"I've found that dipping my finger in a bit of soapy water helps smooth out the sealant without it sticking everywhere—makes cleanup way easier too."
Haha, glad I'm not the only one using the ol' finger trick. I tried gloves once thinking I'd be all professional about it... ended up with silicone everywhere except where it needed to be. Lesson learned: bare fingers and dish soap all the way. And yeah, local glass shops are underrated—big box stores always seem to mess up measurements somehow. Learned that the hard way myself.
- Yep, bare fingers and dish soap is the only way I've found that actually works consistently.
- Gloves always seem like a good idea until you're peeling silicone off random surfaces days later...
- Agree on local glass shops too, though I've had mixed results—some are great, others not so much. Pays to ask around first.
- Also, learned the hard way: don't skimp on sealant quality. Cheap stuff fogs up again in no time.
Dish soap trick is spot on—took me forever to figure that one out. Gloves always made things messier for me too, silicone everywhere except where it needed to be. About local glass shops, I've had decent luck overall, but one place replaced my window and somehow made the fogging worse... still scratching my head over that one. Definitely agree on sealant quality though; learned that lesson after redoing the same window twice in one winter. Never again.
Had a similar experience with a local glass shop a couple years back. They swapped out a pane for me, and within a week it was fogging worse than before. Turns out they rushed the sealing job and moisture got trapped inside. Ended up redoing it myself—slowly and carefully—and it's been clear ever since. Definitely agree on the gloves thing too, bare fingers just give you way more control... even if cleanup's a pain afterward.
Had the same issue myself—turns out sealing is one of those things you just can't rush. Also noticed that using a quality silicone sealant makes a huge difference in durability and energy efficiency. Bare fingers definitely help, but man, the cleanup afterward...ugh.
"Bare fingers definitely help, but man, the cleanup afterward...ugh."
Haha, been there. Quick tip: keep a damp rag handy and wipe your fingers frequently as you go—cuts down on the mess later. Also, masking tape along the edges gives cleaner lines and less scraping afterward. You're right though, patience is key. Once you get it right, it's totally worth it for clear windows all winter. Hang in there, sounds like you're on the right track.
Totally agree on the masking tape trick—makes a huge difference. But honestly, bare fingers aren't always necessary. A decent silicone finishing tool can give you clean, consistent beads without the sticky mess...saved me plenty of headaches over the years.
Masking tape and silicone tools definitely have their place, but honestly, I've found that sometimes the simplest methods work best. A few years back, I was helping my dad seal up some old windows at his cabin—talk about drafty! Anyway, we didn't have any fancy silicone tools handy, just a bowl of soapy water and our fingers. Surprisingly, dipping your finger in soapy water before smoothing the silicone bead works wonders. It prevents sticking, gives you a smooth finish, and you can really feel the bead as you go, adjusting pressure intuitively.
Don't get me wrong, silicone finishing tools are great for consistency, especially if you're doing a lot of windows or long stretches. But there's something to be said for the tactile feedback you get from using your fingers. You can catch imperfections or gaps that a tool might glide right over. Plus, it's one less thing to clean afterward...just rinse your hands and you're done.
Anyway, just my two cents. Sometimes the old-school methods still hold up pretty well.
I've done the finger-and-soapy-water trick too, and it really does work surprisingly well. But one thing I've always wondered about—how do you handle corners neatly without a tool? Every time I've tried, I end up with a bit of a mess or uneven edges. Maybe I'm missing something obvious here...any tips for getting those corners looking sharp without resorting to silicone tools?
I've struggled with corners myself in the past, and honestly, it can be tricky without a dedicated tool. But one thing that helped me was using masking tape. Basically, you tape off both edges around the corner before applying silicone. Then when you smooth it out with your finger and soapy water, you can peel off the tape immediately afterward—just make sure you do it carefully while the silicone is still wet. This usually leaves a really clean, sharp corner.
Another small tip: try not to press too hard when smoothing the silicone into the corner. A gentle, steady pressure tends to give a cleaner finish without pushing silicone out unevenly. It took me a couple of attempts to get comfortable with this method, but now my corners look pretty professional even without special tools.
Hope this helps... good luck!