CAULK BEFORE YOU PAINT

Proper prep work will ensure  a beautiful paint job.  With so many people doing their own painting a common question is, 'What will make my paint job look professional?'  Good question.  One of the tricks of the trade is Caulking.  You will need a little patience and a steady hand for this.  Don't think that anyone can caulk the first time they pick up a caulking gun.  So start with the proper tools.  Use a Drip-less caulking gun.  They cost a little more but they are worth it.  Once you squeeze the trigger you will want the caulk to stop coming out of the gun when you let off of the trigger.  With a regular caulking gun the pressure continues and  so does the caulk.  Next buy quality caulk.  It is tempting to by the cheapest caulk but you will regret buying that.  Cheap caulk usually has air pockets in the tube , and that is bad.  Cheap caulk is thicker and will not flow evenly.  Some of the best caulks on the market are a combination of Latex and silicone.  Do not use 100% silicone.  It will not stick any better and it is  NOT PAINT-ABLE!!!!  You will want to paint it.  Next cut a small hole in the end of the caulk tube.  This will allow you to control how much caulk comes out.  Once you put your bead of caulk down then get the end of your finger wet and smooth it out.  This will take a little practice but you will get the hang of it. Caulk all joints and edges of your woodwork.  Even if you do not see a crack. This will provide a smooth transition between the wood and the wall.  The only time you would not caulk is if you have stained woodwork.  Let your caulk dry overnight. It does need to be dry before you paint it.  Also, check out your caulk job and make sure you do not have any gaps or holes not filled.  This process in necessary whether you are painting inside or outside.  Especially outside as it will provide a waterproof seal between all wood joints.  If water gets behind your wood siding it usually will damage the wood and lead to more expensive repairs.  Take you time, this is not a race.  Get each edge or joint just the way you want it before moving on.  Also, any excess caulk left on the wood or walls needs to be removed.  This can be done with a wet cotton rag.  Another trick is to use blue masking tape along the wood edge.  Do not allow the tape to cover over any gaps that you will be caulking. If you use the tape before caulking and then caulking in the gaps you can paint over the tape edge and when the paint is dry just pull the tape and you get a straight and professional edge.  These are just a few of the tricks of the trade.  They do work.