Leave the caulking to a pro to ensure your bubble bath stays inside of your tub
Caulk is one of the unsung heroes of your bathroom for both aesthetic and practical reasons. Not only does caulk seal cracks and gaps to prevent water from leaking from your bathtub as you relax, but it’s also to thank for those smooth lines that can make your bathroom look sleek and clean.
If you're thinking of caulking your shower, toilet, sink, or anything else in your bathroom, you might be wondering if you should try it yourself or hire a pro. This guide will break down some of the factors to consider and what kind of professional you should call for the job.
When it comes to caulking a bathroom, a local handyperson is probably best for this job. Handypeople are jacks of all trades, capable of tackling tasks big and small, making them the perfect pro to caulk your bathroom as an individual job or part of a larger project. Just be sure to find a handyperson with strong reviews and have them assess the situation first to provide a quote.
There are three chief benefits to hiring a handyperson to caulk your bathroom:
It ensures the job is done right and there are no leaks
It frees you from a huge amount of work
It can save you money in the long run if you don’t have experience, as you won’t have to fix your mistakes later
Water damage can be detrimental to your home, and one of the biggest culprits is a leaky bathroom. Without even realizing it, water could be leaking into your foundation and result in a bill costing thousands of dollars to fix.
So, when caulking a bathroom, you need to make sure this job is watertight. While it’s tempting to save money in the short term by doing the job yourself, there are tremendous risks in doing so if you don’t have experience. Plus, if you hire a handyperson to caulk your bathroom, you’ll be free to enjoy your afternoon and let them handle the difficult stuff.
It is risky for the reasons mentioned above, but you absolutely can do a caulking job yourself. You’ll need caulk, a caulking gun, some tools to scrape out the old caulk, like a razor or putty knife, and some cleaning supplies. The most expensive of these will probably be the caulking gun, but even that is about $10 to $30 for an affordable model. To compare, hiring a handyperson to caulk a shower or bathtub costs between $65 and $300.
The job itself is pretty simple, as it involves scraping out the old caulk, taping off the area, and applying the new caulk. However, it’s entirely possible that if you don’t have a lot of experience, you could miss certain areas that need caulk or apply the caulk incorrectly. These mistakes can provide an opening for water that could lead to damage that you may not detect for months or even years.
If all you need is some caulking work done, it’s a straightforward enough job that a handyperson can take care of it. But, if you need extensive caulking work done or are trying to do other work along with the caulking, such as a complete overhaul of your bathroom fixtures, then you should consider hiring a plumber. These pros tend to have more specialized experience in that type of job.
If you're wondering how a handyperson would approach this project, this basic list of tasks will illustrate a typical bathroom caulking job.
A handyperson will start by making sure all surfaces are clean and then use a utility knife, putty knife, or scraper to cut the old caulk out. They'll then use a rag to wipe down surfaces, using disinfecting sprays to ensure everything is clean before rinsing and drying.
You don't want caulk where it doesn't belong, so a handyperson will use tape to set the borders for the caulk and keep the finish clean. They'll usually use painter's tape for this.
Then they’ll take their caulking gun (don't forget to cut the tip off if you're learning how to apply caulk yourself) and start piping it over the areas that need caulking. This requires a lot of finesse to ensure that not too much—and not too little—caulk is applied to each area. Uneven caulk will look unsightly.
Immediately after applying the caulk, the handyperson will use a caulk finishing tool to smooth everything out. Then they will remove the tape, wipe away any excess caulk, and let the caulk dry. For most caulk, you’ll need to wait 24 hours for it to cure fully.
