Water can penetrate into your bathroom walls, causing expensive damage unless you take precautions to keep your bathtub properly caulked at all times. Here are the steps involved in the process:
1 - Examine the entire joint between the wall and the bathtub. Mold, mildew, caulk and soap scum should all be cleaned away from the bathtub edge. You must take care not to scratch the tub's surface. Remove moisture from the seams using denatured alcohol, making sure not to use rubbing alcohol.
2 - Use a caulk product that is specifically approved for your bathroom surfaces. There are a number of different choices available in terms of price and color. More silicone tends to cost more, but it also tends to have a mildew prevention agent built in.
3 - Apply masking tape to both sides of where the caulk bead is going to be placed. Take care to make sure that the tape lines up where the caulk is going to stop. This is a technique that is used by professionals to make sure that the caulk is laid evenly and no mess is left behind. You should have about 1/8 of an inch of caulk.
4 - Load the caulk tube into your gun. Cut the application tip using a sharp knife. The opening should be left as small as possible. Pierce the thin barrier inside the tube with a nail or a wire. Hold the caulk gun over the trash and press the trigger to fill the tip without making a mess.
5 - Point the tip in the right position at the seam, slightly above the surface just nearly touching. Press the trigger, watching the flow of the caulk. Move the caulk gun straight along the entire seam, creating a uniform line out of the caulk. Before the flow stops you should quickly release the trigger and then press it again each time until you reach the end. Do not stop creating a uniform bead of caulk until you have reached the end of the line.
6 - Repeat this process for each of the seams before releasing the trigger lock so that pressure can be relieved inside of the tube. Smooth the caulk out between the pieces of tape, removing excess caulk as you go along. Wipe your hands off at each pass with paper towels to keep things neat and tidy.
7 - Remove the masking tape once you are done, before the caulk is given a chance to skin over. The bead should look even and neat, but you still may need to do some clean up with your fingers before you have finished up. The caulk should be allowed to cure for a period of between 24 hours and 36 hours before you allow it to be exposed to water or moisture.
There you have it! Now your bathtub is caulked properly and professionally, and you did it yourself!
Photo Credits: Editor B
Originally posted 2009-07-24 05:46:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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