Getting Caulky 101: How To Caulk Baseboard Like a Pro

I have a thing for straight lines. Honestly, it could be because there is so much chaos in day-to-day life that I am drawn to projects where I can have control. I don’t know. There is probably someone out there who could analyze me…but don’t. That would make things awkward. Seriously, just don’t.

Taping off straight lines to apply caulking is an oddly satisfying job. Use this technique when re-caulking around a bathtub, for baseboards where there are hard floors, or for a non painted wall. It works so well! If you are caulking the baseboard along a wall that is textured sheetrock, then you don’t need to tape it off. Run the bead of caulking along the baseboard and then smooth/wipe away the excess with your finger or a damp sponge. Once dry, any uneven caulking will get painted to match the wall. Easy peasy.

Get ready to impress your family and friends with the professional DIY caulking skills you picked up. They may not act impressed, but deep down they are. Or at least know that I am proud of you. Ha ha.

Supply List

Masking Tape
Caulking Gun
Tube or tubes of paintable caulk
Utility Knife
Wooden Skewer to break the seal of the caulking tube
Paper Towels or rags to wipe off excess caulking
Towel or Drop Cloth
Latex or Vinyl Gloves- optional

Instructions:

Step 1.

Apply masking tape to the hard flooring about and eighth of an inch away from, and parallel to, the bottom of the baseboard. You want enough silicone caulking material exposed to create a good seal from the floor to the baseboard, but not too much that it looks messy. If the flooring is carpeted, skip this step.

If a hard surfaced floor, tape along the edge, leaving about an eighth of an inch space from the baseboard.

Step 2.

Continue using the masking tape. Tape along the wall parallel with the top of the baseboard. Again, tape about an eighth of an inch away from the baseboard. If your wall is textured sheetrock that you are going to paint, you do not need to do this process. Running your finger over the bead of caulking will smooth it enough for painting. This technique is for caulking along surfaces that can not be painted.

Apply masking tape on the surface of the wall.

Once taped, you are ready to caulk. The tape looks a little uneven here because the surface juts out at different levels. I assure you the spacing is correct, no worries.

Step 3.

Put your tube of paintable caulk into the caulking gun.* You can squeeze the trigger a few times to secure the tube. Use the utility knife to cut off the tip (away from you) at a 45° angle. Use a wooden skewer to puncture the seal on the tube. Some caulking guns come with a long metal rod that swivels out to puncture the seal. Whatever method you use, be sure to break the seal so the caulking can be extruded.

*Did you know that your local home improvement store may also sell caulk in a smaller, squeezable tube? This would not be cost effective for a large expanse of baseboard. If you only have an accent wall or small area to caulk, this might be a great alternative.

Insert the tube of caulk into caulking gun.

Cut off the tip at a 45 degree angle with a utility knife. Be sure to cut away from your body!

Use a wooden skewer, or other long, sharp instrument to puncture the seal in the tube.

Step 4.

There is not any reason that I start with the caulking along the floor, but that seems to be how I usually do things. If you feel rebellious, go ahead and mix these steps around and do the wall portion first.

Apply a thin bead of caulking along the base of the baseboard and smooth it with your finger or damp sponge. It is not necessary to do a continuous line along a long stretch of baseboard. Break it up into workable sections. The caulking takes a few minutes to dry so there should be plenty of time to work with it. Don’t worry if you have a little break in your bead. I usually work in smaller sections, about three feet or so at a time. Run the caulking gun toward you at an even pace and with even pressure. Use the excess caulk to fill in any larger joint gaps.

Apply bead of caulk and run your finger or damp sponge over it to smooth it out.

Step 5.

After the caulking has been filled in the joint and smoothed out, remove the tape. This is the cool part. The masking tape will be a little messy and smudged and then you pull off the tape and it looks…perfect. Like DIY magic! Ahhh, it’s so satisfying.

Step 6.

Repeat this technique for the wall-to-baseboard section. I had a very uneven wall so some areas took more caulk to fill in the joints. Once filled in and smoothed out, I was able to remove the tape. Again, the tape made a previously rough edge turn out perfectly smooth and straight. Perfect for against the wood wall!

Now apply a bead of caulk along the top, being sure to completely fill in any deep crevices.

Now smooth the caulking and remove any excess.

Be prepared to be pleased as punch when you remove the tape!

→Use the next step if you have a textured wall that you will be painting.←

Step 7.

For a textured sheetrock wall that needs painting:

Apply the bead of caulk along the baseboard-wall joint. Smooth the caulk with your finger or damp sponge. Sometimes it needs to be smoothed more than once. Let dry. Tape off and touch up the paint, or go rogue and just cut in with the paint brush and no tape.

When caulking a textured wall that can be painted, simply run the bead of caulking along the seam.

Next, smooth it out with your finger or a damp sponge. It won’t have a perfectly smooth edge like the taped wall, but it can be painted over later which will help further seal and protect the seam.

Now stand back and watch it dry! Just kidding. Although the tube says you can paint after 20 minutes, I have always given it longer to cure. If you feel that your family or friends are not giving you appropriate amounts of kudos for a job well done, you can always post here. When you post your pictures, I promise to give the proper amount of praise and virtual high fives.

This baseboard was only primed so it needed paint to match the other baseboard in the house. Tape off the same way as in the caulking prep. With the masking tape in place, apply two coats of paint to maintain that same clean edge.

It’s the little details that can appear insignificant but will add that touch of high end to the home. Having these details just right makes me feel good about the space I live in. When I feel good about where I am, I think the rest of the family feels good too. It’s the little details, not just the creative projects, that help to make a house a home.💙