How To Caulk A Bathtub

Posted on July 20th, 2009 by Elaine

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An old bathtub will always look unpleasant and grimy, but you don’t need to replace it immediately. Sometimes, changing the caulk is enough to bring it back in good shape. Caulking a bathtub requires certain steps. Here’s how to do it.

What You’ll Need:

Caulking gun
Silicon-based caulk (use either white or colored)
Scraper or utility knife
Wooden skewer
Razor knife
Masking tape or painter’s tape
Rags or old towels
Sponge
Powdered laundry detergent
Chlorine bleach
Warm water
Old toothbrush
Denatured alcohol

Procedure:

Using a scraper or a utility knife, remove the old caulk from the bathtub and the walls surrounding it. Make sure you thoroughly remove as much caulk as you can.

bathtub caulk

After all the old caulk is removed, disinfect the area. Use a mixture of warm water and chlorine bleach (use a 3:1 water to bleach ratio) and with a dash of powdered detergent. Scrub the area with an old toothbrush. If possible, wear eye protection and gloves. Make sure the room has good ventilation. Rinse the area well, then dry completely. Finish by wiping it down with denatured alcohol.
Get the silicon-based caulk tube then cut the tip at an angle. Puncture the seal with the help of a long wooden skewer. Afterwards, make the caulk flow by pumping the handle several times. Release, so the caulk flow will stop.
Using the painter’s tape or masking tape, tape the section above and below the area to be caulked, at least half an inch wide.
Begin caulking the area using a small caulk bead from the gun. Press it lightly in the groove or crack, at the same time making sure to keep a gentle pressure on the gun’s trigger; this causes it to automatically flow. When you’re finished caulking a section, stop the flow by releasing the trigger.
Using old rags and a damp sponge, clean the area, smoothing out the caulk bead as you clean. Use the sponge to smooth out more properly.
When the caulk is dry, remove the tape; then clean the area, finishing up.
Repeat the steps for the other areas to be caulked.
Make sure all the caulk is dry before you use the bathtub again.
Remove old caulk from your tub and walls around the tub using a scraper. Clean up the area where the old caulk was, to apply new grout.