Cracked and pealing caulk around kitchen and bathroom fixtures can cause more problems down the road if not addressed right away. If improperly sealed against moisture, water can get between the fixtures and adjacent walls, and if the wall stays damp long enough soon you will be dealing with bigger issues, mold and rot. Considering faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms are used multiple times every day, if you notice a caulk problem you’d be better off to fix it sooner rather than later.

Replacing caulk is one of the simpler home repairs you can do on your own. Here is a video on the basics. Supplies you will need are a putty knife, a tube of caulk and caulking gun, household cleaner, chlorine bleach, and scissors.

First peel away the old caulk using the putty knife. Then use household cleaner to clean the surface, adding bleach to take care of any mildew. Dry the joint where you will lay down the new caulk thoroughly. You don’t want to seal any moisture in. Put down a new bead of caulk following instructions on the package. Check out this step by step video illustrating a bathtub project.

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