A Professional Way to Use Caulking In the House
Fresh caulk is no longer made of clay but of materials such as silicone and acrylics. Doing caulk in and surround your house is among the coolest and most helpful of all homeowner projects. Like the clay chinking of pioneer days, today's caulk also seals small gaps in brick, wood, drywall and other common house construction materials. Trapping interior heated or cooled air will save many dollars of utility costs but caulking pays even bigger dividends.
An accurately caulked house will direct damp away from the substance and wooden support systems preventing rot to the structure of the house. Caulked gaps also prevent wood-devouring insects from easy gateways to your house's framing.
Useful equipment include a putty knife, razor, and sand paper; a damp rag to wipe down surfaces; caulk and a caulking gun. The caulking gun is inexpensive and necessary and outdoor caulk should only be used outdoors since fumes may be harmful if inhaled inside.
Caulking may be done on warm dry days. You should use only silicone based caulk for exterior caulking. Clean the exterior area that needs to be caulked removing old caulk, dirt, old paint, or other debris. Make sure the surface has no dust or residue left on it that may affect how the caulk sticks and dries.If a hole or crevice is wider than ¼ inch or deeper than ½ inch use an open-cell foam backer rod, a piece of rope, paper, or wood to fill the space before caulking. Trying to fill it with caulk is a waste. Apply caulk with the best caulking gun holding it at a 45 degree angle. Judge for yourself the appropriate pressure to get a good clean line.
Smoothen with a smoothening tool. Smoothening is important as it establishes the final part of the sealing process. You may also use a finger but its best to not to directly expose skin to possible chemicals in the caulking. If you choose to use a finger wear a glove.
Caulk is every day from either a crowd tube or a caulk gun, with the gun usually being the superior of the two in laying a precise bead of caulk. To begin, slice open the tube of caulk at a 45-degree angle with a utility knife. Practice a little with the gun, engaging and releasing the trigger. After laying down the desired bead of caulk, immediately release the trigger which will halt the flow of caulk.
After applying the caulk you may be tempted to even out the bead with your finger - as all the home improvement shows and instructional books direct. Resist the temptation. Before setting about on your caulking adventure purchase a small flitch brush which is commonly used to apply shellac. A flitch brush is shaped like a closed rose pedal. Also bring along a small container of water to your point of attack.
After laying down your bead of caulk, dip your finch brush in the water and brush down the bead until it is smooth and has completely filled the gap. If you have laid down too heavy a bead, you may have to dip the brush more than once to keep the caulk workable.
