Caulking Lap Siding

Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur.

Caulking lap siding.

Think of a wood home as a living thing. 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. 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. Caulk is by necessity a sticky gooey substance and as such it smudges easily.

And many homeowners over caulk applying caulk where it doesn t belong and potentially compromising the performance of their siding. Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board. While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. It needs to move and breathe.

How to caulk the window trim on lap siding 1. 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. Caulking your home s siding is a simple process but not necessarily a foolproof one. Use a keyhole or reciprocating saw with a fine tooth blade to remove enough material from one of the pieces of lap siding.

Scrape the side of the window trim next to the siding and the immediate edge of the lap siding with a paint scraper. Slide a piece of metal sheeting behind the butt joint. 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. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity.

Create a proper 3 16 space at minimum between the two pieces of siding. Caulking at the horizontal overlaps is not recommended because it impedes these drainage and drying mechanisms inherent to lap siding.