Oh, the joys of caulk. I don’t know why a day squeezing caulk into crevices brings me such joy.
Boy is it going to be hard to write this while limiting puns and dick jokes. Seriously, a post about caulk…..it really is difficult to behave with that kind of opportunity.
No promises.
I spent the afternoon caulking the dining room. This room had paint and texture over 2-4 layers of wallpaper that we removed. At some point, someone caulked around all the trim. My best guess is whomever put the textured plaster up….over wallpaper….is the same person who caulked. I say that because texturing walls in a 100+ year old house is a restoring no-no. Texturing walls OVER WALLPAPER is a sin in any house. I guess that this is the same person who caulked because the caulk job was cocked up. Uneven, not smooth, and obviously done after the painting. This resulted in a yellow, bumpy, dirty looking joint where the walls and the trim met.
Cocked up caulk
Yes, I am a caulk snob. I pride myself on my ability to handle my caulk. My hubby taught me all I know about caulk and I have to say I can put caulk up almost as well as he can.
Too far?
When I see a joint like this one:
Wall/baseboard joint
I say to myself….this crack needs some caulk! So, I fill it up, smooth it out, and it am happy. Satisfied, if you will.
Nothing like smooth caulk!
On an educational note….caulking joints during your projects is easy and creates a much more finished look. We always caulk trim joints to fill cracks prior to painting. First, be sure to get a good quality, paint-able caulk. Don’t overfill the area. You can always go back with more, but when you have too much, it’s a mess. Keep a damp rag handy for clean up. It’s easier to smooth out the joint with damp fingers, so the rag can help wet your finger as well. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by how much trim you have to caulk, set a goal to use up one tube, then take a break. If you’re like me (and most people aren’t), you’ll get going and not want to take a break. I get very zen-like when caulking. I think it’s because I know that soon after caulk is paint. After paint comes floor refinishing and we’re done!
You should always try to install caulk yourself. It really isn’t something you should ever pay for. Besides….there’s nothing like filling a crack with caulk. Nothing better than handling a big long caulk (gun) to end a long, hard day.
Ok, I’m done now….
Caulk a doodle doo!
