haven't already. It's a sister site to this one.

I'm the same as you when it comes to the caulk gun. I have no idea how our painters work so quickly and cleanly with the stuff. I'll go through two tubes trying to caulk a room of crown...with most of it on me.

J

Cole

I love it!

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dougchips

Painters fill holes and use caulking.

Ignore my posts last night about caulking window stops.

You need to use a nice thick caulking, not the Alex plus 99cent crap. Try Polyseamseal but don't buy it at a discount store, it needs to be nice and fresh. Make sure the caulking tube is nice and warm but not hot or it will flow like water. Cut a 1/8" hole at the end of the tube, you only want a little to come out at once. If you wipe off more caulking than what you leave on the surface you are doing something wrong. Don't smear the caulking all over your work surface--dust will collect on it somehow. If all else fails just remember painters caulk and fill nail holes.

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AtlanticWBConst

I started out in drywall, then went into finished carpentry, then rough framing, then everything else, etc.

The fact that I started out in drywall has helped alot in other areas.

Because of the skills learned taping, floating, and using compound, I have no problems with detail-caulking, troweling cement, bondo-ing doors, etc.

In other words: I can easily fix all my own dumb mistakes, before anyone else notices them...

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dougchips

I'm sure this must reduce call backs along with some other benefits

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To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.

BCPNJ

Caulk and putty - a carpenter's buddy. Yeah I would rather do the caulking and any other prep after the trimmer is done.
One big reason is that raw wood needs an alkyd/oil primer before caulk or any fillers for better adhesion due to the wood sucking moisture out of it. This will also reduce shrinkage as well, and as an extra side effect, help you see gaps.
As for a brand, I like Phenoseal. As far as Alex goes, their better grades aren't bad. The dollar a tube stuff is bad no matter what brand.
As far as actually caulking, try pushing it in instead of pulling the gun. Keep a clean rag w/ clean water in a fiver and change often.
This is the technique I use most of the time and hope this helps.

DeanV

Like some said above: Do not cut the tip too big. Cut it at an angle. I smooth the caulk bead with my finger. Keep a rag and clean water at hand to keep your finger clean. Corners get treatment with a putty knife to give nice sharp corners. If you start getting crumblies in the caulk, you either need to clean your hands better, clean the rage better, get a new rag and/or clean water. All edges get caulked, even if the wood pieces show no gap because eventually they would show a gap as wood shifts and expands/contracts.

kklick

I've been trimming some houses for a very picky builder. Most of the trim has been 3 1/2" casing and 7" base all primed material. I've been caulking everything as I trim it. I'll put a nice bead on all the outside miters before putting them together and the same on all of the cope joints. Its better to fill up the joint than try to fill it in later. If I put it up it gets caulked completely. Crack or not I'll caulk it just for consistency. Even the painters were pretty impressed when they came in the last house.

Like the others have said keep a clean wet rag there with you. Wet your finger before you start to wipe anything and it doesn't stick too bad.

The last 2 houses I've used polyseamseal. I had one bad tube that was crap but for the most part i've been pretty happy with it. You definitely get what you pay for.

chris klee

any one use the GE Infinity painters caulk yet? i tries a tube doing some crown a couple months ago. nice stuff.