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Professional Renovations - 30 Years Experience

Choosing The Right Caulking Gun for Best Results



Picture of skeleton caulking gun versus ratchet style caulking gunSometimes a good tradesman can blame his tools… if he buys the wrong ones, but then again, he should know which tools to buy. When it comes to caulking guns, buying the right type can make all the difference in the world. Shown in the image are the 2 most common caulking guns available, the skeleton style and the ratchet style. Unless you do a lot of caulking, you will not know which is best and why. Do not buy the ratchet style, they are usually very cheaply made and offer little control over the flow of caulking. See below for a comparison of both guns

Best Choice: The Skeleton Style Gun

These caulking guns are stronger and easy to use than ratchet style guns, caulking tubes can be loaded and removed easily from either side of the shaft. These guns have a quick release trigger on the back allowing you to instantly release pressure from the tube of caulking and preventing messy dripping and wasted caulking. The handle and lever are stronger and more precise than ratchet style caulking guns and provide solid and even control of caulking resulting in smooth and even finished caulk lines. These types of caulking guns are only about $3.00 more than ratchet style guns and worth every penny.

Worst Choice: Ratchet Style Caulking Guns Without Quick Release Trigger

If you break out in sweat at just the idea of attempting a caulking job, you may as well start cursing the minute you buy one of these types of guns and get it out of your system now – these are the most frustrating and worst caulking guns you can buy. In General, they are very poorly made and the levers tend to stick within a very short time frame. To release pressure off the caulking tube on these guns you need to turn the pressure rod (the main bar with the notches on one side) at the back end of the caulking gun – this is awkward and usually results in a small amount of caulk oozing out of the tip and dripping onto whatever surface you lay the gun down. It is not uncommon for the pressure rod to stick and not release on these guns and requires you to pull the rod back a bit… then you have to pump the trigger a lot to get the caulking going again – VERY MESSY!

You may see this style of gun with a quick release on the back but I highly recommend you don’t buy it and stick to the skeleton style of gun noted above as they are much better and last longer. This style of gun with or without a quick release trigger tend to fail quickly and the levers always seem to stick – a real pain when you are half way through a bead of caulk and the lever won’t come back out allowing you to apply more caulking!

A Few Tips Before You Start Caulking:

There are a few things you can do to make sure your caulking  jobs always work out better. See below:

  1. Always allow caulking to reach room temperature before starting. Caulking that is cold or cool will be much stiffer and will not flow easily. Caulking that is to hot can be to runny, inconsistent and leak from the tip. This applies to tubes of adhesive as well.
  2. When you start a tube for the first time squeeze the first 3 or 4″ of caulk into the garbage. It is common for base material (solvent, latex or ?) to separate at the tip and this caulking is not usable. This will also remove any possible air pockets in the caulk that can cause an interruption in the flow of caulking.
  3. When cutting the tip of the tube, always start with a small hole, do a quick test on some scraps or area not too visible. If the bead is too small, shave a tiny bit more off the tip until you get the desired bead size.
  4. Never apply much more caulking than is required, the less you have to remove, the smoother your caulk line will be and it will look much better.
  5. Buy the right caulk for the job. In general, use a mildew resistant silicone around tubs, showers, bathroom sinks (subject to type of sink) and counters, and kitchen counters. Latex caulk should be used for areas to be painted such as door casing and baseboard where it meets drywall and similar applications. For exterior applications, specialized caulking is available for various applications.
  6. When using silicone to caulk areas like back-splashes where it meets drywall, always caulk after the walls have been painted. Latex paint, which is used in most new homes today, will not adhere properly to silicone and separates on any silicone residue you may have left on the wall surface after you have wiped away the excess – so not matter how nice your caulking job, it will not look good if the paint on the wall separates right along your caulking joint.
  7. Many contractors, handyman and do-it-yourselfers use latex caulk along counter back-splashes and similar areas. This is not a good idea, anytime you are caulking between a very dense material (laminate, marble, granite, china, steel or fiberglass) and very porous material like drywall you will get lots of expansion and contraction in the drywall – latex caulk does not remain flexible enough to tolerate this and will usually crack or separate from one of the two surfaces after a few years – if not sooner. Use silicone for these areas and you should not have any problems in the future.

Overall:

Why go cheap and save a few dollars on the part of the job that is so noticeable… especially if your caulking ends up uneven and messy. It is not worth the frustration and potential mess. A good skeleton style caulking gun will drastically increase your control over the caulk and in turn allow you to focus on quality versus control and drips. The same applies to the caulking you use, buy good caulking, it will usually be easier to apply and will last longer.

Important Note: There are stores selling the skeleton style caulking guns that are cheap knock-offs of the original – if the 2 bars that run the length of the barrel are thin and flimsy, don’t buy it! Look for one that has fairly stiff bars that are “at least 1/16″ thick”. Bars on the cheap ones are about 1/32″ or less and look like they would only last a few months.

Reconditioned 234x60
   

April 12, 2010 | Filed Under Bathrooms, Kitchens, Tools 

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