How to Use a Caulking Gun

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By Granath Color Works
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Typical Caulking Gun

Use a caulking gun to seal and close gaps in a variety of caulking applications. From preparation for decorative painting to caulking the foundation of your home, the caulking gun is the tool required. This article will explain how to use the caulking gun properly.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Caulking Gun
Caulk
Razor Knife (if re-caulking)

Step 1

Caulking serves a variety of needs

First, you must understand what the application is and the best caulk to use in your caulking gun to get the job done. There are many types of caulk and their use is fairly well explained on the labels. When in doubt, explain what you are trying to accomplish to the sales assistant and they will steer you to the right caulking product. They are all basically the same as far as the way to apply them with the gun.
Step 2

Remove old caulk

If the area has been previously caulked, remove the old caulk using a razor knife (BE CAREFUL AND DON'T PULL THE BLADE TOWARDS YOU). Caulking over the old material will result in uneven "bead" and will not seal well.
Step 3

Open the caulk by using the razor knife to cut the tip at an angle (many caulking tubes actually have guidelines on the nozzle). If the gap is small, cut the nozzle close to the tip. If large, cut a larger opening further down the tapered nozzle. Some caulk has an additional seal inside the nozzle. If your caulking gun doesn't have a piercing attachment for this (on the bottom side of better caulking guns), use a wire hanger.
Step 4

Apply a smooth, even "bead" of caulk

Starting in a corner, gently squeeze the trigger of the caulking gun until the material starts to come out of the tip. The idea is to lay down a smooth and even "bead" into the crack or gap. This is done by moving the tip along the gap while gently squeezing the rigger. (This takes some practice to do well and can be a little frustrating! Don't worry if it isn't perfect as you can clean it up in the next steps.)
Step 5

Use your finger to smoth caulk

Use your finger to "smooth" the bead of caulk into the gap. This can get a little messy if you have applied too much caulk, so keep a damp rag with you to clean excess AND your finger. Keeping your finger clean will result in a better finished look on the caulking bead.
Step 6

Caulking "bead" tool

There are tools made for pressing the caulk bead into the crack and cleaning the excess caulk, but they can be more trouble than they are worth! Some folks (especially inexperienced) like them.