Hey, there! Do you need to know how to caulk a bathtub
or maybe how to caulk a shower? Maybe the sealant between your tub and the
surround has got moldy or it’s peeling off or it’s just looking nasty. If that’s the case, you might want to watch
this video because I really think it could help you out. It’s got a lot of great tips in it, especially
if you don't want to come back in a few short weeks and have to redo your job. So let’s dive into the details. Again, I think this could really, really help
you out. Yikes! This caulk, it looks terrible. So it’s bubbling, it’s peeling off. It needs to be removed. It’s separating from the tub and the tub
surround. And the first tool that I like to use is a
straight razor like this one. I look to groove out the bottom of the caulk
and the top of the caulk and then peel it off the tub surround. One big tip here: You cannot caulk over existing
caulk, so you have to remove any of the old material. Another tool that you can use is a 5-in-1
painter’s tool, and I love this tool, especially if you’ve got caulk that’s deep down in
between the tub surround and the bathtub. And again, you want to groove out the bottom
portion that buts up against the tub, and then groove out the top portion that buts
up against the tub surround. That way you’ll be able to pry the old caulk
off and pull it with your hands. So you need to remove all the old material. It’s an absolute must. Otherwise, your new caulk will not stick to
the tub and tub surround. So again, you want to groove the bottom out. Groove the top out. And then when you do that, you’ll be able
to remove most of the old material. Now here’s another big tip: Make sure you
remove all of the old caulk from the bathtub. So it’s going to fall into the bathtub. And then use a grouting sponge to abrade the
tub surround and the tub itself. I like grouting sponges for this reason because
they’re just mildly abrasive. Then take a rag and wipe off the surface the
best that you can, and make sure that it’s dry. Now if you notice any old caulk, you have
to remove it, and you have to be very diligent about this. The surface has to be clean and dry for the
new caulk to be adhered. Here’s a huge tip: Fill up the tub with
water. First, plug it up. So plug it up at the overflow tube, and allow
the water to fill the tub such that the water level is right below the overflow pipe. The reason why you want to do this is so that
you widen the gap between the tub and the tub surround. It’s absolutely critical that you fill up
your tub with water before you apply the new caulk because what that is going to do is
weigh down the bathtub so that there’s a bigger gap between the tub and the surround
or the tile. And that way, you’ll be able to put that
bead of caulk in that larger gap. And when you release the water, it will squeeze
the material in between the tub and the surround and create a really, really good seal. And the type of caulk that I like to use is
Dap 3.0 because it’s specifically for bathroom plumbing. It’s 100% waterproof. It’s water-resistant in 30 minutes. It’s mold and mildew resistant. And it has Microban in it. So Microban will help prevent mold and mildew
growth on a new caulk. Now, how do you figure out how to cut the
end of the caulking tube? This is a question that I get a lot. So what I like to do is place the end of the
caulking tube in between the larger gap that you just created between the tub and the tub
surround. And then mark the end of the caulking tube
with a pencil—this pencil mark is really hard to see here—but what I like to do is
cut just a little bit beyond that pencil mark either with a caulking gun or a pair of scissors. But no matter what you do, make sure you cut
the end of the caulking tube at a 45° angle because you’re going to use the end of the
tube to mold the caulk around the tub. So what I like to do is start at the edge
of the tub and the surround and work my way inward. And then, for awkward-shaped tub/tub surrounds,
I like to dip my finger in the water that’s in the tub and then smooth out the caulk until
you get to another point whereby it’s a longer run. So as you can see here, I’m slowly pressing
down on my caulking gun. And because there’s water in the tub, it
makes it a little bit awkward. But what I like to do is stop in the middle
of the tub surround and then go at the next corner and then work my way back inward using
the caulk gun. Again, smooth out the caulk by dipping your
finger in the water and then moving in one direction. So left to right or right to left. But admittedly, it can be a little bit tricky
trying to use your caulking gun around a tub full of water. So just be careful. Moving in one direction ensures that the caulk
I being pressed into the gap and you’re not removing it by moving in the other direction. But if you notice that there are little tiny
holes or air bubbles, you can go back and use the caulking gun to add more caulk. Now what I like to do is, once I’m done
with the caulking process and I smooth it out with my finger, I go back over the surface
with a wet towel, like I’m doing here. And this just works for me. It allows me to mold the caulk and really
get a nice, smooth and even look without it being messy. So that’s what you see here. It’s a nice, smooth, even look. And you’ll be left with a really awesome
job. So by filling up the tub and then releasing
the water from it, what you’re going to do now is compress the caulk up against the
tub and tub surround and make a super tight water seal. Well there you go. That’s how you caulk a bathtub or re-caulk
a bathtub or shower. I think the tips are really timeless and could
help you out with your own tub job or your own shower job. And if you think this video could help somebody
else out, go ahead and click on the thumbs up button. That way they’ll be able to see it over
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be able to see it on Friday, all right? So thanks for joining me today. I really appreciate your time. Again, I love DIY. So maybe these videos will help you out. And if you’ve got a suggestion or a comment,
leave it in the comments section. All right, take care. I’ll see you in the next video.
