I’ve been a siding contractor for ten years, and I’m continually confronted with two conditions that are difficult to caulk properly. One is when I have to get a good bead of caulk along the trim over a door or window that is close to a soffit — there isn’t enough room for the caulking gun. In this situation, I tape a 6-in. length of 3/8-in. ID vinyl tubing to the caulk-tube tip. I use duct tape for this because it’s strong enough to resist the pressure of the caulk as it’s forced out of the tube. The flexible vinyl tubing can be bent into the right position with one hand, while I work the gun with the other.
The other problem is caulking around meter boxes that are too close together to allow the tube between them. In this case, I attach a plastic drinking straw to the end of the tube with duct tape. The straws are rigid, and long enough to place the caulk where I want it.
—Bill Bugajski, Chicago, IL
Edited by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #34
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Interesting, looking forward to trying this.
I keep some straws handy, too. They're good for blowing glue into cracked wood.