Caulk Wood Plank Siding Before Painting

For best results use caulks that comply with either astm.

Caulk wood plank siding before painting.

When exterior caulking becomes defective it allows moisture and rain to seep between siding boards behind the trim and eventually reach the drywall of the interior. A high quality paintable caulk is recommended. Basically any crack on the exterior of the house should be filled. This can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to eradicate.

Let the caulk cure for a few days before power washing the exterior. Similar to paint previous coats of. Caulk adheres very well to clean bare wood and vinyl. Unfortunately it will not stick well to stained surfaces.

The different kinds of caulking for your home. If doing so exposes bare wood recaulk all cracks between any two nonmoving materials. This allows for the caulk to get in and fill the gap correctly. Sometimes the old caulk in the siding joint is cracked and you need to cut the old caulk out with a razor knife.

For regular hardiplank lap siding the kind you paint after installation caulking at butt joints is optional. This is the beginning of rotting wood water stains mold and mildew and possible flooring damage. Under normal circumstances you can apply caulk before priming. Is the old caulking removed before new coats are applied.

The nails holding up the siding should not be caulked. Scrape away any peeling paint adjacent to the caulked areas. Don t caulk the horizontal joints on siding where the siding courses overlap. This from installation instructions.

Old caulking that has failed and allowed water to migrate behind the siding can cause wood rot decay and if left undetected mold will most likely grow in your walls. For caulk that will be painted over a latex caulk should be used. Caulk should dry before painting over it otherwise it can cause new paint to crack and warp. However if you re working on certain surfaces the caulk will not stick without a primer base coat.

Caulk and seal all cracks in the siding as well as any open seams joints or gaps with a quality acrylic or siliconized acrylic caulk. Unlike similar sounding silicone caulks siliconized acrylic caulks can be painted so they enhance the finished appearance of the paint job. If the siding joint is so tight that the caulk only bridges the gap it may split again. Some specialty caulks may need a primer before paint is applied but most caulking is paintable.