I have discussed the 100% silicone caulking and am glad to have that off my hands for this discussion about acrylic caulking. Since it is usually used in its "white" form, I consider it "the mother’s milk of finish work." It can almost even make a lousy job look good. Nothing draws your attention like a brazen crack exposed between two finished surfaces. Even when two dissimilar materials join up together, a trim, scribe or some version of caulking will be used to soften the blow a harsh crack would deliver to the sense of aesthetic appreciation–conscious or subconscious.
On new work, the professional painter will ordinarily take on this part of this job. You do need to make sure it is included and hopefully the professional will be just that and do a "bang up job" for you. However, if you are taking on your own home improvement challenge, the caulk may well stop with you. It will be up to you to either DIY or hire someone.
So where do you put your caulk? Generally caulking is used where two materials butt up against one another, where without the use of a caulking material the joint would show in an unsightly way. Now, the degree of ones definition of "unsightly" varies greatly so I will suggest here we would like to do a "good" job. We want to make sure it doesn’t look worse than it would have looked without it. That’s not hard to accomplish if you "get into" your caulking. In other words, look at it like it is enjoyable rather than just a job to do that you’ll simply be glad when it’s over.
It does take some practice, diligence and the right tools. Aside from a good controllable gun and a good product (acrylic blend with some silicone in it), I’m a finger man, myself. I haven’t found a mechanical product out there that will do a better job than my own fingers. There are pre-shaped gadgets to run along the joint to make a certain type of bead, but for the most part I don’t think you can beat the finish you get when you master the right "feel" of running your finger along the caulk. With practice and experience, you can make the kind of bead you want by knowing the consistency of how it feels at the tips of your fingers. It is important to keep your finger slightly wet to allow the material to flow under your control.
As mentioned in Part 1, you want to determine the type of joint your are filling and cut the tip of the caulking tube the right size. Unless you have a large gap to fill, I try to use the smallest opening I can so I’m not "raking" too much material away with my finger. I would rather add more than to have to plow more and more away. This is also where I have a rag that is damp at one end and dry on the other to wipe off or manipulate the amount of caulk in the crack. It becomes like a dance of the caulk monger … wipe the joint, wipe your finger on the rag, wipe the joint and back again ,choosing the wet or dry end of the rag to wipe your finger to get the desired result with the next flick of the finger.
While this may sound like a "handy man’s fantasy" it is actually how you do it to get the best result. Professional painters or those with a good deal of caulking experience can work the bead with a lot less effort, but that is simply a result of experience. Even if you have never done any caulking, it doesn’t take long to be able to a better job than most if you pay attention to how the material reacts to your tool or finger(s) whichever you prefer. The best part of it is that in being water soluble you can keep it under control and wipe off excess with a damp rag (including your fingers which can also get a bit raw by the end of a few long runs). Be sure to wear pants you don’t mind getting caulk all over too, there will definitely be times when you’ve just gotta wipe it off on your pants.
You will really appreciate your own effort to do a good job with the caulking if you will also be the painter of the finished work. Masking off and cutting in are immensely easier if the caulking joints are well struck and cleanly done. When you are cutting in a different color of paint next to door and window trim, it is hard to do a nice straight cut if the caulking is undulating in and out and up and down the joint. In the end the job will look much more professionally done if you pay close attention to this seemingly insignificant medium.
