My $12 caulk gun cost me $200 in water damage

So I found out last weekend that caulk guns have a 'drip-free' mechanism that actually matters... I used the cheapest one from the clearance bin at Ace Hardware in Portland and it kept oozing silicone even after I stopped pulling the trigger. Ended up with a mess in the shower that let water seep behind the tile. Has anyone else found out the hard way that cheap tools cost more in the long run?

2 comments

2 Comments

wrenstone18d ago

Honestly this is one of those life lessons that applies to way more than just caulk guns. Tbh, I've noticed the same thing with paint brushes, screwdrivers, even dish sponges. Like, saving three bucks on a cheap version of something always seems to bite you in the ass later with double the headache or cost. Ngl, I think the whole "buy cheap, buy twice" thing is a real pattern in how people learn to not be dumb with money and time. It's like the universe has a tax for being cheap, and you just paid it with water damage.

faithjones18d ago

The whole "buy cheap, buy twice" thing is definitely real. I learned it the hard way with a cheap paint sprayer that clogged halfway through a fence job, had to trash it and buy a better one the same day @wrenstone. Since then I just pay a little extra upfront for anything I'll use more than once and its saved me a lot of hassle.