How to Caulk Interior Walls

Caulking any gaps before beginning a paint job on the interior of your home will ensure a nice, even finish. There are often cracks where trim meets walls and windows and they will need an application of caulk. Follow these steps to apply caulk on interior walls in your home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Caulk
• Caulk gun

1. Wipe down all of the surfaces that you will be caulking with a wet rag. If you leave any dust or debris behind, the caulk won't adhere well.

2. Place your tube of caulk in the caulking gun. Cut the tip of the caulk tube at a 45-degree angle and test it to make sure that caulk is coming out when you squeeze the trigger of the caulk gun. Put a test line of caulk on a piece of paper or cardboard so you can check the caulk for proper consistency and get a feel for the tool.

3. Start at one end of a gap that you need to caulk. Hold the caulking gun at an angle and gently squeeze the trigger to deposit a thin bead of caulk on the crack. Changing the angle at which you tilt the caulking gun will change the thickness of the caulk bead.

4. Set aside the caulking gun when you reach the end of the crack and run your finger along the caulk bead, smoothing out any ridges. The goal here is that after you have painted your interior walls, no one should be able to tell that there is caulk underneath.

5. Allow the caulk to dry completely per manufacturer's instructions before painting the walls. If any cracks or gaps appeared in the caulked seam after it dried, repeat Steps 2 though 4.

Tips & Warnings

• Acrylic and silicone based caulks are both available at your hardware store. Acrylic caulks are best when filling gaps that will need to be painted.