Correct Loading & Unloading of Caulk Gun

Caulking is the process of applying a water-resistant material in order to seal gaps in structures. Cracks caused by water damage and other factors can weaken the structure of your building. These cracks can also cause loss of heat in the house, resulting in high energy costs. They are unsightly and ruin the aesthetic appeal of your home. For these reasons, homeowners will often apply caulk to such gaps in order to seal them. Although you don’t need a caulk gun to apply caulk, you get much better results when you use a caulk gun. Here is how you go about loading and unloading a caulk gun.

What Is A Caulk Gun

A caulk gun is a special tool that is used to apply caulking material to a gap in a structure. Caulk guns are simple mechanisms that can be fitted with a tube of caulk and have a trigger mechanism for the release of the caulk. Caulk guns are able to produce a consistent and even line of caulk, which helps in making the caulking neater and more presentable. Caulk guns also prevent messing up your clothes, floor or structural edge with excess caulk.

In order to use a caulk gun, the tube with the caulk must first be loaded on to the gun. Here is how to load your caulk gun properly.

Step One

The first thing that you should do when loading a caulk gun is to cut the nozzle of the caulk tube. This allows the caulk material to flow out of the tube o and on to the gap that you want to seal. The key thing is to ensure that the size of hole that you create on the nozzle of the caulk tube is exactly the same size as the width of the gap. It is also important to ensure that you cut the nozzle at a 45-degree angle, this is done in order to enable you to get a cleaner line of caulk on the gap. In most caulk tubes, there is usually an inner foil paper that is placed at the base of the cap. The inner foil prevents the caulk from flowing out of the tube. This foil must be pierced in order for the caulk to flow from the tube.

Step 2

Taking care, so the caulk does not spill from the tube, you will need to press the thumb mechanism in the gun in order to load the tube. When you release the thumb mechanism, pull back the rod so that it moves to the open position. At this point, you need to be careful so that the trigger mechanism is not activated. This is because if it is, it will lock the rod.

Insert Tube

With the rod mechanism in the open position, carefully place the caulk tube in the mechanism. You should at this point have a look at the plunger mechanism. If there is any old caulk from previous applications, please wipe it out before placing the new tube. Once you have done that, you are now free to press the trigger. This is going to lock the tube cradle and rod mechanism in place. This ensures that your tube is held firmly in place.

Unloading A Caulk Gun

This is the reverse of the loading process. Press the thumb release again to unlock the rod mechanism. Pull it back to release the tube from the cradle mechanism. At this point, you can then remove the tube from the gun. Do not forget to wipe off any excess caulk that may have spilled onto the gun before storing it away.