Sunday, September 5, 2010

Caulking the tub!?!



EW, look at the old seam between the tiles and tub.....I know, gross, huh!?!? Well, after one year of living here and seeing it get a little worse and realizing, "hey, you need to get this caulk redone....." every time I shower.




































So, I read up a few helpful posts/videos from people who have done this before....

1. First, I googled and read a few DIY pages.
2. Then, I read Young House Love's caulk how-to tutorial from their former bathroom (the one they just renovated.) Here's their tutorial!
3. Then, I watched some DIY videos online (one suggested using an old gift card or credit card to edge the caulk, wiping the excess clean.....I tried this, I didn't love this tactic (maybe I didn't do it right...) I preferred wiping it with a covered finger (used the Lowe's bag I bought the caulk in!)
4. Then, I asked some girls on the Decorating Board on The Nest for experience tips.....THANKS, girls!!! They gave me some ideas.


I have NO idea if the caulk job will be a success, but from judging the way it looks so far (with the tape still on the tub), it may come out just fine for a first-time DIY caulk job!

I grabbed a few tubs of the caulk from Lowe's, they were about $4.50 each. (I also have an old health insurance card there for the credit card wipe trick which I failed to master......)






















First, I learned that I should fill the tub to make it heavy and give the most expansion possible between the tiles and the tub. Then, I taped either side of where the caulk would go....




















Here it is after caulking & wiping the excess with my finger covered in a plastic bag----ps, I found that holding the tube in my left hand and keeping my right hand in the plastic bag, ready to wipe, worked the best--just back & forth, apply caulk, wipe clean; apply caulk, wipe clean.










































I'll keep you posted on the final result after I pull the tape in a few hours!!

PS, I can't shower in this tub/shower for 24-48 hrs.....fun stuff!

-T

1 comment:

  1. You're such a DIY home improvement rock star!! Can't wait to see the finished result!

    ReplyDelete