Stopped using old caulk method after basement flood cost me $2,800

I used to just squeeze a bead and smooth it with my finger, figuring it was good enough. After a pipe burst in January the water found every gap I'd left around the baseboards. Now I tape both sides, tool every joint with a proper silicone tool, and check for voids before it dries. Anyone else learn this lesson the hard way?

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william4072mo ago

Read somewhere that a lot of those DIY caulk jobs fail because people don't clean the gap first with alcohol or acetone. I used to skip that step too, just wiped it with a dry rag. Now I always hit it with denatured alcohol on a paper towel before I even open the tube. Seems like a small extra step but it made a huge difference in how long the seal lasts.

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roberts.troy2mo ago

Respectfully gotta disagree a bit here. I've done tons of caulking over the years and half the time I just wipe the area with a damp cloth to get the dust out, then let it dry for a minute, and it holds up just fine for years. I think people overthink this step and blame bad adhesion on prep when the real issue is usually old caulk or a crappy tube that wasn't stored right.

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