Cash for Caulking

Caulking Your Tub

Caulking your tub is a pretty simple home improvement project that is well within the reach of all do-it-yourselfers. You’ll be replacing the caulk that seals the area between the top of the tub and where the shower walls meet it (which are typically tile or a plastic tub surround panel). It’s a good idea to replace the caulk here every year, as it’s the most susceptible to mildew as well as to cracking from the normal settling and movement of your house over time. Small cracks in the grout that connects your tub to the shower walls may not seem like a big deal, but they can lead to much larger problems if water penetrates through, something that is much more likely to happen given the fact that it’s a bathtub/shower area.

The first step is to remove the old caulk, which you can do with a razor blade, utility knife, or putty knife. This step can be pretty tedious but all it takes is determination and elbow grease, as far as scraping off all the old caulk. While much of the old caulk will pull out, you’ll inevitably need to scrape out a lot of stubborn small sections here and there.

Once the old caulk is gone, clean the old joint with either soap and water or a solution of bleach and water. After cleaning, let the joint air dry.

Silicone caulk is the best caulk to use for caulking tubs, as its the most durable and mildew-resistant. It’s also harder to work with, especially if you’re messy, so take some time at this step. If it’s your first caulking project, don’t be shy about using blue painter’s tape and masking off above and below the joint you’ll be grouting. Now you’re ready to cut the tip on your tube of caulk, which is another place many people go wrong by cutting the tip too large. You ideally want just enough caulk coming out to fill the joint as you move along the tub, so err on the side of cutting the tip too small to start with. You can also cut the tip larger if you need to, but you can’t undo it if you cut the tip too large.

Apply the caulk in a smooth steady motion, working your way around the tub. Don’t worry about completely filling the gap of the joint on your first pass, as you’ll be smoothing the caulk later and many gaps will be filled then. Whatever you do, don’t go back and try to fill in an area that doesn’t have enough caulk, as this is guaranteed to make a mess. Do one wall of the tub at a time, instead of trying to trying to caulk the entire perimeter of the tub at one time.

After it’s applied, you’ll need to smooth it out, using either your fingertip, an old spoon, or a specialized caulk spreading tool. Smooth the caulk so that it’s a regular smooth, concave seam. Easier said then done, but a little practice is all you need. Be sure to have a bucket of water and damp rags on hands, as you’ll be wiping your hands often, and may need to wipe off filmy grout haze from the tub from time to time as you’re working.

Silicone Caulking: Pros and Cons

It’s important to choose the right caulk for the job at hand, and in this article we’re going to look at some of the basic pros and cons to using silicone caulking.

As far as the pros of silicone caulking, it’s best used on non-porous surfaces such as tile, glass, and metal surfaces. It’s very durable, extremely adhesive, remains flexible over time, and, most importantly, is very impervious to water, which is why it’s commonly used in tubs and showers and other areas regularly exposed to water. Silicone caulk is mildew resistant and won’t yellow over time.

On the con side, silicone caulk is silicone-based, so unlike acrylic/latex caulks it won’t clean up with just water, so you’ll need rubbing alcohol for cleanup (both you and your tools). It’s a good deal more expensive than other caulks and most types of silicone caulk cannot be painted (although some newer varieties are paintable). Silicone caulk also releases ammonia as it cures so you’ll need good ventilation when working with it as it smells very strongly. It’s typically available only in colors of clear and white, so your color choices are limited.