Caulking Siding Tips

Butt joints but not all butt joints.

Caulking siding tips. White caulk on brick or concrete looks terrible. This stuff won t dry out in extreme conditions and it sticks to. Should they always be caulked. Smooth the caulk as you go along.

If the hole in the tube is too large you will find yourself removing an excessive amount of caulk. For new homes or areas that have never been caulked apply the clear caulking after the painting is finished. Siding windows and doors. Where two pieces of siding meet.

Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur. Trim boards wood windows. Now comes the fun part. You can also use caulk to repair cracks in your siding.

Everything you need to know when to use caulk on exterior siding. Both work a little differently always squeeze a bit of caulk out on a piece of scrap material to test it first. When searching for the right kind of caulk for your exterior siding quality. Water can seep in around butt joints and trim so these areas need to be caulked.

Use an elastomeric or rubberized product. 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. If you have any large gaps in the concrete consider using gray urethane or siliconized acrylic concrete caulking. Use a damp foam brush a trowel a beading tool or your trusty fingers to create a good lookin bead and ensure the caulk is sticking to the sides of the joint properly.

Tool smooth the caulk. Most other areas were caulk is necessary should be lightly smoothed with your finger. Here s how to make the right choice. Choosing the right caulk for your siding.

Caulking on the exterior siding joints at the corner board if done carefully does not need to be smoothed with a finger. Your house s siding naturally expands and contracts and caulking it all together prevents this movement. For an even neater bead line the joints with blue painter s tape. Do not caulk the underside of your siding i e caulk each piece of siding to the one beneath it.

What must be caulked caulking corners. Siding caulk can be used on several different areas of your exterior siding to. Moisture likes to hide in corners edges and under ledges.