How to Apply Caulk to a Bathtub

Does your bathtub / shower area caulk look a little discolored? Or is the caulk old, grungy, possibly crusty, maybe it even smells? Perhaps you are already wondering, how you can apply caulk to a bath tub. I can help!

I’m almost certain you have stumbled upon this post out of necessity rather than entertainment. With that said, I can assure you that learning how to apply caulk to a bathtub is a great skill for every homeowner to learn. It is a fairly quick and simple job even a beginner can tackle.

Why should you learn how to apply caulk?

Caulk doesn’t last forever (approximately 5 years) and you don’t want to have to pay someone else to do it. Cracking and mildewing of old caulk can look gross while also causing water damage if there are leaks.

Not only do tubs need to be caulked, but showers, sinks, and toilets(this is debated) too. The steps below can be applied to any of these other areas. Different areas will require different types of caulk.

What kind of caulk should be used in the bathroom?

If you have tile, sanded caulk to match the grout is the best choice. Sanded caulk comes in a variety of colors. Sanded caulk is found in the tile/grout section of home improvement stores. If you have the panel shower walls, silicone is the way to go. If caulking an area that will be painted, like a wall or trim, make sure you pick up a tube a paintable caulk.

All types of caulk come in a variety of colors to match their surround. Find one you like and go with it.

Let’s Get Going: How to Apply Caulk to a Bath Tub.

Within this post I will review how to remove old, prep for new, and apply caulk. For this, I will be using sanded caulk in the joint where the tub meets tile. However, the same steps are used for applying silicone caulk.

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Tools needed

• silicone caulk/sanded caulk
• caulk gun
• painters tape
• isopropyl alcohol
• old rags/baby wipes/paper towers
• shop vacuum
• utility knife /painters tool (painters too worked well for me)
• goo gone caulk remover (for very stubborn caulk)

Caulk Removal

Regular silicone caulk should scrape out easily with a utility knife. Scraping out the old is the most time consuming part of the project. Using scraping alone, there are no fumes from chemicals which is a big win in my book. However, scraping alone does not always work (like I found to be the case for sanded caulk).

Caulk Removal for Stubborn Caulk (Sanded)

First I attempted to scrape out my old sanded caulk; I failed miserably and broke my blade. Then, I moved onto letting wet rags set on the caulk for 72 hours; that also did not work. As a last resort after much wasted time and frustration, I set out to Home Depot for the big dog: caulk remover.

Goo Gone caulk remover was the only option located in the hardware store I was at. I will say, it worked like a charm.

Warning

The scent of Goo Gone caulk remover is POWERFUL. Be sure to wear a respirator and use a fan.

Goo Gone Caulk Removal

Using the easy spray bottle, saturate the caulk area you will be removing. Let remover sit on the caulk as directed (2-7 hours).

Once the Goo Gone caulk remover has set in, get scraping. All I used for this was a painters tool.

Let Me Show You How:

Cleaning the Joint

Once all caulk is scraped out, using a paper towel, wipe away all debris and Goo Gone. This may take a couple of clean cloths/damp rags.

After area looks good and clean, saturate a paper towel with isopropyl alcohol. Wipe the cleaned out joint with saturated paper towel. This will remove any lingering residue.

It may take a few passes to get joint completely clean. During this point you may notice an area that has missed caulk in it. Scrape any existing caulk and repeat wiping out joint with isopropyl alcohol.

Airing out

Let joint air out at least 24 hours before caulking (or longer if you had a leak). Airing time will ensure moisture will not be trapped in the joint or behind the wall. You may speed this process up by placing a box fan near the area or using a hair dryer.

Caulk Application

1. Clean Again. Clean area again with isopropyl alcohol removing any dust or hair that may have settled on surface. Let the surface completely dry.

2. Tape. Tape above and below the joint (about 1/4”). Painters tape works well for this. Smooth Tape down with a finger or putty knife. Taping will give you a professional looking caulk job with smooth lines.

3. Cut. Cut your caulk tube tip(not too big). Most caulk guns have a snipper on them or use a utility knife.

4. Get Started. Starting 0.5″ away from a corner or edge, run a bead of caulk in the joint you are working on. Tip: do not apply too much caulk at one time, silicone can get messy to work with. Go one wall at a time.

5. Wipe Excess. Taking a wet finger, wipe excess caulk and push into joint. Wipe all areas until all excess is removed.

6. Repeat. Repeat this process for all areas that need caulk to be applied.

7. Remove Tape. Pull tape up at an angle while caulk is still wet. Take care not to get caulk all over walls and tub.

Optional Step

Once tape is removed, if caulk does not look as desired, run another wet finger over joint.

Dry

Let the caulk dry, refer to the caulk bottle for dry time. Typically caulk will dry and be ready for use within 24 hours.

Let Me Show You How to Apply Caulk:

Finished Bathtub Caulk Job

There you have, the easy way to remove and reapply caulk to a bathtub. Do you use sanded caulk or regular silicone? Do you free hand or prefer to use tape? Let me know in the comments section!

For more DIY easy and inexpensive ways to update your bathroom check out this post: 10 Inexpensive Bathroom Updates.