TIL the hard way that silicone caulk needs a smooth tool, not my finger

I was sealing up the gaps around my bathtub in my basement bathroom last Saturday. I figured I'd just use my finger to smooth out the caulk line like I always do. What a mess. It left these uneven ridges and the caulk didn't stick right in a few spots. After waiting 24 hours, I peeled the whole thing off and had to scrape down the old stuff again. I went to the hardware store and bought a cheap silicone smoothing tool for $4. That little plastic thing made the line perfect on my second try. Has anyone else found a better trick for getting caulk lines straight without buying special tools?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan46317d ago

Did you try wetting your finger first?

the_claire17d ago

Oh geez, @dylan463, I'm going to go the opposite way here and say wetting your finger first is a total waste of time. Half the time you end up with a soggy fingertip that can't grip anything properly, and it's just a hassle dealing with the extra moisture. Plus, if you're flipping through a stack of papers or cards, that wet spot can spread to the next one and make a mess. I've never felt like it actually helped me turn a page faster - it's more of a quirky habit people do out of tradition, not because it works.

grantw4117d ago

Oh man, tell me about it! I've been there too many times with that soggy finger situation... it just makes everything worse. You end up with this weird damp patch on the paper and then your fingertips feel all pruney for the next five minutes. I swear it's one of those old school tricks that sounded good in theory but falls apart in real life. Honestly, I just use two fingers to pinch the edge and flip, works every time.