How to Caulk your Little Free Library Book-Sharing Box

If your Little Free Library book-sharing box has been well-used for a few years, or perhaps you live in a snowy or rainy climate, one way to make sure you have dry books for years to come is to caulk the seems of your Little Library. Caulk is a waterproof sealant and filler, usually made from silicone or acrylic latex, and applying it around the edges of your library that is a great (and easy!) way to weather-proof it.

How to apply caulk to your library?

You really only need two supplies to caulk your library: Caulk and a caulk-gun! But if you want cleaner beads of caulk and minimal clean up, it’s helpful to use painters tape as well. Make sure you have exterior caulk, and additionally that is is suitable for painted surfaces. We recommend using a clear caulk, but for visual purposes, a white caulk is used in the videos below.

To start, place painters tape around the edges of the library you will be caulking. Do this so only the joint you want caulked (or the edge) is revealed.

Once the tape is applied, caulk away! Here is a helpful video to follow if you’re not sure how to use a caulk gun.

Once you have caulked all edges of the side you are working on, smooth out the bead of caulk with a wet finger to give it a more polished finished.

Lastly, remove your tape. Upon tape removal, some caulk residue may have been smeared. If this is the case, simply wipe it up with a wet paper towel.

Now you can enjoy your freshly-caulked book-sharing box! This will help your library stay weather-proof for years to come, which of course, means more books to be shared! For more tips on how to winterize your library, click here, or learn how to start your own Little Free Library as well!