Having problems with water leaks or excessive air flow? Many people use caulking to fix the problem and the easiest way to apply it is with a caulk (or caulking) gun. If you have never used a caulking gun before it can sometimes be a little intimidating, but it is actually fairly easy if you follow these simple steps…
1. Make sure that the surface you want to apply the caulk to is clean and free of any paint chips, old caulk, etc. ( make sure that the surface is dry as well)
2. Place the tube of caulking in the caulk gun and continue to squeeze the trigger until the tube is snug in the gun.
3. Use a knife to cut the spout. Where you cut depends on what size of bead you want. If you want a smaller amount cut near the tip…for more cut closer to the tube.
4. There is usually a seal inside of the tube that you will need to puncture. You can do this by poking a nail or piece of wire inside the spout to break the seal.
5. Squeeze the trigger until you see caulk fill the spout.
6. Place the tip of the spout on the surface you want to apply the caulk to and squeeze the trigger moving the gun along then surface.
7. It works better to “push” the gun along rather than “pull”…just be careful how hard you squeeze as it can get kind of messy!
8. Use a damp rag to clean off any extra caulk or mess that has been made.
There you have it, 8 simple steps to using a caulk gun.
One extra tip…make sure that you store your tubes of caulk in a warm place. It is really difficult to squeeze cold caulking out of a tube. If your tube does happen to be cold, or if you are working in colder temperatures, place the tubes of caulk on front of a heat source for at least 30 minutes to make things much, much, easier on yourself. Trust me, you will be glad you did!
