Let’s talk caulk for a minute. I like to refer to it as “magic in a tube.” As we’ve been remodeling our home, I am always amazed at the power of caulk to smooth things out and make our projects look finished off and pretty. I’ve used about 30 tubes of caulk in this home in the last 2+ years and because I’ve done soooooo much caulking, I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way.
Today I’m going to share the secret to getting perfectly crisp caulk lines on crown molding, baseboards, trim and anywhere that the caulk line goes against a contrasting surface.
The secret weapon? FrogTape! This stuff is amazing at preventing paint bleed and the need for touch-ups. The results are crisp, clean lines… with paint AND caulk.
If you’ve ever caulked a line between contrasting surfaces, you know what happens… when you go to smooth the caulk out, it smears all over the place. You can end up with a big mess in a hurry. Then you have to find a way to wipe it all off and it just takes forever and makes you grumpy. (Or maybe that’s just me…. no?)
There is a better way, friends!!
To get perfect caulk lines with no headaches, follow these four easy steps:
1. Tape along the edge of the molding. In the photo, you’ll see that I only taped along the bottom edge of our molding. The top edge didn’t need it because I was caulking between white trim and a white ceiling, so the caulk lines don’t show. But I really wanted a crisp line between the blue paint and the white trim, so that’s where the FrogTape comes in.
2. Run a bead of caulk along the edge you need to fill in.
3. Smooth the bead with your finger.
4. While the caulk is still wet, pull the FrogTape gently away, revealing a perfect, pretty caulk line!
I used the same technique with grout when we installed our tile kitchen backsplash. I wanted a sharp grout line in the seam between the backsplash and the countertops, so I taped it all off with FrogTape, applied the grout, then peeled the tape away. It really is the best way to get straight caulk lines. I’ll never go back to the smeary mess of the past.
I’m painting my kitchen cabinets in the next few weeks, and you better believe I’ll be taping everything off with FrogTape. It’s the only tape I trust to protect my brand new wood floors and marble backsplash from paint bleed.
Comments & Reviews
I love your tip to remove tape lining while the calk is still wet so it doesn’t peel caulk off and it creates a crisp line! I am thinking that my home would look better if it had crown molding and I think I want to do it myself so I get exactly what I want! I think it might take me a while though, so I wonder if there is a way for me to preserve the caulk when I get too busy with work!
You mean in the tube?? If so, of course, just stick a large screw in tip and it will be easy to take out the next time you are ready to use the caulk. And if you have never done anything with a caulking gun before, remember, when you are finished with each line you are doing and want to put the caulk gun down, be sure to release the pressure with the tab art the back, or the caulk will continue to ooze out. Then when ready to do it again, just squeeze gently until the caulk starts coming out again.
Silly question but you taped off both the tile backsplash and the counter top, right? How much space should be left for the caulk?
Not a silly question! We left a 1/8 inch gap using tile spacers.
Please don’t ever tape caulk. I’ve been painting and doing millwork for 20 years. The whole point of caulking is to create a smooth transition between trim and a wall. You just caulk your line – keep a damp rag on hand and wet your finger to smooth out the bead. This allows you to cut a clean paint line after. You could use tape at this point once the caulk is dry. Caulking with tape might create a “clean line”, but will also create a hard edge line that will be there Forever. Even if the tape is removed while wet
Also please never use caulk for nail holes! Always is one time putty or a similar brand
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
I should add that if I’m painting AFTER caulk, I don’t bother taping. But if my wall is already painted a color and I add crown, I want a crisp caulk line and tape is the best way to make that happen. I also tape if it’s against a contrasting surface like a countertop.
There are lots of “correct” ways to do things, even for those of us with fewer than 20 years experience.
What is the difference between frog tape and blue painters tape for this application?
They both work well. I just prefer Frog Tape.