Caulking Siding Tips

Should they always be caulked.

Caulking siding tips.

This stuff won t dry out in extreme conditions and it sticks to. White caulk on brick or concrete looks terrible. Your house s siding naturally expands and contracts and caulking it all together prevents this movement. Caulking on the exterior siding joints at the corner board if done carefully does not need to be smoothed with a finger.

Siding caulk can be used on several different areas of your exterior siding to. Siding windows and doors. 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. What must be caulked caulking corners.

Do not caulk the underside of your siding i e caulk each piece of siding to the one beneath it. Choosing the right caulk for your siding. 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. Water can seep in around butt joints and trim so these areas need to be caulked.

You can also use caulk to repair cracks in your siding. There are a few different tools available like a caulking gun or a squeezable tube. Remove after tooling but before the caulk dries. Moisture likes to hide in corners edges and under ledges.

Butt joints but not all butt joints. This is a must do for all houses. Trim boards wood windows. For new homes or areas that have never been caulked apply the clear caulking after the painting is finished.

When searching for the right kind of caulk for your exterior siding quality. Everything you need to know when to use caulk on exterior siding. If the hole in the tube is too large you will find yourself removing an excessive amount of caulk. Use an elastomeric or rubberized product.

Here s how to make the right choice. If you have any large gaps in the concrete consider using gray urethane or siliconized acrylic concrete caulking. For an even neater bead line the joints with blue painter s tape. Most other areas were caulk is necessary should be lightly smoothed with your finger.

Now comes the fun part. Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur. Both work a little differently always squeeze a bit of caulk out on a piece of scrap material to test it first.