Caulking seals cracks, gaps and joints gives bathtubs, baseboards, trim, and molding a polished look. But if you can’t apply the caulk neatly, the messy lines will be all anyone sees. Here’s a quick tip and how to apply caulk neatly. 

Cut your caulk tip at a 45-degree angle like you normally would do when opening a new tube of caulk. This angle is perfect for the tip to nest inside the corner of whatever piece you need to be caulked. 

Now, here’s the Simple Solution: 

  1. Fold a piece of 120-grit sandpaper in half and crease it very tightly. 
  2. Place it in the corner of the 90-degree joint that you’re going to be caulking. 
  3. Take the tip and rub it back and forth right against the sandpaper. 

Sanding the tip down alters the angle so that it fits perfectly into that 90-degree joint. If you look closely at it, you’ll see that the tip is not just cut at 45 degrees, but it’s also beveled back at 90 degrees, so it’s going to fit perfectly into that joint.

Now, just draw the caulk with nice steady even pressure all the way across the joint and you get a nice neat bead with no wasted caulk. The remaining piece of the tip will act like a putty knife – forcing the caulking deep into the crack – as the tip passes over it.

Watch the video, and check out more Simple Solutions.


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Joe Truini

Radio Show Co-Host

Joe Truini is a contractor, author, and the host of “Simple Solutions” on Today’s Homeowner TV and the weekly Today’s Homeowner radio show. He has worked on both large commercial projects and residential remodeling, and has written for national publications such as This Old House and Popular Mechanics. He has also written eight books, including three best-selling shed-building books. Joe lives in Connecticut with his family and enjoys hiking, traveling, and baseball in his spare time.

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