Want to learn how to caulk skirting boards? Skirting boards are an essential element to finishing a room. In some cases, the walls may not be quite straight and there will be gaps between the top of a skirting board and the wall. Follow these steps on how to fill in those gaps with caulk.
The tools that you’ll need are a caulking gun and a tube of caulk.
Step 1: To make sure the area is clean before applying any caulk, use a microfiber cloth to wipe the top of the skirting and walls. If you’re filling in space between the wall and existing skirting, use a damp cloth to clean the area. Give it time to completely dry before moving onto the next step.
Step 2: Cut the top of the caulking tube applicator with a Stanley knife at a 45 degree angle. The bigger the gap you need to fill the further down the applicator you want to cut. A bigger hole equals a bigger bead of caulk. Use your caulk gun and decorator’s caulk to fill the gap between walls and the top of the skirting. Apply a line of caulking along the area you want filled, don’t put too much in, you can always add more later on.
Step 3: Using a wet finger, simply run it across the line of caulk. The wet finger prevents the caulk from sticking, and this ensures that it fills all gaps and is a smooth finish. It’s good to have a wet sponge handy to wipe any excess caulk onto.
Step 4: Apply caulk to all of the gaps, making sure it is completely filled in. Some manufacturers claim that their caulk cures within an hour, but I recommend waiting for 24 hours just in case. Painting over caulk that isn’t fully cured can cause cracking. This is due to the caulk drying at a different rate to the paint.
Step 5: Now that 24 hours has passed, in the case of gaps, it might have sunk in (especially the wider ones). To fix this, simply apply another line and repeat steps 3 & 4.
Step 6: The final step is to paint the caulk with a color that matches your wall or skirting. If you choose to paint the caulking the colour of the skirting it can make things look uneven. I would recommend painting the caulk the same colour of the walls and maintaining the nice straight line of the Skirting board. Alternatively, paint the walls and skirting all one colour, don’t worry about cutting in and make less work for yourself.
Here are my top tips on how to caulk skirting perfectly
- Faster is better – when you’re applying a line of caulk, speed is key for a cleaner finish. You’ll find that the slower you go, the messier it gets!
- Apply even pressure to the trigger of the caulk gun as you make your line.
- Acrylic caulk is the best option (less prone to cracks).
- Any gap over 5mm should be filled properly before caulking.
- Make sure you are happy with the way it looks before you leave it to dry. You won’t be able to come back and sand it off like filler.
- Thinner layers will dry quicker and leave a more consistent finish.
Now you should know how to caulk like a professional, happy caulking!