Caulking Siding Tips

Exterior caulking is a lot like interior caulking.

Caulking siding tips.

It will also extend the life of your soffit and fascia boards. When james hardie siding products butt into wood based materials a 1 8 gap will allow for expansion and contraction of the wood based product. Do ride the smooth edge when caulking a seam between a window and textured siding. White caulk on brick or concrete looks terrible.

Elastomeric polyurethane latex or silicone. Caulk behind the fascia boards for a neat finished appearance. The selection in the caulk aisle at home centers is mind boggling but actually choosing the right one is pretty simple. Similar to paint previous coats of.

Brick and concrete caulking tips. If the siding joint is so tight that the caulk only bridges the gap it may split again. It will have to withstand all the extremes that nature can dish out. First we recommend investing in a large good quality caulking gun.

If after reading up on the whats and whens of siding caulk you decide to complete this home improvement task on your own there are a few things you should keep in mind. Diy caulking tips and tricks. And when an outdoor seal fails water gets in and serious trouble follows. Siding is often textured and if you slide the tip of the tube along the bumpy texture the bead of caulk will.

Caulk is by necessity a sticky gooey substance and as such it smudges easily. Is the old caulking removed before new coats are applied. A diyer or a novice painter might attempt to achieve a cleaner look by caulking the siding nails but the nail is guaranteed to push the caulking material out within a few months. But outdoor caulking deserves some extra attention.

And many homeowners over caulk applying caulk where it doesn t belong and potentially compromising the performance of their siding. Start your siding project today. Brick concrete and stone may seem impervious to water but caulking anywhere wood siding meets the siding is critical. Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur.

Sometimes the old caulk in the siding joint is cracked and you need to cut the old caulk out with a razor knife. Most of the caulk on store shelves is basically one of four types. So here are some tips for caulking that lasts. In this instructional video we demonstrate how to use proper caulk techniques on lp smartside products pre finished with diamond kote which recommends dap.

The nails holding up the siding should not be caulked. Siding windows and doors. Here s how to make the right choice.