How to Recaulk Your Shower or Bathtub in 5 Easy Steps

Eventually you’re going to have to replace the caulk around your bathtub. After countless hours of showering and scrubbing of the grout, the caulk liner that surrounds your tub begins to wear thin. If not tended to early on, the gaping hole between the wall and your tub can be a breeding ground for mold, as water seeps through the crack.Re-caulking your bathtub is a good DIY project that anyone can do with the right tools.

Anybody can re-caulk a tub or shower with a tube of caulk and caulking gun. In order to effectively strip the old caulk and replace it with new, you must prep the surface area. We break down the simple steps of re-caulking your tub below.

1. Remove Old Caulk – Obviously you can’t put new caulk over top of the old. Using a utility knife or oscillating tool with a scraper blade, proceed to scrape the old caulk away from the tubliner. Scrape as much as you can and apply caulk remover. Clean the surface totally and let it dry.
2. Mask The Gap – Apply masking tape on both sides of the gaps you created in step one. This helps you keep the new caulk in line–preventing a sloppy job.
3. Apply New Caulk – Cut the nozzle tip of the new tube of bathroom caulk with a utility knife to match the width of the gap. Hold the caulk gun at a 90-degree angle and push the bead slightly ahead of the nozzle as you continue to apply pressure. Apply enough to fill the gap.
4. Shape Caulk with Finger – With a wet finger, wipe your finger across the caulk to create a rounded bead and remove excess caulk from the gap.
5. Remove Masking Tape – Lift a corner of the tape along the tub caulk you just applied at a steep angle.

Your bathtub should be ready to go after removing the tape and wiping away smeared caulk in areas needed. Be sure to use bathroom or shower specific caulk. There’s a variety of caulk for various home related tasks. Feel good that you built up confidence with a small DIY project!

Tool Rentals Needed to Re-Caulk Your Bathtub

To complete this task you’re going to need a caulk gun, putty knife, utility rags and utility knife. To speed up the process an oscillating tool might be necessary, as well as a razor scraper. Masking tape and caulk remover are also required. Find these tool rentals at RentItToday.com.