Caulking Points

February 13, 2007

While caulks and sealants don't get as much attention as other household products, they are valuable allies that can protect your home from costly moisture damage, seal out energy-draining drafts and give your projects a quality finish.

Here's some helpful advice as to how you can put this relatively inexpensive and easy-to-apply product to use around your home.

Exterior Weatherproofing
Caulk is used on the home's exterior to seal out moisture and outside air; at the same time, it helps keep costly heat and air conditioning indoors. Were it not for the tight moisture barrier created by caulking, rain and snow could seep into gaps and joints, causing wood to rot and paint to blister. Areas that may need exterior sealing include those where:

• window and door frames meet siding or an exterior wall;
• wood panels come together around window and door frames, especially where vertical frames contact the sill plates;
• different types of building materials meet, e.g. wood siding against brick;
• siding meets foundation;
• wood, vinyl or aluminum siding forms corner joints;
• gaps and cracks are present in siding, stucco, masonry or foundation; and
• there are vent ducts, air conditioners, and openings for plumbing or wiring.

Interior Finishing
Do you think of caulk as an exterior product only? Think again! Use caulk inside the home to give rooms a visually pleasing, "finished" look. Here are some of the places to apply caulk for finishing purposes:

• around crown molding, chair rails and baseboards;
• around door and window frames; in mitred corners
• (gaps where two pieces of molding come together at an angle) to fill small wall cracks

Article courtesy of The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute

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