About Caulking Guns

A good caulk gun is the key to a steady flow of caulk so your caulking looks professional, whether you are a professional or just a newbie at home improvement. You can spend as little as a few dollars or hundreds of dollars for a caulking gun. Whether you have a few jobs around the house or do contract labor for others, there's one to suit your needs.

Function

You can use your caulking gun for a variety of projects, such as to insert caulk in areas that require a seal. The tiny opening between the edge of the tub and the tub surround is just one such area, although it's probably the most familiar. You also use a caulking gun to seal around window frames, faucets and cement cracks, and even to apply glue to the back of wall board. Caulking guns are great for subfloors and chimney repair. Even NASA sent up a high-tech caulking gun to repair space-related damage on the shuttles.

History

In 1894, Theodore Witte found inspiration in the kitchen. He designed a ratchet caulk gun, like those used to decorate cakes, to putty the windows. Like other great inventions, his tool, ahead of its time, never caught on in the marketplace. Bakers soon went to more easily controlled bags to decorate, and not too long after that, caulk tubes arrived on the market. These use the pressure of the ratchet gun to squeeze out the contents, just as the hand does a baker's bag for cake decorating.

Effects

Settle for the old-fashioned ratchet rod caulking gun, use one of the newer dripless guns, or go electric. The old-fashioned caulk guns are still available and very inexpensive. If you have a trained hand and limited caulk work to do, these guns are ideal. You first cut the tip off the caulk, stick a nail or coat hanger through the opening on the tip to pierce the seal inside and insert the tube into the gun. Push the tip through the metal circle at the front and make sure to pull out the rod in the back. This allows the tube to fall into place. Turn the metal rod with the end "L" to the sides or down to push the rod into place. These older types of guns have notches in the rod to make it advance when you put pressure on the handle. The notches are in the correct placement when the tail of the gun is up. Press on the handle to advance the rod and plate assembly and push out the caulk.

Identification

Look for a dripless gun. There's no notching of the rod on these guns so you have an infinite number of settings, but they do use the same principal as the old. The difference is a spring-load action. It locks the rod into place the second you release and stops the flow of the caulk. These are easier to use since the pressure required is less, so your hand doesn't tire.

Considerations

Opt for the new electric caulk guns. You'll save your hands when you use a battery-operated cordless or electric caulk gun. These help prevent career-ending carpel tunnel syndrome. Most of these aren't for small indoor plumbing jobs, but big commercial jobs. The power caulking guns relieve the hand and do allow you to be more steady in your bead, but if you're new to caulking, they won't make you an expert immediately.

Resources

• How to Buy a Caulking Gun