How to Use Caulk Around a Tub
In order to keep the edges of your tub looking clean, you may want to apply a new bead of caulk. Caulking can wear out or begin turning yellow over time, giving your tub an old or dingy look. Using caulk around the tub is a fairly simple job that you can do in about an hour and give your tub a new look. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Utility knife
- Non-abrasive scrub pad
- Wash cloth
- Water
- Blue painter's tape
- Caulk tube
- Caulk gun
- Paper towels
Instructions
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1
Remove the old caulking around the tub with a utility knife and clean away any residual caulking on the tub with a non-abrasive scrub pad. Use a wash cloth and water to do a final cleaning of any remaining caulking debris and dry the tub completely with a cloth.
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2
Place blue painter's tape on both sides of the area where you need to caulk with about a 3/8-inch gap between the lines of tape. Lay out all the tape lines before you attempt to do any caulking.
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3
Place the caulk tube in a caulk gun and point the gun at a 45-degree angle to the area to be caulked. Apply steady pressure to the gun and move evenly across the tub as you caulk the area.
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4
Moisten a paper towel and run it along the bead of caulk, pressing the caulk into the joint by hand. Clean off any residual caulk with the paper towel.
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5
Remove the tape from the sides of the caulk and smooth the caulking out with a moistened paper towel. Clean up the tub of any excessive caulk with the damp paper towels.
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6
Allow the caulk to dry for about 24 hours before using the tub.
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Tips & Warnings
To avoid injury, always remove the caulking with the utility knife, working away from your body.
