Caulking Tips Exterior Siding

You can also use caulk to repair cracks in your siding.

Caulking tips exterior siding.

Water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board. When to use caulk on exterior siding siding caulk can be used on several different areas of your exterior siding to help prevent water damage and moisture buildup. In the summer you re caulk tubs and showers that mildewed during the winter and spring. Caulking is a year round job.

Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur. Brick concrete and stone may seem impervious to water but caulking anywhere wood siding meets the siding is critical. 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 ride the middle or the rough surface siding the caulking will duplicate the bumps sometimes in an exaggerated way.

Caulk won t stick well to dirty surfaces. If you have any large gaps in the concrete consider using gray urethane or siliconized acrylic concrete caulking. Ride the tip on the smooth surface when one of the surfaces you re caulking is rougher than the other try to ride the tip on the smoother surface the brick mold in this case. Start with a clean crack.

John burbidge author of the book watching paint dry shows how to properly caulk windows doors and cornerboards on the exterior of a house prior to pain. If the hole in the tube is too large you will find yourself removing an excessive amount of caulk. 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. Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked.

How to use a caulk gun. Caulking on the exterior siding joints at the corner board if done carefully does not need to be smoothed with a finger. Most other areas were caulk is necessary should be lightly smoothed with your finger. You may not get cracks completely clean but the cleaner the better.

Do not caulk the underside of your siding i e caulk each piece of siding to the one beneath it. On siding and trim dig out any loose paint caulk or other crud then sweep them with a dry paintbrush or better yet blast them with a compressor and an air nozzle. While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. Your house s siding naturally expands and contracts and caulking it all together prevents this movement.