Caulk is a very useful sealant that can be used for a myriad of reasons in and around the house. If you are looking to keep your house in tip top shape while also adding numerous benefits, you may be looking to buy the best caulking gun for your needs.
Contents
For those that aren’t that familiar, caulk is a rubber-like substance whose stickiness is good for sealing gaps. It comes in several different formulations. The variety of uses for caulk include stopping drafts, leaks, and even bugs from entering your home.
Common types of caulk include latex and silicone, with even mixtures of both materials as an option. These can be bought via cartridges or squeeze tubes. However, for larger and more continuous caulking beads around a specific area, a caulking gun is preferred and will no doubt make your life easier.
Using a caulking gun makes the joint sealing faster, allows for you to precisely apply caulk to gaps, and reduces the amount of waste when you use caulk as you do away with spills and drips.
There are many caulking guns available in the market right now. We’re here to help you choose the right one by presenting the best caulking guns for you to choose from.
Your choice of caulking gun is largely dependent on what type of caulk you’ll be using, as well as how big the project is.
Caulking Gun Considerations
Before purchasing a caulking gun, it may be in your best interest to be familiar with a few considerations first.
Thrust Ratio
Thrust ratio is a very important factor that people must determine when purchasing a caulking gun. The thrust ratio is important as it determines what type of caulk can be used and where it can be used.
A higher thrust ratio also means that the caulking gun operates at a faster and more efficient pace. In addition, higher thrust ratio means that the caulking gun can handle caulks with higher viscosity ratings.
Pressure Rods
Pressure rods are another factor that play into the purchase of a caulk gun. These pressure rods determine the squeeze of the caulk gun’s trigger. Thus, selecting the right pressure rod becomes a choice of how well you want to control the use of caulk.
There are two types of pressure rods. The first is the ratchet rods. These are inexpensive rods that are good for small-scale projects. While inexpensive, one of the main problems of the ratchet rod is that sealant comes oozing out until pressure is released by twisting the end of the rod.
This ooze can leave your work area untidy. It also means that you’ll be wasting some sealant along the way.
The next type is the smooth rod. Unlike the ratchet rod, the flow of the sealant is controlled easier than the ratchet rod. It is marketed as a caulk gun with no drips, as pressure is conveniently released by a flick of a thumb lever.
3 Best Caulking Guns
While there are many caulking guns out in the market, we are bringing you those that have gained a following in the construction world and have been raved about for their performance and efficiency.
Newborn 250 Smooth Rod Revolving Frame Caulking Gun
If you are looking to use caulk on some tight corners of your house, then the Newborn 250 Smooth Rod Revolving Frame Caulking Gun is the choice for you.
The revolving frame of this caulking gun means that it is much easier to caulk around even the tightest corners. With a quick rotation of the barrel, you can be caulking from a straight line to rounding a corner without the need to stop and start your operations. The result is an undisturbed continuous caulk bead.
- Steel revolving frame caulking gun for 1/10-gal. cartridges
- Thrust ratio of 18:1 for use with acrylic, adhesives, asphalt, butyl, and cement
- Revolving frame allows cartridge to rotate for maintaining bead orientation when caulking around corners
- Smooth pressure rod requires less force and is quieter than a ratchet-style pressure rod
- Zinc alloy handle and trigger for corrosion resistance
The thrust ratio of this caulking gun comes in at 18:1. This means that it has the capacity to be utilized in projects that go beyond just your house. The smooth rod also makes it easy to use as just some pressure on the trigger releases the sealant.
The handle of this caulking gun is made with zinc alloy. This material can withstand the elements longer, as well as rust and corrosion.
Despite these, the heavy weight of Newborn’s unit means that it is unfit for commercial caulking.
Albion Engineering B26 B-Line Manual Cartridge Caulking Gun
For a comfortable and heavy-duty caulking gun, check out Albion Engineering’s B26 B-Line Manual Cartridge Caulking Gun.
- 26:1 manual drive cartridge adhesive caulking gun for use on 1/10 gallon (10 oz) or 300 ml cartridges. Highest Thrust: 900 lbf, Pressure: 300 psi
- Full sized handle for comfortable, efficient dispensing. Half-cradle carriage securely holds cartridges and rotates for convenience.
- Features include Albion's Double-Gripping Plate technology for double the life of the tool, adjustable wear-compensation device, built-in cartridge puncture wire, ladder hook pull.
- Easily handles high viscosity materials. Especially designed to and for comfortable, efficient dispensing of thicker materials (cold weather) and 2-part adhesives packaged in universal or peeler-style cartridges with static mixers.
- Legendary Albion design and quality make this tool a leader in value
For starters, the thrust ration on this comes in at a staggering 26:1. This allows for the caulking gun to not only be used for heavy-duty caulking, but also to handle sealants with higher viscosities. It also comes with a 1/10 gallon cartridge which allows you to use multiple sealants.
There are several convenience features built into this caulking gun. For starters, the carriage is a half-cradle, which allows for comfortable caulking. Apart from that, the size of the handle is quite generous, making it feel right at home in your hands.
Furthermore, the accurate tip of the caulking gun coupled with the sensitive trigger allows for precise application of sealants. This precision means that you won’t be wasting much sealant as your project goes on.
As you can imagine, a caulking gun with so many features costs a bit more than other caulking guns. It is also fairly heavy which means that using it for the long term can cause some problems for a person’s wrist.
Newborn Drip-Free Smooth Hex Rod Caulking Gun
Finally, we come to the Newborn Drip-Free Smooth Hex Rod Caulking Gun. This is an amazing caulking gun that is one of the best tools for caulking your home.
- Steel half-barrel (also called cradle) frame caulking gun for 1/10-gal. cartridges
- Thrust ratio of 10:1 for use with low viscosity materials
- Smooth pressure rod requires less force and is quieter than a ratchet-style pressure rod
- Rod retracts after each pull of the trigger to help prevent dripping
- Handle and trigger are padded for comfort
The thrust ratio comes in at a modest 10:1. While it may seem low, it really isn’t a big factor since this caulking gun is best used for home. There is also a handy seal puncture tool, a cutting tool, and even a hook that you can use to hang the on a variety of areas.
Much like Albion Engineering’s caulking gun, it is also drip-free as the control is literally in your hands.
The handle and trigger were made for comfort. Couple this with how light this caulking gun weighs, and it feels like it belongs in your hands.
Seal Away
These are only a few of the best caulking guns currently out in the market today. We based our reviews on overall value and usefulness in certain situations.
As mentioned previously, the right choice of caulking gun largely boils down to what the user needs. If these caulking guns aren’t checking off any boxes for you, we urge you to check out a few more and see what fits.
Remember, caulking has a variety of uses around your house. As time goes on, you’ll no doubt need to purchase a caulking gun and seal away a few gaps. Make sure that you know what you study up and know what you are doing.
You’ll be sealing gaps and ensuring your house is in tiptop shape in no time.
Last update on 2023-07-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Hi, I’m Jim. I was a roofing constructor for 20 years, before deciding to start myrooff.com and gather the best content about roofing. I love woodworking and construction and it was only natural for me to start this passion project of mine. Thank you for visitng.
