Recaulking a tub is way harder than every tutorial makes it look

I redid my bathroom in Columbus last month and thought I had the caulk thing down. Every video shows this smooth one-pass bead and I figured I just needed a steady hand. Turns out I was smearing it on like buttercream frosting, not actually pushing it into the gap. What tipped me off was pulling it out two days later and seeing it peel off in one long strip, zero adhesion underneath. The trick that finally worked was taping both sides with painter's tape and using a spoon to press the bead down flat. Took me three tries and a whole $12 tube of caulk to figure that out. Anyone else discover their caulk technique was nonsense after a failed do-over?

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2 Comments

clark.robin2mo ago

Realized most tutorials skip the messy reality, kinda like every DIY video I've ever followed.

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danielr942mo ago

Honestly the real trick nobody mentions is that your tub edge is never actually straight, so that smooth one-pass bead is a lie unless you're working with a brand new level surface. Once I figured out I was caulking over a wavy line, I stopped blaming my hand and started blaming my house. Way less stressful second time around, even if it still looked like a 4th grade art project.

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