They are often given away at paint stores but they are not very effective with 100% silicone sealants used for exterior waterproofing. The pros know how to hold the gun and apply the proper pressure so they don't have to touch the sealant after it is applied and that is best for waterproofing purposes. If you are applying common painters acrylic caulk for interior cosmetic purposes you can use your finger.

As what Homebound said. I tried several tools, but my finger does work best (for some reason, that does not sound "proper").

I would also add to make sure to keep the angle of the caulking gun the same for each run. Or stop, and then start again from the other end. This can be an issue when you are doing a vertical run that starts low and ends up above your head. You really don't want to be pushing the caulk, you want to be pulling the gun and leaving the caulk behind. I've learned quite a bit about what makes a mess by watching my husband mess up caulk jobs.

After several years, I no longer let my husband do any caulking in the house. Just like he is not allowed to do anyting with paint. He can cut a board to an exact measure, but he can't caulk or paint as he does not have the fine motor control needed to get a decent finished product (his hand writing is horrible too).

Another tip I use is to use vegetable oil to help keep the caulk from sticking to my finger. But make sure it's just a very fine coating, dip a napkin in the oil and then rub your finger tip on that. But mostly wipe your figure often, like very couple of inches. If the caulk starts going around your finger, you'll have a mess on the wall so you want to wipe the excess off before that happens. If that is happening often, then you put too much caulk on in the first place.

I've never used solvent based caulk.

Cathy

Thanks for your responses and all of the tips. I guess we'll just go with the finger then.

Cathy - I know what you mean about not letting a spouse paint (at least with a brush) or do any caulking because I'm the one who's forbidden by DH for the same reasons. Strangely enough my handwriting is exceptional (smile).

The nozzle tip should be cut at an angle with the lead edge squared off a bit. You should pull the gun but there should be a small bead of sealant constantly protruding ahead of the nozzle so that the sealant is pushed into the joint and the square part of the tip finishes the joint. Keeping this sealant constantly protruding at the same size is the secret to good installation and stopping and stopping becomes a real art.

Heh, heh, I have one. And it is not my finger. However, I have tried for four years to find another and cannot, so it does you no good.

The finger technique reauires the correct sized bead to be applied---too much results in excess caulk making trails beside the finger. That is really difficult to clean.

Always possible to add, not easy to clean off too much.

I think you posted this in bathrooms as well, but I have fingernails so fingers are not a good option for me. I like this little black and yellow doohickey that I picked up for a few bucks at a hardware store.

Thanks

Nothing better than a finger, so cut the fingernail short on your forefinger. The second best method when using latex caulk is a moist paper towel over the tip of your finger. And none of this is a substitute for practice so that the bead of caulk is the right size to begin with.