Caulking Between Wood Siding

Fill in gaps between crown moulding and baseboards.

Caulking between wood siding.

While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. Any contractor worth their salt knows that you never caulk anywhere where water may need to escape. Seal a door frame in place and seal the subfloor at the bottom of a door frame. Use latex painter s caulk inside of doors and windows or to quickly fill cracks.

Most other areas were caulk is necessary should be lightly smoothed with your finger. You never ever caulk the underside of lap siding. 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 on the exterior siding joints at the corner board if done carefully does not need to be smoothed with a finger. In fact some manufacturers warranties are void if you do. Matt is 100 correct. 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.

The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board. 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. It needs to move and breathe.

The hole should be about 3 16 of an inch for most caulking joints. Sometimes known as acrylic latex caulk.