Tuesday ToolTalk: Procaulk

As far as a long list of “As Seen on TV” products goes, I’ve had a pretty good track record. Unlike the mother, I buy these things already laced with a healthy dose of skepticism. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don’t.

I don’t know how many times she has said, “We need to try that,” after seeing a product hawked on TV. She’s a consumer marketer’s dream. So, it’s not surprising then that she recently used a Kohl’s gift card to buy two such products. (They were on sale, 2/$20.)

One of the two was the Procaulk. Skeptical doesn’t begin to cover my reaction.

You may recall the recent bathroom debacle with the tub surround. Well, putting in a new surround meant removing the old caulk and putting in new. This was a job done by Lawrence. I decided this might be the perfect time to put this product to the test.

Procaulk comes with a tube of caulk, which I’m sure is a fine product, but we already had caulk expressly for the tub. The kit also includes a caulk remover/scraper, an applicator, and two spreaders. (These remind me a little bit of the scrapers you buy for the Pampered Chef baking stones, but with little notches cut into the corners. Didn’t do much to reduce my skepticism.)

Admittedly, I botched my first attempt. Lawrence didn’t do much better. Then, I saw him inspecting the notches and adjusting his grip. The second bead of caulk spread evenly. “This thing works pretty good,” he said as he used it throughout the rest of the tub.

The caveat: Practice. There is a trick to it. I still haven’t completely mastered it. Lawrence’s advice: “Hold it at an angle and don’t press too hard.” I’ll get some more practice in the not too distant future as I’ll have to rip out and replace the caulk when I reglaze the tub. Lawrence says if you can ice a cake, you can do this. (Not in my skill set, surprise, surprise. Who died and left me Betty Crocker?!)

Even so, the product scores a two thumbs up from Lawrence and that’s good enough for me.