Caulking a bathtub with silicone; tips for a neat job

Since I've had some successful experiences with caulking bathtubs, I thought I'd share a few tips I've found helpful to make a neat, effective seal between the tub and the walls.

Caulking a bathtub does not have to be hair-pulling , cuss-promoting work! Following a few handy tips can help keep the task in perspective, and will help produce an effective and neat seal between the bathtub and the walls. One key item to remember: YOU are in control, not the task!

A couple of safety notes :

• Read and follow manufacturer's guidelines for safe and proper use of tools and equipment.
• Read and follow manufacturer's label instructions for safe and proper use of products.
• Wear protective clothing or gear as recommended by manufacturers of items being used.

Materials needed:

Caulking material: I prefer pure silicone caulking on bathtubs; it comes in various colors to match your tub or walls, it applies (fairly) neatly, and it is probably the best seal for the job at hand. There are other caulking materials you can use, but since I've only used silicone, I cannot speak about others. You may want to research 'bathtub caulkings' to learn more.

Caulking Gun: Don't buy the cheapest unless you want the squeeze trigger to buckle under your hand pressure. Don't buy the most costly either, unless you plan to use it professionally. Get something middle-of-the-road and you'll be fine. Be sure to get the right sized caulking gun for the caulking tubes you'll be using.

Painter's Tape: Believe it or not, I like to tape off the caulk-bead area to prevent getting silicone on the walls or tub surfaces outside the desired dimensions of the bead. It can be time-consuming to apply the tape, but I think it's worth the extra effort.

Plastic spoon: Yes, a plastic spoon works quite well on smoothing out wet silicone caulking. It has just the right radius, and it's not expensive. Just don't bear down too hard, or you'll break the handle. If possible, use one of the heavy-duty ones.

Newspapers: To place in the tub for protecting the tub finish as you maneuver about in there!

Instructions:

Place some newspapers in the bottom of the tub so you won't scuff up the tub finish with your shoes (or, you could take off your shoes if you'd rather).

Apply a strip of painter's tape as parallel to the wall/tub joint as possible, approximately 3/8"-1/2" from that joint, on both the tub and the wall surfaces. Press and rub the tape to ensure consistent adherence.

Place a tube of caulking into the caulking gun . Press the squeeze trigger until you feel slight resistance. With a utility knife or diagonal wire cutters, cut the tube nozzle on a slight angle; 45 degrees or less. Some caulk tubes have an inner-seal, which you will need to puncture with a long nail or screwdriver; be sure to wipe off any caulk material from whatever tool you use for this.

To prevent caulking material from escaping from the tube, be sure to release the pressure on the caulking gun, until you're ready to use it.

Working inside the tub area , start in one of the corners. Hold the caulking gun with two hands (primary hand on squeeze trigger, and the other hand on the barrel of the caulking gun, and set the nozzle in the corner with the nozzle angle-cut against the wall and tub surfaces.

Squeeze the trigger and begin drawing the caulking-bead away from the corner. In one, continuous motion, slowly apply an evenly sized bead of material within the confines of the painter's tape; all the way to the opposite corner. Reposition yourself if necessary, and repeat this along the other two wall/tub intersections.

Now that you've applied the material , you can begin to smooth it out and press it into the joint area. Using the plastic spoon with the rounded side down, gently pull it along the caulk material, applying slight pressure to begin shaping the radiused bead. Frequently wipe excess caulking from the spoon, to prevent overspreading beyond the painter's tape. Try to keep the caulk material from building too thickly on the painter's tape, so the tape will release more easily when it comes time for that.

Continue around the tub to form a neat, continuous bead. You may want to have a paper cup with water (or a soap & water mixture) nearby, to wet your spoon occasionally, to prevent it from sticking to the bead while you're shaping it.

Once you're satisfied with the shape of your bead, inspect the painter's tape to be sure the silicone is feathered smoothly and thinly at the edge of the tape, to ensure ease of the tape removal. Wipe off any excess with moist cloth or paper towel.

Wait 1-2 hours before removing the painter's tape. You'll want to remove it when the silicone is still fairly wet in order to ensure clean removal.

Starting with an end of the painter's tape , gently pull as perpendicular to the surface it is stuck to as possible. If you notice any of the caulk-bead material starting to be picked up by removing the tape, stop and try to separate that bead material from the tape. Reshape the bead as necessary with a wet finger or plastic spoon.

Clean up any mess you might have made , then wait for the caulking material to cure. Allow the silicone to dry for 24-48 hours to prevent uncured material from losing its sealing effectiveness. Silicone takes a long time to cure completely, but I'm convinced it is worth the wait!

Once your new silicone caulking has cured completely, you can rest easy that your bathtub and shower can be used with the confidence that you are not leaking water and moisture into your walls or basement!  Pour some bubbly and some bubble-bath; relax and enjoy!