This Viral TikTok Has A Fantastic Hack To Get Crispy-Clean Caulk Lines
When completing DIY renovation projects around your home, having your work look as clean and professional as possible is crucial. If there's any place in your home that requires caulking, say for instance there are little gaps that need to be filled around baseboards, door frames, or window frames, the following TikTok hack is for you. This trick will help you fill in these holes without causing a mess. When there's a considerable amount of empty space beneath the gap you need to fill but you apply caulk the usual way, it can sag and end up looking pretty sloppy. Instead, you can use backer rods with painter's tape and caulk to get crispy-clean lines.
Whenever we've spotted sagging caulk or even an accidental comet trail of excess caulk that a worker left behind, it looks unprofessional and we can't unsee it. That's not going to happen to you, though. If you're new to this type of DIY project, there's also a game-changing hidden caulking gun trick that will make your work even more precise.
How to get perfect caulk lines
To complete this hack, you'll need caulk, your caulking gun, green or blue painter's tape, scissors, a putty knife, and backer rod crack sealer. Don't use masking tape because it won't make clean lines, and packing or duct tape has adhesive backing that's too harsh for painted or finished surfaces, so use painter's tape. Backer rod crack sealer is a three-quarter or half-inch wide piece of rolled foam that's used to fill in cracks, and you can find it at any regular hardware store or on Amazon.
To fill in a wide crack between a step and the wall, you'd snip off a piece of backer rod to the needed length, then tuck it into the crack (not too deeply) with a putty knife or some other flat-edged tool. Snip off any excess foam, then use painter's tape to protect the stairs and wall and to create the crisp edges of caulk you're desiring. When done, pull off the tape for beautiful, professional-looking work and caulk that shouldn't ever split. To stop your caulk from hardening or spilling between squirts, keep an old wire hanger handy while using it.