Caulking Between Wood Siding

Fill in gaps between crown moulding and baseboards.

Caulking between wood siding.

Caulking them is a mistake and the caulking is likely to fail prematurely. While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. Think of a wood home as a living thing. In fact some manufacturers warranties are void if you do.

Use latex painter s caulk inside of doors and windows or to quickly fill cracks. 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. Sometimes known as acrylic latex caulk. 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.

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. It needs to move and breathe. Matt is 100 correct. Most other areas were caulk is necessary should be lightly smoothed with your finger.

Flashing acts as a waterproofing layer for this type of siding and caulking will prevent the flashing from doing its job. Seal a door frame in place and seal the subfloor at the bottom of a door frame. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. You never ever caulk the underside of lap siding.

Any contractor worth their salt knows that you never caulk anywhere where water may need to escape. The hole should be about 3 16 of an inch for most caulking joints.