How to Caulk Uneven Gaps in Kitchen Countertops

Kitchen countertops usually are caulked around the perimeter, where they meet the walls. If your walls are nice and flat and that line is straight and even, it's a simple matter of laying a very thin bead of caulk. If wall isn’t straight and there is a meandering, uneven gap along the counter, you will have to use a little more caulk and be more diligent about flattening it out after you lay it. By matching the color of the countertop with the caulk, you will help hide the uneven gaps.

Bleach
Toothbrush
Sponge
Caulk (same shade as the countertop)
Caulk gun
Razor knife
Long nail

Instructions

- 1
  Pour a little bleach over the toothbrush and scrub the open line around the countertop where you want to grout, taking up any dirt, mold and mildew. Wet a sponge with bleach and wipe up any residual material in or around the lines. Let it dry completely.
- 2
  Set a caulk tube in your caulk gun, back end first. Use a razor knife to cut off the end of the tube, making a diagonal hole about 1/4 inch wide. Push your long nail into the hole to break the seal inside and then remove the nail.
- 3
  Place the tip of the tube against one end of the joint you want to caulk, holding the gun back at a diagonal angle.
- 4
  Compress the trigger until the caulk comes out the tip.
- 5
  Pull the gun back along the line, compressing the trigger with the same amount of pressure the whole time to expel a bead of caulk, filling the line. At the wider parts of the uneven line, move the gun more slowly, so more caulk fills it.
- 6
  Continue to the end of the line.
- 7
  Wet your thumb under the faucet. Run your wet thumb along the new caulk line, lightly, flattening it. The caulk should completely fill the wide and narrow parts of the gaps, and the matching shade with the countertop should make the gap unnoticeable. Let it set for 24 hours.

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