Just realized I've been caulking my baseboards wrong for 10 years

I was at a friend's house last weekend helping him patch up his guest room, and his dad walked in and watched me run a bead of caulk. He said 'you're supposed to cut the tip at an angle, not flat, and you're pushing the gun instead of pulling it.' I've been a homeowner for over a decade, own my own business, and I never knew that. It takes maybe 3 seconds to cut the tip right, and suddenly my lines are clean and I'm not wasting half the tube. Has anyone else had a basic home repair moment where you found out you were doing it backwards?

3 comments

3 Comments

lily9726d ago

Wait, aren't you supposed to push it to keep the bead smooth?

burns.ruby19d ago

Oh man, I actually have to disagree here. Pushing it tends to flatten the bead and leave those little drag marks behind, at least in my experience. Pulling it back gives you way more control over the thickness and keeps everything looking even.

torres.jason26d ago

Just pull it back a little, that way it doesn't get all lumpy.