The Secret Caulking Tip That Will Transform Your Ability! 

I'm a carpenter and when I have to caulk, say, a vanity, I lay masking tape 1/8" above the vanity on the wall and another, 1/8" out from the wall on the vanity. Then I run the bead, not being careful at all. Then I scoosh it out with my finger and immediately pull the tape. That makes a totally perfect bead every time. I've been doing it that way for 50 years.

I’ve never caulked but just bought a tube and now I have some ideas on how to do it. Wish me luck. At 73 I just painted and patched a huge hole .. hung shelves..bought my first drill and hung curtain rods.. now I’m going to caulk. I wish I learned sooner .. but happy to have done it all myself. You RU-vid guys are everything to me! Thank you so much❤

With the exception of (2) times… this man almost made it through 7 minutes of talking about caulking (clean tip, putting into the crack, etc.) without busting out laughing. Nice work!

I followed your three instructions, including buying a dripless gun, and experienced a pro-style result for the first time, with almost no cleanup or re-touch ups on a big project that I would have previously spent much more time. You nailed it, thank you and grateful for the advice.

I'm 58 years old. I've caulked professionally and personally on many homes. Do I know it all? Hell no, and that's why I opened this video. This guy told me a lot of what I already know and a few really good tips that I didn't. I like how you kept it moving. Not boring at all even on what I already knew. I wish more instructional video's followed this pace. Keep up the good work. The biggest mistake I've ever and many times made is simply cutting the tip too large. It's easier to add a little more on the first stroke and then cut the tip a little larger than to clean up a mess from a tip that's too large. Awesome video. Never considered sanding the tip into a corner. Thats really awesome!!!!!!

The orientation line - I can't believe I never thought of that before. Brilliant.

I just bought a house and needed to do some caulking in the bathrooms and kitchen. I've never done a single line of caulking in my life, and all the tips in this video made me an instant caulking pro! I did a cleaner job everywhere than the previous homeowners. thanks for all your help!

After decades of pain and agony, you manage to simplify and explain this nasty dark art thoroughly and completely, all without punching a hole in the drywall. The fact that you didn't punch a hole in the drywall is what impresses me most, truth be told. Thank you for your precision.

Man, I've been caulking for more than 40 years, and I'm pretty good, but the orientation line and sanding the tip are game changers! Thank you

You saved me and made me look great at my new job. I have caulked in my own home and not to bad at it but your tips, I saw a while back. At my new job the bathroom sink needed caulking. I removed the old, cleaned it up, used your tips and you and I did a grand job of it and no mess! THANKS for making me look good!

Thanks for being a professional when talking about caulk, how important it is to keep the tip clean, advice on preventing the drip, and suggestions on how to speed up when laying it down.

As a professional caulking master I've been caulking for 857 years and even I appreciated these tips

As a professional painter there is one bit of critique I have and that is you are not putting enough caulk into those new trim lines. On existing trim you can get away with a small bead (to clean up a bad caulk line) if there is no cracking, but on new and cracked trim lines you need to add more caulk or it will just crack again within a few years. Caulking is meant to flex as the drywall and trim shrink and expand at different rates but if there isn't enough, or the product you are using isn't very good, it will not be able to handle that amount of movement and will fail. Another thing to keep in mind is that fast dry caulking is less flexible in the long term. Choosing the right product is key to having a quality finish that will last a long time. Appreciate the video!

A huge THANK YOU! Just WOW. I wish this had been online 30 years ago. Caulking has always been the last detail of my wet area DIY jobs, and I hated every minute of it. Your demonstration with explanation is perfect. My latest job, thanks to you, looks professional. It was so simple. I won’t be hating or dreading it any longer.

I caulked my son's bathroom this week using your tips. My daughter-in-law and son were really happy. Thank you for the tips!

I'm a novice. This by far was the best & most comprehensive video for caulking that I've seen to date.

No joke, these tips changed everything for me. I used to dread caulking my trim work, and now I actually look forward to it because it’s become so easy to make it all look really professional.

Thank you thank you thank you. I'm currently doing this very job and followed all your tips. It's absolutely night and day to what I was doing before. No masking tape and beautiful lines. No messy caulk going everywhere. Literally saved me 2 days of touch up paint work. Thank you so much!!

I've been caulking for over 30 years and can always use a new tip. I loved the idea of the orientation line and sanding the tip for placement. Usually when I caulked, I had to keep checking the tube to make sure it's lined up properly. Your tip takes the guessing out of it. Thanks so much for taking the time to make this video! Good luck on your projects everyone!

This is legit the best how-to caulking video I've ever seen. Every time I've ever caulked before it's turned into exactly the mess shown in the beginning of the video. Today I caulked both the base moulding and the sink I installed in my bathroom, and it came out PERFECTLY. I hardly had to wipe it down. *AND* I just had a plain old caulking gun *and* I accidentally cut too big a hole to boot!. Didn't matter... Thanks for sharing your tips and experience, Mr. FC. Cheers

Thank You Thank You Thank You!!! My husband thought I was nuts when I asked if he had a “dripless” caulking gun!! Then he saw why! All of your tips were easy, useful & effective! But that ‘ORIENTATION LINE’ was genius! You are the best!! I am now the ‘Caulking Queen’ in our family!!!

Sanding the tip, marking it and that dripless gun are game changers! Great tips man! I have also heard that more expensive caulking is almost always worth it, it flexes better and lasts longer. I was just doing some vapour barrier and I would say that when you are using accoustic sealant, put the plastic up first and let the edges hang, then go back and caulk the edges. I caulked the edges first on one section and made a huge mess!

WOW!!! I'm preparing to paint the inside of my 1500 SF house. I bought 4 tubes of flex caulking and then saw your video. Thank GOD. I was one of those who would cut a 3/8" hole in the caulking tube, spend more time trying to wipe most of it off and get it smooth. I followed your instructions and did all the trim and baseboards including the bottom (my house is all tile) with 1 tube. AND it looks professional AND no mess. Thank you so much. This old guy was saved from a ton of aggravation! My wife was happy too because she didn't have to "hear" me.......

People say that being married and being parents requires working as a team. Never expected that, that also transfers so much to jobs in the home. My husband and I just bought our first house. He turns out the be the electrician and I the painter 😂. After messing up my first caulking jobs I'm ready to try again after this very helpfull video! Thank you 😊

I really appreciate videos like this, simple useful tutorials, not clickbaity, no sponsors. I wish more of youtube was like this

Retired General here, seen it all. What I learned here is the "orientation line". Great idea since some caulking is done in not the best of light. Of course if your square cutting the tip it doesn't matter but your method allows for a more precision bead with less to wipe out. This old dog just learned a new trick. Hats off to you!

Having done a poor job with caulking in the past, thank you for this simple and organized approach.

Wow, what a difference! I had a fairly large trim job to complete, and your tips helped a ton!!! Thanks so much for sharing!

This brings back memories. In my former life, I used to be a carpenter and did finish work (cabinets, etc.). I was always picked to caulk the laminate/Formica. I cut the tip a unique way and watched the leading side of the tip rather than the trailing side; this way, I could observe how much caulk was flowing out, and the critical point was I NEVER swiped the bead with anything. I would drape the countertops to keep dirt, dust, and debris out of the caulk as it dried. The results were always complimented.

I've been caulking for 35 years and never thought of making an orientation line or pre-grooving the tip. Simple and genius! I was laughing when you held up the two caulk guns and was dissin my goto one wth the thumb release cause I thought you had the two confused... the other looked like the kind I avoid, but I didn't know there was a dripless design. Cool info. Thanks for the outake from the B-roll 👍🏼

I'm an avid DYI'er and have worked for a remodeling company in the past, your very 1st tip would of been the absolute dream, if I would of thought/known then. Glad to know it now moving forward, excellent information. Thanks my man

I trusted you instantly when I saw that beard . Respect

Good tips. I've been caulking my own stuff for many years and I learned things to make my jobs better. I never knew there was such a thing as a dripless caulking gun. Ordering it now thanks so much.

Everyone hates caulking. But I enjoy watching everyone's different ways of doing things because I can always pick up a good tip.

I have to laugh as the few times I've tried, I've gotten the messes you showed. The dripless gun, sanding tip, orientation line and more are perfect and I appreciate your experience and clear demos. I can't wait to try again using these tips. Thanks!

2 or 3 light passes vs 1 heavy - priceless tip! Thank you.

As a DIY caulking has always been a nightmare for me…just for that I’ve been procrastinating caulking some baseboards at home. You have no idea how much this video has helped me. Thank you so much!

Anyone else doubled over laughing? 😂😂🤣 Excellent TIPS my friend!

I’ve been caulking for 42 years. But always learning. With my aging eyes. That index line is KING! Thanks

You're the only guy out of several that has actually explained the speed and amount! Also, none of the others said anything about a line for orientation. Thanks. Helped a ton!!!

Great tips! I've been painting since I was 13 yrs old. Always worked for my pops. I'm 37 now. All these tips come from experience. The only thing that sucks about caulking is when you have to do it to a whole brand new house. By the time you are done, the nail on your main finger is becomes thin as hell. That or your finger will burst and have to put on the painters tape and use another finger. Good thing there's 10 of them. Thumbs included 😂

This video changed my caulking life. Your tips made a miserable job easy and looked great for the first time ever.

These are great tips that vastly improved my caulking jobs and made them so much easier. I have an additional tip that makes caulking even easier. Sometimes you have to hold the caulking gun in a position where you can’t see the orientation line because you’re looking at the bottom of the tip opening. Also, the small opening and angle of the tip can make it hard to see the position of the tip. In addition to the tip orientation line at the point of the tip, I put an orientation line at the bottom of the tip with a “B” to indicate it is the bottom. That way I know where the point of the tip is no matter what orientation the gun is in. Great videos with great information.

Everyone appreciates a nice clean tip. 😀

00:30 Smallest, angled hole; 01:05 Groove tip; 01:48 Orientation line; 02:11 Dripless gun; 02:42 Wet rag; 03:57 Replicate tip angle (steeper) and use orientation line. Thanks!

If one thing is clear from these comments, it is that there is NO consensus on what works best. Each person offers their personal experience as the Ultimate Expert’s opinion and anyone who does things differently is looked down upon. Also, it is clear that most people simply prefer to continue doing whatever they’ve been doing. I’m grateful that you, the creator of this RU-vid video, took the time to show what you do. I tried your method and am happy with the results.

Great tutorial, packed full of hints and zero waffle filler... Almost feel I could caulk like a pro after watching this.

I had to search back and find this video just so I could leave a comment. These tips are certified gold! I had a baseboard installation in a rental today and your tips saved me time, mess, and turned out much better than any of my other efforts over the last 25+ years. Thank you!

Tip. If you have a RAT test for Covid, depending on the kit you have, don’t throw away the tube that holds the liquid. It fits tightly over the opened nozzle tip to prevent the caulking paste from drying.

I just re-caulked my shower, it looks fantastic. The line, hole size and application angle helped immensely. Thank you.

Absolute gold! Followed your tips and finally did a near perfect caulking job and that was without a dripless gun. Thanks for the great videos, please keep em coming.

Just came across your channel! I'm starting off on home renovations and I'm so grateful for pros like yourself who share so much of their expertise. It makes such a difference for DIYers like myself and saves us so much time, effort and money. Thank you from Texas!

I've done quite a bit of caulking, including sealant on CF-18s and I thought I was pretty good at it but it jad been a while since I've done it so I watched this video and liked the tips. Tried them all and ended up with the best caulking job I've ever done. Thanks for posting.

YES! Somebody who speaks CLEARLY, and not in a RUSH, and isn't reading it all so sounds natural, and isn't showing off! So many speakers know' what they're talking about, but don't know how to TALK. So very easy listening. Thanks, man..

Have most of this under my belt... but one can always learn more. The orientation line is a great idea. Many time I stop and check the tip orientation visually but adding a line is a killer tip - thanks.

I like not to cut the point with a knife, but clip it with a (side-)cutter. This squeezes the point or caulkchannel together, forming a slight oval. Together with the angled cutoff, makes this very easy caulking.

30+ years in the trade, solid advice here. One thing to add....when you're done caulking, but there's still material in the tube, seal the tip of the tube up with painter's tape. Wrap it around a few times and pinch it tight. Most of the time siliconized painter's caulk won't harden in the tip if you get back into it in a reasonable amount of time, but if you let it sit too long it can set up and not want to flow again. The tape helps keep the air out of it, keeping it pliable and ready for the next project. Taping the tip also works with pure silicone. I always hated throwing away 3/4 of a $6 tube of clear or white silicone because the tip was plugged up. Tape it up and you can usually go back to it days/weeks later.

Excellent - concise, packed with useful facts, no "look at me" junk. If only everything on RU-vid was this good. Thanks.

Great tips. I like to make sure that when I cut my angle, always do it so the tube's main label faces outwards, away from the wall. It helps you keep it loaded in the gun properly, just like the small line you place on the tip and especially if you swap the tube in and out of the gun a bunch.

Been doing this for 35 yrs. love your first tip. Never though to shape the tip with the sand paper, though I have thought about marking an orientation line, I never seem to have a sharpi around. Going to put one with my caulking tools. I love the contouring tools for silicone too for certain applications. And your right about a good gun and applying less not more. Thanks!

Love the idea of the guide line! Such a simple idea. I’ll definitely be putting that into practice. One tip I can also recommend, is wipe down your area with a damp cloth before applying caulk. It helps with cleaning off excess as it slows the moisture absorption.

I’m watching RU-vid because I’m getting ready to build a deck. Thumbing through the videos I saw your caulking tips, as much caulking I have done and will do, I thought I’d watch. I’m glad I did. The black line on the tube tip; excellent. The sandpaper angle for corners; excellent. Mostly, the dripless caulking gun; excellent. I would have paid for it by now with all the caulking I’ve wasted.

I never noticed that there were two kinds of pressure system for caulking guns. I am 61 years old and very happy to have learned it in your video thanks for the advice

I laughed at the "keeping the tip clean before you put it in the crack"🤣

I’ve been painting for 2 yrs. I learnt more in this video and reading the comments than I did the first 6 months of work. I appreciate you all

I just bought a fixer upper and have been learning everything as I go … in my mind caulking would be easy but when I started doing it, it was a disaster. 😂 So here I am getting a lesson on RU-vid and I’m SO GLAD I did. Thanks!

I was making a mess and this video really helped. Thanks!

Watching this in the living room with my family so they can only hear the audio.

Thank you! Fast and full of info. Caulking has always been messy for me. Now I expect my next project to be much better.

As the worlds worst caulker, you have no idea how much I appreciate finding this video. Liked and subscribed.

I want to thank you so much for this video. I hate caulking, but your tips were extremely helpful & easy to follow. Did my stairway in no time. When the house settles some more, I'll be ready.

Thank you so much for this video!! First time caulking and this worked an absolute treat!! Really really helpful thanks!

for someone who is caulking for the first time (and seeing your bloopers at the end) you did great! AND I did a decent job caulking my bathroom thanks to you!

Love this, just doing up my old house, need all the tips I can get. I was also told pushing the caulk rather than pulling works pretty well with a flat cut on the tip.

Wish I had these tips years ago, amazing how much you can learn in 5 minutes with a good presenter

Awesome tips! I've been in construction for 30+ years. Always love learning new things. That's one of the best things about construction. I don't think I will know everything even by the time I retire! Anyway I wanted to mention to people that there is a huge difference in caulks. Some are very specific to their application. That being said, they all apply differently and some are filled with air bubbles. They will push caulk out when you least expect it. Always be prepared. Don't get discouraged. It's not rocket science.

Very good video. NO music just you getting straight to the point. Great. Thank you

Just found your channel, I’m a 72 year old female and I’m going to try this myself, thank you!

Well, I thought I was already the "Queen of Caulk," but I did learn a couple of things from this video! But I do have excellent caulking skills from many years of MUCH caulking, from old wood paneling to painted beamed ceilings in disrepair and more.

I have done a fair bit of decorating in my time and caulk is a life changer. Very easy to use and you can fill gaps very quick and clean. Rather than filler that would take for ever to do the job.

Thanks for the great tips! Liked the sanding part. I have an other tip. When wiping with my finger, I always have a small bowl of dishwash and water to dip the finger in before wiping the caulk. Makes it much easier and the calk wont stick so much where it´s not supposed to. Also makes it easier to correct smaller mistakes.

I was just soooo frustrated caulking my bathroom sink the other day. Thank you for this! I did everything wrong and seriously had a mess. Now I need to caulk all around a ton of baseboards and these tips are going to help tremendously! ❤

Finally, a great video on how to caulk like a pro. I wish I had seen this video about 2 hours ago. But I finished my tub caulking by loading thinner lines and running my pinky through it. It looks great, but I still wish I had seen this video first. You know I'm saving this in my "How-To" video library. Thanks so very much. ❤

Love these tips, thank you! I've had times when I did a beautiful caulk job and then other times when it was a hot mess. I tried to figure out what I did right and wrong, and this was super helpful.

As a professional painting contractor, I can fully endorse this video. These are very good tips for the do-it yourselfers. Some of the YT videos giving tips on caulking are so unhelpful. I saw one meant to give tips on painting vertical stripes on drywall in contrasting colors. It told viewers to run a bead of clear silicone over your tape lines prior to applying the second color in order to prevent the color from bleeding under the tape. That was some pretty stupid advice. Sure, it will prevent the second color from bleeding under the tape, but your going to see every line due to the buildup of silicone being smeared over your drywall. And that is to say nothing about the insane amount of time involved with running silicone up and down walls and then having to finger it smooth. Then if that silicone dries long enough, good luck pulling the tape off the walls easily. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Plus, paint does not like to stick to silicone.... so good luck if you ever want to repaint your walls. If anything, it should of suggested clear acrylic caulk (even though that is a bad idea too). Of course the best and simplest method is to simply brush a coat of the base color over the tape lines and allow it to dry before applying the second color. That is a very quick and easy method (less expense, materials and time involved) to create sharp, crisp, straight lines. The base paint color will get under the tape enough to lock out the contrasting color, while not showing up as a different sheen, unlike silicone smeared up and down your walls.

Absolutely awesome presentation! I will be using these techniques today. Thanks for the education!

Such a great vid. I learned a lot. I consider by self a very good caulker… and I learned a few worthwhile tips. I have another tip taught to me by a carpenter,tile layer doing one of my many Reno’s.keep a small glass of lukewarm water with a few drops dish soap at the site and when you need to make the swipe with the finger to seal ,first dip your finger in the soap water. Your finger glides more smoothly as the caulking does not stick to your finger. Also the cleaning rag for wiping gun tip, walls, use same soapy water on rag , does a better job,keeps job site from needing a cleanup at end end Looking forward to exploring all your other videos

"Do your best, caulk the rest" Good stuff, never thought of the orientation line.

Great idea with the line on the tip. One more thing I would add is to always wipe in both directions when possible. It seats the caulk in the joint better and adheres better

I really never subscribe to many channels sir and it was a no brainer to hit that button on yours. Excellent video, 5 stars on utilization of time for audience while maintaining an educational value throughout the video. Im impressed and thank you for putting this content out to us.

Aa a painter of 30 years, I never cut my nozzle and therefore never have to turn my tube as it is always the same. The dripless gun is absolutely your best friend. I carry around a paint pot with water and use a chux kitchen cloth. As the cloth has many holes it allows the caulking to easily wash out in my pot of water so I don't end up with a cloth full of caulking, on Australia we call caulk, no more gaps Also with the uncut nozzle and a small hole, if the gun is held at 90 degrees to the gap it leaves no excess. Also you can lean it over slightly and rather than dragging the nozzle push it away from you and the nozzle will act like you running your finger along the gapped crack Or you can stick with what this guy said as it seems to work too May Jesus Bless you All

Painters tape 1/8 inch on each side of you caulk joint. Works great especially on bath or kitchen tile joints where you want a professional looking job. Let it set for awhile and pull tape away slowly. You can also wet your finger with a bit of soapy water to smooth the joint out and have NO fear cause you're painters tape has you covered literally.. saw this done by some tile guys putting up my backsplash in my kitchen...works great.

Now this is helpful knowledge. Thank you stranger. Feels good to learn from the pros!

It’s nice to see folks that make a basic project an art. Thanks for the tips!

What a masterclass on everything caulking - brief, clear to the point and boom, this is it all to it!!✌👍 Thank you!

I’m a caulk a holic. I do a load of finish work and love to make my projects look perfect! Ty so much for the time saving tips!

Your caluking tips helped me do a really nice job in replacing the caulking around my tub. I'm proud!

This has helped me immensely. Thank you. I needed this info.

Really quality tips! The thing that your speed of pulling and squeeze rate are huge! You can squeeze too much and not pull fast enough or go opposite, the more in sync you can keep those 2 is hugely beneficial!

This is the best caulking tutorial video I’ve ever seen. It’s the small tips that really help. Thank you sir.