How to Caulk a Shower

1. Remove Old Caulk

   Use the caulk or grout scraping tool to remove as much of the caulk as possible by hand. Where you cannot successfully remove the caulk, switch to the electric multi-tool fitted with a scraping blade. Go easy to avoid chipping or scratching the tile.

2. Vacuum Surfaces

   With the shop vacuum, remove all debris and dust from the seams and work surfaces.

3. Clean Surfaces

   Wearing latex gloves, wet a sponge with denatured alcohol or mineral spirits. Thoroughly clean all areas that previously had caulk.

   Add bleach to warm water at a 1:10 ratio to create a mild solution to clean moldy areas. Allow drying for several hours before proceeding to the next step.

4. Tape Seams

   For every seam that will be caulked, run parallel strips of painter's tape on either side of the seam. Space the strips of tape about 1/4 inch apart. Press firmly down on the tape with your finger to prevent the caulk from bleeding through underneath.

5. Cut End of Caulk Tube

   Use scissors or a utility knife to cut off the nozzle end of the caulk tube. Cut close to the end for just a thin bead of caulk.

6. Add Caulk

   Slowly squeeze the caulking gun's trigger to extrude a bead of caulk in the seam. Make sure that the caulk fully penetrates the seam. Move the caulking gun at a slow, consistent speed along the seam.

7. Tool Caulk

   When you have finished one seam, tool the caulk with your finger. Wet your finger in a cup of water. Then press down on the bead of caulk and slowly run your finger along the bead to the end. Frequently wipe excess caulk off of your finger.

   Tip

   Avoid getting too much caulk on the tape, as this will make it harder to pull off the tape later. Also, there is the possibility of caulk smearing onto the shower surface.

8. Remove Tape

   Before the caulk has dried, strip off the tape from the seam. Pull upward at a 90-degree angle and, at the same time, pull away from the seam to avoid smearing caulk on the shower.

   Let the caulk dry for at least two or three days before using the shower.

Troubleshooting Your Shower Caulk Project

• If the caulk dried before you removed the tape, still try pulling off the tape. The tape is able to cut through thin layers of dry caulk.
• For thick lumps of dried caulk, cut carefully with a sharp utility knife.
• If you don't like the sharp contrast of white caulk against the tile, look for tinted caulk.
• You can also tool the caulk with the back of an old spoon for a smoother surface. Some pros even like to use ice cubes, since caulk will not stick to the wet cube.