Your tip on a caulk station (FHB #244) got me thinking about the ways I work with caulk. For short-term storage—up to two weeks—I clean the tip of the open tube with a rag and set the tube with the open end down in a clean bucket. This is especially important, as the little dabs of caulk want to harden and impede the flow. I then put an inch or two of clean water in the bucket. When it’s time to use the tube, I wipe it, squeeze a couple of inches out until the caulk runs at the right consistency (the caulk in the nozzle will thin a little bit from the water), and get back to work. This also works with nonlatex and solvent-based caulks. Just be prepared for a little water to come out on the first pull.
—Bradley P. Doolittle, Grosse Pointe, MI
Edited by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #245
