Caulking is one of the techniques applied in construction work at the finalizing and finishing stages of work.
Caulking is a semi-hard fluid of white color that is used as a filler for filling up gaps between the skirting, the door panels, or any other unwanted small gaps.
Usually applied to the gaps between the skirting and the wall before the final look; now, the question is whether to caulk before or after painting skirting boards.
Different experts have different opinions, but we will tell you what works best in the construction industry and what will keep your skirting and the caulking entirely error-free so that the final look of your work site should not be marred at all.
Caulk Before or After Painting Skirting Boards
Well, the answer is that you should always start with the caulking before the final paint on the skirting boards and the walls.
Caulking is a procedure that is called into action during the final touches of the construction.
After all the skirting and installation of windows and doors, if there are still some minute gaps, they can be easily fixed with the help of caulking.
Preparing for Caulking
After installing the skirting boards all over your place, you will be left with small gaps alongside the wall, defacing the house’s perfect look.
To eliminate this flaw, a filler and sealant are used extensively in the construction industry to achieve the highest mark or perfection, which is caulk.
Caulk is used for filling in these small gaps between the skirting to give an immaculate professional appeal to the outlook of the wall.
Before caulking, the walls and skirting should be adequately brushed for any dust or other particles so that they are without any external impurities.
The skirting is sanded and filled for a smooth and finished look and then appropriately cleaned to remove any dust or debris, either with a damp cloth or a firm brush.
When the whole area, including the wall and skirting and its nearby floor, is cleaned off any dirt, it’s time to start working on caulking.
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Starting Caulking
The areas which need caulking are to be marked first and then start from one side of the wall. Different brands produce caulk; it comes in a long cylinder with a nozzle at the start, which is to be cut with a sharp cutter, making a straight cut for the perfect flow of the caulk.
Avoid cutting too far off the nozzle tip; in that case, you will have a thick caulk supply that can be messy and spoil the work area. Having a small bead of caulk is more desirable for a clean and professional outcome.
Caulking Techniques
To start the caulking, you must first put your decorative caulk inside the sealant gun and press the piston. If you are using it for the first time, it’s better to take some tries on an experimental basis before starting on the actual site.
Also, keep tissue paper and a basket with you to immediately wipe out any excess caulk from the nozzle to avoid any mess.
Now with a steady hand, start pushing out the caulk with the gun from one side of the skirting and take it along to the end of the wall.
It will leave a small cylindrical film of white paste on the crack, which is to be settled with a foam or a profiling tool.
To make the caulk settle, you have to smooth out the extra quantity of caulk applied to the cracked area. For this purpose, take a foam, press it on the caulk move the foam in the same direction as that of the application of caulk.
This can be done with a wet finger in a traditional way or either with a profiling kit having different edges to suit your requirement.
This procedure will scrape off any extra caulk and make it settle into the crack for proper filling and a finished look.
When the smoothing out of the caulk is done, it’s left for some time to dry and seal the crack properly; still, if you see some spaces left in the skirting, it’s recommended to apply the caulk again using the same technique.
Caulking before painting the skirting boards
Caulking is always advised to be done before you go for the following process of painting the skirting boards.
If you paint the skirting board first and then apply it, the caulk will leave its mark on the skirting board, and also, there will be a slight difference between the tone of the caulk in contrast to the paint applied on the skirting board.
You would have to apply the paint again on the skirting board to get an even tone and hide the caulked area to get rid of this.
So it’s better to use the caulk first and then paint the skirting board to give the skirting a professional look.
Finishing Coat of Paint after Caulking
After you caulk the undesired spaces in your working area and finish the paint on the skirting, you are recommended to apply the last coat of paint on the walls.
This will protect the caulking and give the room an immaculately finished look. It will provide a final finished look to the whole room and cover any caulk layer on the border with skirting.
Conclusion
Caulking is a necessary procedure to finalize construction work, particularly for covering any small gaps or cracks between the wall and the skirting to attain a finished look.
However, it’s a question of excellent standing whether to caulk before or after painting skirting boards. Best to go for caulking before painting the skirting board to get the cracks covered and later get a finished covering over the caulk with paint which will cover any mess or spots left due to caulking.
