Caulking Wood Siding Before Painting

Cracks and holes in any surface collect water which causes paint to peel.

Caulking wood siding before painting.

When you take special care with caulking siding before painting you can count on your exterior paint job lasting longer. Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked. Filling cracks and holes with caulk in your home s trim and siding before painting not only makes the paint job look better but also makes the paint last longer. Be sure to work with a reputable and professional painting company in your area to complete this project.

Caulk adheres very well to clean bare wood and vinyl. If you are painting new surfaces prime first then caulk. The places on the exterior of the house that need careful caulking before painting would be the fascia board joints of the overhang. The tiny hole lets out just enough caulk to fill typical small to medium size cracks.

Silicone acrylic latex solvent based elastomeric and butyl rubber to list the most common. The next place would be the soffits or the plywood underneath. Also any butt joints and joints at the peak of diagonal fascia boards. Also avoid caulking tongue and groove siding boards together.

Unfortunately it will not stick well to stained surfaces. 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. These are fine for interior millwork but not the best for exterior jobs. Caulk is a substance designed to seal a joint between two surfaces and to fill small holes.

Particularly at the corners where they are mitered together. If you are working on finished wood do not apply caulk until after you ve primed. Choose the right caulk for the job. A common mistake is to cut off too much of the caulk tube tip leaving a hole that s way too big for most interior caulking work.

It is best to avoid a fast dry acrylic caulking for exteriors use. Under normal circumstances you can apply caulk before priming. Hardie plank butt joints and corner trim areas should be caulked to seal up any exposed joints. Caulking tips the time to caulk is after you have cleaned and repaired any damage to the walls and millwork.

Water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board.