The Trick To Getting A Professional Looking Caulking Job For Your Bathtub
Everyone loves the instant gratification that comes with certain household maintenance and improvement duties, which provide fulfilling results in just a handful of minutes. Caulking the bathtub can be one of those simple, affordable tasks that will completely revive the appearance of your space in a short period (if you know what you're doing). However, delivering professional-looking caulking results can be challenging if you aren't an expert in this area. Fortunately, there is a straightforward hack for getting excellent caulking results, and the learning curve is shallow.
Slightly warming up a tube of caulk is one of the best ways to get that crisp, professional caulk application you've been craving. When a caulk tube is too cool, the sealant within will be sluggish and difficult to get out of the tube (and when it does come out, it is likely to do so in thick, sticky lines), making a smooth and even application nearly impossible.
How to properly warm a tube of caulk
If you're ready to test this caulking trick, arm yourself with a drinking cup filled with warm water (not hot, which can cause the caulk to expand or become too runny). Hold the tube in the warm water for several seconds until the sealant is noticeably more pliable through the tube. Once the caulk has softened, it will come out of the tube more evenly, quickly, and in thinner lines. If you're still struggling to get that perfectly smooth bead of caulk, you can experiment with denatured alcohol to help smoothen silicone caulk's application.
You can also warm a damp cloth in the microwave for several seconds and place it over the exterior of the caulking tube, hold the tube under a stream of warm water, or simply hold the tube in your hands if they are warm enough, and you will receive the same results. If you're working with a new tube of caulk, remember to cut the tip of the tube cautiously so as not to create too large of an opening. If the opening is too large and you warm the tube, it could result in a messy job, with too much caulk coming out of the tube too quickly. Most caulking guns come with a hidden hack you probably didn't know for seamless opening.