How To Caulk – DIY Tips For A Perfect Finish

A while ago we told you about replacing the missing picture rail in our master bedroom. What we neglected to mention, is that we still haven’t finished the job.

As you have already seen, it looks fine from a distance,

But this is what it looks like close-up.

We still haven’t filled the joints, the gap between the wall and the picture rail needs filling and the whole thing needs painting. In order to finally complete the job, we started by filling the holes and joints with a wood filler.

Then for the main job – caulking the gap between the wall and picture rail. Caulking is what will finish off the picture rail and make it look perfect.

Here’s how to caulk and get a perfect finish every time:

As we have already painted the wall, we wanted to be as neat and tidy as possible. To ensure that the caulk wouldn’t go all over, we used masking tape to define the area we wanted to caulk. Then the job was really straightforward.

All you need to do is apply the caulk and smooth it out with your finger. Remember to remove the masking tape as soon as you have finished caulking as, just like when painting, if the caulk/paint dries it can rip when removing the tape.

Top 5 Tips for Easy and Clean Caulking

1. As always, make sure the area is dust free and clean (and read the instructions on the packet).
2. Only cut a small hole into the nozzle, so that you don’t apply too much caulk in one go.
3. Use painter’s tape for a clean edge.
4. Try and apply the caulk as evenly as possible.
5. Remove the painter’s tape before the caulk dries.

And here is the finished result.

If you’re wondering what type of caulk to use and what the difference is between caulk and silicone sealant, you’ll definitely want to check out this post where we share everything you need to know!

As we have already primed and sanded the picture rail, all it needs now is a final coat of paint. As it’s taken us months to get around to filling the gaps and caulking, I can’t help wondering how long it’s going to take us to get around to finishing the painting.