Caulking Cedar Siding Joints

It needs to move and breathe.

Caulking cedar siding joints.

The hole should be about 3 16 of an inch for most caulking joints. Natural siding boards are designed to expand and contract with the elements and we do not want any adhesive to prevent their natural movement. Where two pieces of siding meet. The answer depends on the manufacturer and installation method used when the siding was first installed.

Butt joints but not all butt joints. Think of a wood home as a living thing. Caulking on the exterior siding joints at the corner board if done carefully does not need to be smoothed with a finger. When you try to restrict either it is at your peril.

A lot of moisture from rain snow misdirected sprinklers or exuberant water fights can get in there enough to do some serious and expensive damage. It dries in just an hour and serves for up to 35 years. I m not a painter but i do install cedar siding and i always caulk all the joints. Caulk by its adhesive nature will try to limit this movement leading to widespread failure and cracking in the caulk over time.

Butt joints are a perfect example of poor joint design they re too small to accommodate a bond breaker so the caulk can t stretch properly once applied but they re also too large to simply leave alone. Most other areas were caulk is necessary should be lightly smoothed with your finger. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. Generally we do not recommend caulking butt joints on cedar siding.

If you re in the market for the best exterior caulk for cedar siding you will appreciate what the red devil 077010 has to offer. Some of the most commonly caulked areas of siding include both corners and crevices as well as some butt joints and window and door trim boards. Siding caulk can be used on several different areas of your exterior siding to help prevent water damage and moisture buildup. If i am installing a prefinished product which i do mostly i use a color osi match caulk.