What you will need:

• Caulking

• 1 inch painters tape

• Paper towels

• Knife  

Tired of smearing caulk with your finger and then getting a wet wipe to clean up the mess? We’ve been there. It’s annoying and you don’t always get that nice thin, smooth caulk line that you want. Sometimes you do, but other times you just make a mess.

So just the other day, I was working with my dad on a tub where we needed to re-caulk all the seams. When caulking a tub, you are going to want to use silicone caulking (just an FYI). He asked me to bring painters tape, and I didn’t know what for because I wasn’t planning on painting. He explained we’d use the tape to tape off either side of where we were caulking so we get a smooth line when we’re finished. So my job was to tape. I went through and taped about a quarter inch on either side of the seams. I used the knife to cut the tape so I was able to have a straight line in the corners. Warning: do NOT use the knife on a fiberglass tub, you will ruin the finish.

Next my dad came through and caulked each section. Once he finished a section he would pull the tape off. He did this so that the caulking wouldn’t start to dry. If the caulking starts to dry, the tape will also pull off the caulked seams (which you don’t want to happen). So it’s important to pull off the tape after you finish a section. After the area is complete you should have a nice, smooth and clean caulk line in your seams. Use the paper towels to clean up any caulking that may have gotten on anything accidentally.

Silicone caulking may be dry to the touch in a couple hours, but you will want to hold off using the tub for at least 24 hours to make sure it has time to cure. The last thing you want to do is get it wet too soon and have to redo the caulking. Next time you need to caulk, give this trick a try! Makes for a much cleaner and less annoying project. Enjoy!