DIY Caulking Experiment

I'm posting this because I said I would and it was an interesting experience. Anyone that knows me knows I like to do things myself and every once in a while get in a little over my head. BUT...I learned a lot and can now say I know how to caulk a bathroom or kitchen.

I started this project because we had ants in our kitchen. In the Pacific Northwest, everyone has ants. I'm pretty sure they live in my walls and they are always around. One day I noticed some new, larger ants and really wanted to know where they were coming from. I quickly figured out they were sneaking in through the crack in my grout on my kitchen counter. I wondered how hard it would be to remove the crumbling grout and fill the hole so I just started digging. It was actually pretty easy to remove and then I started in on my kitchen sink because it was gross (see pics below). While I was at it, I knew the caulk in my bathroom was gross and mildew-y so I decided to see how hard it was to remove as well.

The previous owners use a sanded caulk and it was not as easy to remove. In fact, it was terrible and I would not recommend using it ever. It looked nice and matched the grout, but it sucks otherwise. I also think the sand makes it more porous and therefore more susceptible to mildew, but I'm not an expert.

Aaaanyway.....so now I am in gross grout and caulk removal mode and realize I'm going to have to come up with a plan since I have now started this crazy project. Off to the hardware store I go. I purchased WHITE caulk since my tile is "white" and I wanted it to look clean, and some clear caulk for the kitchen. I also bought some painters tape because I read that this would help make clean straight lines when caulking (I thought I was so smart).

Kitchen: The kitchen went pretty smoothly. I removed all the grout from the bottom of the backsplash where the little pests were getting in and the really gross caulk from around the sink. I realized that it should have been white...but it was black. Gross. ↓ Before and after of sink.

I cleaned everything and dried it and then started to caulk. The clear was easy to apply and it made a very thin line. I used my finger to push it down and it was good to go. So now I feel like I'm an expert and I take on the bathroom.

Bathroom: It took a really, really long time to remove everything in the bathroom. Like 6-ish plus hours. My back and my butt hurt from sitting on the tub and bending over so much but I got it really cleaned up. (I also realized when snapping pictures and being so close to my shower and tub that:

A. I need to clean better and

B. My tiles and tub aren't as white as I thought......

After removal and a few beers, I taped everything off and was ready to caulk! For some reason I thought I needed a thicker line this time because I didn't want any more mildew and some of the cracks were larger than others. I loaded my new caulk gun and jumped right in. At this point I was thinking two things:

1. Is this too thick? and

2. Is this too white?

The answer was YES to both 🤦🏼‍♀️.

My "white" tiles are actually more of an off-white and the bright white caulk I bought just made them look dirty. Not to mention the entire tube of caulk I put on was way too much.

I had to swallow my pride and start over. It didn't take quite as long, but pretty close, to remove all that caulk. Because I put it on so think it was still wet underneath in a few places so it was messy. Plus, I'm a little of a perfectionist and I wanted it all off (BTW, it does not come off like any picture or video you see online...just sayin').

So, back to the hardware store for "Biscuit" colored caulk. Who knew? 🤷🏼‍♀️

The second time around I decided to skip the tape and make a thin line. It worked! It's not perfect, but waaaaaaaay better than it was and not so alarmingly white. Phew. At least it's done, there is no mildew and I learned a few things.

I also realized that now I need to re-grout my tiles in the bathroom (actually I already knew this but it has been confirmed). Another project I'm not quite ready to tackle but I did find a power tool to use...yes!