Caulking Between Wood Siding

The hole should be about 3 16 of an inch for most caulking joints.

Caulking between wood siding.

Any contractor worth their salt knows that you never caulk anywhere where water may need to escape. You never ever caulk the underside of lap siding. Sometimes known as acrylic latex caulk. In my opinion caulking between the seams in any lapped siding either horizontal or vertical is not good practice but not just because of any potential vapor barrier effect.

While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. Caulking on the exterior siding joints at the corner board if done carefully does not need to be smoothed with a finger. Fill in gaps between crown moulding and baseboards. Best for use with drywall wood and masonry.

Flashing acts as a waterproofing layer for this type of siding and caulking will prevent the flashing from doing its job. Caulking them is a mistake and the caulking is likely to fail prematurely. Placing caulk over large portions of wood siding prohibits the natural movement of the wooden panels and can cause extensive damage to the exterior of your home. Many professionals like those at james hardie also agree that you should not use caulk on fiber cement siding unless there is no metal flashing underneath.

Use latex painter s caulk inside of doors and windows or to quickly fill cracks. In fact some manufacturers warranties are void if you do. Seal a door frame in place and seal the subfloor at the bottom of a door frame. Most other areas were caulk is necessary should be lightly smoothed with your finger.

Matt is 100 correct. It needs to move and breathe.