We’re fairly sure it’s universally hated to actually finish a project 100% the first time around. Those last steps – paint touch-ups, caulking, sanding, sealing – are super important, but also the absolute worst.
Caulk is truly magic once you get the hang of it. It’s second on my list of tools that make DIY projects look way more legit than they probably are (after trim and before a level, in case you were wondering.)
It’s just that when you were blessed with the general clumsiness and sausage fingers I was, it can be hard to keep it smooth, but we’ve got a solid hack for you to get the perfect caulk line every time.
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Prep is key
It doesn’t matter what it is you’re caulking, it’ll be the same.
We’ve done this on inner corners with tile caulk, on edges on a flat surface, and on uneven trim, and we promise it’ll work!
Grab some painters tape (what kind will depend on your surface, but if you’re caulking something like tile that hasn’t been freshly painted, we’ve always found the ‘rough surface’ kind to be the best) and put a line of tape on either side of where you’ll be caulking, leaving only the little strip exposed where you actually want the caulk to go.
Make sure to run your hand along the tape to make sure it’s adhered really well and you’re ready to go.
Run your bead along
The next step is pretty self-explanatory, but run your bead of caulk along the exposed line like you would any other caulking project. You can use a caulking tool to smooth it, but we prefer to just dunk our finger in warm water and run it along the line to smooth it out. A pro tip: baby wipes are awesome to clean up your hands and any spills.
Rip off that tape
This part is crucial – you’ve got to peel the tape off right away before the caulk hardens or it’ll be all stringy and pull off when you pull off the tape later. And you’re done!
You’re welcome in advance for how incredibly satisfying this is, and for how perfect your caulk line is. Look at you, ya big professional.
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