Caulking Your Home for Preventative Maintenance

Caulking:

Show us a water stain on a ceiling and, more often than not, it isn't a leaking roof ... it's a leaking bathroom fixture.

What?
Check the caulking in your kitchen and bathrooms. Don't just look for moldy or missing caulking; pull at it to see if the seal is good or if it's just sitting there.

When?
Once a year.

Why?
As inexpensive as it is, caulking is essential to maintain the normal life expectancy of tile bathtub and shower enclosures. It's equally important for the long life of laminated countertops and backsplashes.The backing material behind the tile may be water-resistant, but it is not waterproof. The particleboard backing material for plastic-laminated countertops is even more prone to water damage.The caulking may last for 10 or more years but because of poor surface preparation, poor tolerances and building movement, the seal rarely lasts that long.

How?
The key to good caulking is good preparation. The surface must be clean and dry. This often requires lots of scraping and vacuuming. If it's damp behind the old caulking, wait until it dries.Use a caulking gun and caulking that can be cleaned up with water (acrylic latex silicone) for best results. Cut the tip of the caulking tube at about a 30-degree angle and make the hole in the tip the same size as the gap you are about to fill. Push the gun away from you. This fills the gap and the trailing edge of the nozzle leaves a professional finish. Go for one continuous bead. Stopping and starting makes a mess.
Tips

When caulking a tub, fill it with water and stand in the tub. The weight of you and the water makes the tub settle a bit and opens up the joint to be caulked.
After caulking, you can smooth the surface with a wet soapy finger, but don't push too hard.
Some people use masking tape to make the job easier. If you do, be sure to pull the tape off immediately after caulking, and use the soapy-finger trick to smooth the edge.

information provided by http://www.managemyhome.com/