Caulk Features

• Caulk is a sealing substance used for filling spaces, commonly made of flexible materials such as silicone and acrylic latex. All caulks must have flexibility, allowing the filler to move with the building's natural settling motions without cracking. The caulk industry provides different sealant or filler ingredients for each individual caulk type based on the intended installation area, such as within drywall or against brick. Caulks designed for filling drywall or concrete holes are typically called joint compounds. The industry also offers a wood filler for wood paneling, reflecting the wood grain within the caulk's composition.
  
  

Small Holes

• Apply the caulk to a clean and dampened small hole. A worker can use a simple putty knife for smoothing the caulk out into the crack. Alternatively, home improvement retail stores offer caulk spreader tools shaped like diamond heads. A worker presses the diamond head against the caulk within the hole. The spreader tool forces the caulk's volume into the hole and smooths the remaining caulk above the hole. However, workers can also use basic strategies for pressing the caulk into the hole by using a finger or small teaspoon.
  
  

Larger Holes

• The best way of applying and smoothing caulk into a larger hole requires self-adhesive mesh joint tape. A large hole demands more structural support through the use of joint tape for a proper seal. Workers apply the joint tape across the hole in an X configuration, effectively covering the entire hole. Afterward, the caulk can be smoothly applied with a tool across the mesh.
  
  

Finishing Touches

• The best smoothing tool does not offer a quality final wall surface needed for painting after filling holes. The caulk must dry completely before the final surface finishing techniques. Make sure to fill the hole completely with caulk. Partial filling can fail over time from natural building movement, cracking the remaining caulk as well. After drying, use fine sandpaper for sanding the caulk's surface. This sanding technique will precisely smooth the final caulk surface. Sanding provides the best surface for the final priming and painting of the area.