More than any other room in the house, the bathroom should be an oasis of calm in a busy world, but not if the tub you are soaking in springs a leak and starts soaking your floor. You may not think much about the caulking that runs around your bathtub, but you will surely give it a bit more respect once it stops doing its job and starts letting that wonderfully warm water escape.
If you want to avoid that unhappy scenario and enjoy day after day of warm baths, you can start by replacing the worn caulking in your tub. Here are the steps you need to follow to replace that worn out caulking with a new and even line of caulk.
Out With the Old, In With the New
Before you can lay down new caulk, you first need to remove the old stuff. Leaving any old caulk behind can prevent the new stuff from making a solid seal, and that could leave your bathtub prone to future leaks.
Removing the old caulking is not difficult, but it can be time consuming and tedious, so wait until you have some spare minutes before you begin. Start removing the old caulking by using a putty knife to get underneath it, then lift it away as evenly and cleanly as possible. If there is any remaining caulk or stubborn spots, you can use a razor blade to remove those remnants, just be careful not to scratch the porcelain or tile.
Clean Up the Mess
No matter how smoothly the process goes, you will likely end up with some caulking on the floor, and you will want to clean the area thoroughly before you proceed. Be sure to vacuum the area to remove any stray pieces of caulk before you continue with the rest of the process.
Use a Smooth Touch
Now that the old caulk is out of the way and in the vacuum cleaner, you can start laying down a line of new caulk to take its place. Insert the tube of caulk into the caulking gun, then use it to lay down a smooth line of caulk that goes the whole way around the tub.
The goal is to apply the lines of caulk as smoothly and evenly as possible, so work evenly but as quickly as you can. Caulk is fast drying, and working too slowly could mean it hardens before it is fully in place. If you do make a mistake, you will need to remove the caulk with a putty knife and start over again with a brand new line.
If you love taking long showers and luxurious baths, you will want to make sure your tub and shower enclosure is fully watertight, and that starts with a smooth line of caulk. So take a look the next time you take a bath, then grab your caulking gun and make this simple home repair.
