How to Caulk Around a Bathtub | Ask This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 20 апр 2019
- Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva demonstrates the correct materials and techniques required for re-caulking a bathtub.
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To remove any existing caulking, Tom advises to use whichever tool is the most comfortable that has a flat enough blade to get behind the caulking without scratching it. These types of scrapers and blades can be found at home centers.
For caulking around a bathtub, Tom recommends using anything that is 100% silicone. In the segment, he used 100% Silicone Sealant in White, which is manufactured by Gorilla Glue (amzn.to/2WhRFK5).
Cost: $50
Time: 2-3 hours
Skill Level: Beginner
Tools List for Caulking a Bathtub:
Razor blade [amzn.to/2WcvjJT]
Corner grooving tool [amzn.to/2J5KssI]
Painter’s tape [amzn.to/2GMJ4IS]
Caulking gun [amzn.to/2Y0q1l0]
Shopping List:
100% silicone caulking [amzn.to/2WhRFK5]
Drop cloth [amzn.to/2Le0Fic]
Rags [amzn.to/2IVcs35]
Rubbing alcohol [amzn.to/2PFmCoW]
Steps:
1. Start by closing the pop-up drain in the tub and covering the entire tub with a drop cloth to protect it from scratches, residue, etc.
2. Take the razor blade and carefully pry the old caulking off the tub. Keep the angle of the blade as low as possible and watch the caulking to see if it’s being cut. If any of the caulking is left over on the tub, the new caulking won’t stick.
3. Repeat this process on the other side of the caulking where it meets the tile.
4. Once the caulking has been cut, pull it away from the tub and tile. Use the razor blade as a guide wherever the caulking is still stuck.
5. Repeat this process in the corners of shower stall. A corner grooving tool might work better than the razor blade here.
6. Add some rubbing alcohol to a rag and clean off the surfaces where the old caulking used to be. Have a fan running or open the window to keep the room well ventilated while using the rubbing alcohol.
7. Add painter’s tape about _” from the corners where the caulking will go on both the wall side and the tub side.
8. Cut the tip of the caulking and place it in the gun.
9. Apply the caulking in between the painter’s tape lines. Keep the gun perpendicular to the surface being caulked and keep moving. Keep hitting the trigger as you go along to ensure a steady amount of caulking is coming out.
10. Once you reach a corner, trace back over the caulking lines with your finger.
11. Repeat this process for all the corners that need to be caulked.
12. Remove all the painter’s tape while the caulking is still wet.
13. Let the caulking dry for 30 minutes before using the shower again. After that, the caulking will need 24 hours to cure, so don’t touch the caulking until then.
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How to Caulk Around a Bathtub | Ask This Old House
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Three years later, in the middle of stressful move…and Tom Silva’s calming voice is helping me caulk a tub for real estate photos tomorrow. Thank you!
this was strangely healing to watch. he's like your grandpa who knows how to do everything home related
This show and RUclips tutorials in general are a live saver for someone with more time than money.
As a realtor, I can say the this old house is one of the most realistically useful home renovation shows. A lot of skipping the hard details in other shows.
Home Renovation DIY Jeff does multi hour long videos on projects that channel is the only thing that tops ATOH
@@rickyspanish9625 thanks for the tip!
What an honor it would be to actually have Tommy Silva show up at your house and show you how to accomplish anything! Imagine trying to calculate somehow the influence this one man has had in the lives of so many for so long. Thanks again Tom! Stand back bathtub, here I come!
🏳️🌈
@@hsvr Way to go Beth! And Tommy is always so gentle as a teacher. Her skills improved a 1,000% from just listening to his advice and council. Great job and as always, you can bet there are just hundreds of people who have vicariously become Beth and benefitted from Tom Silva's steady hand. I know it's not brain surgery, but there's a right and a wrong way to do this. She did it wrong the first time, she knows it, just like so many of us have done in the past. He pointed that out in order to simply acknowledge that he saw it without making her feel insecure. I have learned more from Norm and Tommy than I can even imagine. This is the best use of the internet IMHO.
He is a God
Guy has forgot more about his trade than I’ll ever know😳
With his tender touch and teaching, she was able to handle that caulk just right.
Keep your hand closer to the tip. Don't stop.
she's as much a pro with the black caulk as she is with the white caulk.
You sick bastard! 🤣
🤣
😂
Tom Silva videos are usually helpful. This one worked exceptionally well - I had never thought to use painters tape!
"move this hand closer to the tip, u have better control"...tom is savage
Haven't we all said it
"push it right in there, nice" -tom
Multiple passes is fine too.
maybe two hands might work too.. Tom is the man.
Tom is the man
I like how they had the non-expert do it while the expert guided her. I think most people would feel like how she feels and perform similar amateur moves.
Only Tom would use his thumb as a cutting surface, love these guys!
R E absolutely 👍... I love Tom and I’ve learned so much from this guy.
Every old guy I've ever seen cut something with a pocket knife does that so it must work.
Excellent video, but yah, that made me nervous, watching him cut toward his thumb with his knife. He should have used scissors or the cutter on his caulking gun. Otherwise great video.
Self-healing cutting mat!
The thing is, if you use the cutting tool in the same hand, you probably aren't going to cut yourself.
It's like if you cut an apple, you most likely aren't going to cut yourself.
There's something in your hand, a tendon I believe, that stops you from cutting yourself... As long as you aren't actively trying to inflict harm onto yourself.
It's really not all that dangerous, as long as you're paying attention.
This video ruined my day!!!! I am 38 weeks pregnant and decided today would be the day I would learn how to caulk my bath tub as I wait for my first child. After all, I want a healthy, mildew free surface for bathing! I took the advice of this video and another video and spent HOURS removing all the old caulk. Like seriously, I scrapped it so clean for around 5-6 hours, it was sparkling. I added my tape borders so my lines would be beautiful, per the suggestion of this video. And I removed the tape immediately after finishing applying the caulk. And after about eight hours at this point, to my total horror, the painters tape pulled the edges of the caulk up. I sat there, sobbing, because I am a new home owner and I just worked so hard to make this look lovely. This video clearly states you need to remove the tape right away. But I REALLY wish they would emphasize if you are at all slow at applying the caulk (ie. It’s your first time and you are figuring it out), then remove the tape as you go. That was so much work and I have literally no results to show for it.
Actually a great segment it’s very informative and even though they all seem a little staged the home owner seemed genuinely interested
if they have to retake a scene it kinda loses its originality. hard to seem genuine when saying the same thing three or four times.
I like how caulking a bath tub is a longer video then reinstalling an entire Hvac system condenser and evaporator coil lol
This is a much more common DIY project. Most people can't DIY an HVAC replacement!
Lmao
@@RoastBeefSandwich but he/she wants to do himself/herself
If you don’t have something nice to say, right? :/
Great tip on top of this fantastic video is to fill the tub before you apply the bead. It seats the bathtub a little bit closer to where it is when in use creating the ACTUAL proper gap between tub and wall.
Great advice! Thank you.
The painter’s tape is a great idea, but you have to press it tight against the wall, particularly when you go over the grout seams. Otherwise, the caulk oozes up behind the tape.
Yeah, the caulk does ooze.
If the tape busts open you can have serious problems 9 months later.
Try cleaning the surface with rubbing alcohol first. Also the Green painters tape works better than the blue tape.
@@JayZoop Pay attention to the video, she did clean the surface.
@@johnhipp8267 I was replying to Darren Miller, not correcting the lady in the video, so you pay attention! Quit being so negative.
A couple of tips: wet your finger before smoothing the caulk, pull tape away at an angle and clean off the puncture tool before using the caulking gun. Thanks for sharing!
Wrong. 100% silicone dries very fast & you're not supposed to use "wet" anything on it. Since it dries fast, you should caulk/smooth out silicone by "sections of the tub" with a "gloved" DRY finger or tool, even a credit card works. Do not caulk the entire tub, then smooth out. Take it in 3 sections.
I use the tip of a cheap plastic spoon.
Yep!
@@forreal245 a
I wet my finger with soapy water and smooth the caulk all around, have been doing it fir years.
"hey there is the great cutter in the tool, check that out, but I don't like to use it I use my knife every time."
Using WD 40 softens the old caulk making it easier to remove. Cleaning with rubbing alcohol after removing the old caulk will make it easier to clean up and dries quickly and you can apply new caulk within 15 minutes.
I have to do my tub today and never did it before. This makes me feel less nervous about it.
This is why I love the entire cast of This Old House, they always show you how to DIY correctly 👍
I've had and been using the same caulking gun for years and never noticed it had a tip cutter built in until this video. Thanks Tom!
I guess you are not detail oriented.
@@snowglider400 I guess your a jerk!
@@ryandavis8658 That is not true but I am not politically correct.
Some advice for any other first timers using this for a tutorial so you can learn from my mistakes:
1) The caulk will continue to come out of the gun after you're done. They handed it off to someone for the show, but you'll need some newspaper or paper towels for the extra caulk to come out of until it's done.
2) Have some rubbing alcohol handy to deal with the caulk on your hands from smoothing it out.
Thanks, Ginger.
better yet instead, of using alcohol, I wear a pair of Nitril gloves. Your hands might sweat butt the caulking won't get on your hands.
If you just wet your finger with some water and you the caulk wont stick to your skin. This also helps make the caulk bead come out smoother. No need to waste rubber gloves or use isopropyl alcohol.
@@reportingsjrWet finger is not a good idea for silicone caulk, only for latex caulks.
homeowner: 'why use silicon as opposed to some other material?'
tom: 'we tried cake frosting but it never lasted past the first shower.'
homeowner: ' i feel like i used the proper technique this time.'
tom: 'the last time it looked like three blind guys applied it with a broken tree branch.'
Hahah
Push it. Really get it in there.
I needed this laugh!!!!
Painters tape was a great idea for a more perfect finished edge. Thanks!
As long as you're not caulking around an oval or doing sink in a vanity top.
love how you teach a beginner DIYer how to do stuff. Feels like someone is coaching me all the way through and it feels nice:)
Whenever Tommy tries to get the homeowner involved with the repair, I always think, come on Tom just do it yourself otherwise we'll be here all day!
Sitting in my tub watching this video. About to caulk it down for the first time in my first home!
Many thanks!
Thank you so much guys. These videos really help when I do renovations around my home. Since they never had shop class in my high school it seems that the only way for a 24-year old to get home projects done is by paying someone to do it. Thanks to you guys I can do it myself.
I used to watch this show as a kid because it was so soothing and we didn't have cable. Now that I'm an adult I watch the videos online because it's so soothing and it keeps me from caulking like a mad woman and looking like the before.
I miss Bob Vila
I suggest filling the tub with water before silicone. The weight of the water will make the tub set as if some one was in it.
😯
Yeah but then I’ll need scuba gear
100% exactly what I needed to watch before doing my bathroom caulking!
Most people in her position are probably thinking “can u just finish this for me, that’s why I called u here”
Oy! That's clever! The tape and taking it off so early!
Found me my Knowledge!
Been watching this old House for 20 years. Guys are knowledgeable as hell!
He now goes by "ma'am "!!!!
Came here right before re-caulking my tub. Talk about just what the doctor ordered! Thank you, This Old House!
Nobody lays caulk like Tommy boy! Another satisfied customer!
I do a lot of redoing of caulking in showers. For removal of old hardened caulking, a lot of times I use a heat gun on about medium heat to soften up the old caulk during removal. For the new caulking, there are many choices. For white ceramic tile, I usually use white KwikSeal Ultra. It's a kitchen & bath grade caulking, very good at mold and mildew resistance, and it's water based. Not like full on silicone. I think it's great because it cleans up very well using just a damp large yellow sponge, which lets me get nice smooth caulk lines. It sets up in just a few hours, and when cured, it remains as flexible as silicone, and is also easy to keep clean.
When doing caulking around marble, or other colored tiles, you can easily get tubes of caulking that match the grout color, or close to it. Tubes of these types of caulking are found in the tile sections of stores, usually right near where the grout is. Using a grout color chart, you can choose what color grout best matches your existing grout. Then you determine whether the grout is sanded, or unsanded. Sanded grout has a rougher texture, and is usually used for grout joints 1/8 inch or bigger. Unsanded grout is usually used on more narrow grout joints and it is a smooth texture. Once you determine the type of grout, and the color, you can get the caulking to match.
Thanks, Tom! If only I could hire Silva Brothers to remodel my house... that would be a dream come true.
For me, since (no surprise) I managed to slop the caulk line a lot, the blue
painter's tape was CRUCIAL and a brilliant idea. When I pulled the tape
off, it looked like pro had done it!
Great video for a complete novice. Allocate at least a couple of hours to remove the old silicone. The video makes that part look easy but it's not. Also, use a low to medium modulus silicone for an acrylic bath (has good flexibility when cured). High modulus silicone is a lot more hard wearing but less flexible when cured. For those wanting to use a silicone caulking tool to finish the silicone bead off, the flat side of the tool should be facing the direction of travel, not the bevel edge (commonly asked question about these tools).
Rite. That takes awhile they skipped that part
Thanks for the info Da!
This is EXACTLY what I needed to know before talking this on this weekend. Thank you Tommy.
I have stopped using the blue tape when caulking because it leaves ridges and also I don't like to use to finger to tool down the caulk anymore due to the concave profile. I've been using my Cramer Fugi to tool a perfect profile and even put up a couple of videos with it it's much better, gives you a perfectly straight line without the ridges caused by the tape. I'm surprised Tommy did not show her that method it's actually a lot easier and it's a lot quicker than taking all that time to put the tape up.
I concur it’s faster and doesn’t leave a ridge, maybe we can see Tom do it in another segment!
World's most patient man.
I am going to try this technique! Thank you for the fantastic How-To demonstration!
Tom is amazing I have learned so much from him...
Perfect! I will be doing that tomorrow. Thank you, Tommy!
The silicone I am going to use says water ready in 30 minutes, but the back says 24 hours. So the end was helpful when Tom said you can use it, just don't touch within 24 hours.
Thank you for this! I'm having to recaulk my own tub and I'm appreciative that you're showing us the proper way to do it.
What I’m doing right now. This tutorial popped up on my search. Very informative. He’s a great teacher.
Pro Tip: Use Frog Tape around the tile & the bath, leaving space for the gap; it will leave a crisp, smooth finish!
I cut end of caulk with garden shears. Do this lot never thought about the tape-good job.
So cool thank you ! Just what I needed , answered most of my questions! From technique to type of calking!😎
This really helped me. Now I think I can tackle this job.
Thanks for the great video. Personal, friendly and helpful.
Great video..as usual! Tom Silva is the man!
Outstanding presentation and I was able to do this better than most things I try to tackle.
Thank you for this video! Very clear instructions!
the quality of the editing is out of this world, good job
Great Job and like the way he teaches.. Absolutely make it clear
wow, such a great video. I had no clue the caulk gun had those features, the tip cutter and piece to poke the hole. Way cool!
I'm about to do this to my bathroom. Very helpful!
this gentleman just tech me how to properly caulk my bathroom, thank you so much!
This is exactly what I needed. Thank you!!
This is the most thorough DIY tutorial ever!
This was a great video. I wish I saw this when I needed to work on my tub. This video definitely taught me a lot. Thank you!!!!
A GREAT video. After watching a bunch of others, where half the hundreds of commenter said what was shown, was wrong, I believe I’ll use this one, as a guide! Thanks very much!
Thanks for sharing. learned a lot about the tool and which was the best caulk. love the show too. 😊
Super grateful for the clear, doable instructions/coaching. For the first time in my life I caulked the tub successfully 😀. Yay. Thank you!
Wow she did a great job keeping the bead thin and neat 👏
I love this channel - came in handy MANY times with my 120+ yr old building. A couple of tips to add here - 1. Don't go cheap on a caulking gun. Buy the better one because while a cheap one works well on a project like this, if you need it for exterior caulking and use something heavy duty like Quad OSI you will wrench your hand trying to squeeze the trigger because it is tough caulk that doesn't work on a cheap caulking gun. WORLD of difference with a good gun. 2. If you put a drop of dawn in a cup and mix with water, dip your finger in it THEN go over the caulking to smooth it. It will shape well, not stick to our finger and comes out like glass when you're done. Works on all caulking types.
Awesome video. Thank you for posting.
Best caulking tutorial I've seen
This was very helpful- thank you!
This was really good, very helpful, thank you so much!!!
Tom is one of the 'good guys' I've always heard told about!
Just as I needed to do the shower. Thank you
cool good advice!!! wish me luck calking starts tonight!!!
Always Fun Working With New, Sharp Razors!!......How Far Is the Nearest Hospital??......Oh Really, That Far??
I liked what I saw, I hit that subscribe button like my mama taught me right
Excellent video, very easy to understand
Great video, teaches everything I need to know
Very well explained...Thank you.
Very useful information, thank you. I need to learn more.
This was so helpful!! Thank you so much!!
Thank you for the video and just completed my first caulk application in our tub. I removed the old stuff and applied new one. Hopefully when wifey gets back from work she gives me the 👍🏼’s up 🤞🏼, but again thank for the video.
THANK you for explaining things step by step...never used a calking gun before. This video was perfect.👌
What about a "caulking" gun?
Great video, thanks for the great tips and advice.
Move this hand closer to the tip got me!
YourClit quivered ?
Our hero, good O’Tommy
Thank you for this!! I've been putting off replacing mine for years because I just don't have the confidence to touch things that I don't know how to do correctly.
Good tip and thanks for sharing .
Using tape makes it look like I paid a pro top dollar! Every time Mr. Silva spoke, I learned something lol
Thank you so much
very helpful. thank you
Great instruction! Thank you!
Another good video from This Hold House!
She's a natural!
Thank you!
This is an amazing video... But can you do one on putting the decorators tape on?
I always muck that up.
gonna do this!
I love watching videos of caulk.