Home - Garden
The Hidden Caulking Gun Trick That's A Game Changer For Home Projects
By KYLE SCHURMAN
You may not know that most caulking guns have built-in tools that can be used to clip the end of the caulk’s tube and puncture its seal inside — all without needing anything else.
Look at the side of the caulking gun near the handle. You should see a small hole, roughly equal to the diameter of the nozzle on the tube.
When you place the end of the tube's nozzle into this hole and press the handle, it will clip the end and create an opening that you can then use to apply the caulk.
The end of the gun has a hidden narrow metal rod that you can swing out and use to puncture the seal inside the tube. Place the rod through the hole you made to reach the seal.
Before cutting the end off the tube of caulk, decide what size of bead you need. Cutting the tip of the tube ¼ inch from the end will give you a very narrow diameter bead of caulk.
A narrower bead works better for small jobs, such as around a window or woodwork, while a wider bead, say, 1 inch from the end, is better for larger projects, like near a bathtub.
To make the bead and line of caulk as smooth as possible, use fine-grit sandpaper on the tip after you cut it, which removes imperfections in the tube's clipped plastic edge.