Caulking Wood Siding Before Painting

Also any butt joints and joints at the peak of diagonal fascia boards.

Caulking wood siding before painting.

When you re filling small cracks to prepare for painting cut the tip carefully to keep the hole tiny about 1 16 in. Particularly at the corners where they are mitered together. When you take special care with caulking siding before painting you can count on your exterior paint job lasting longer. Filling cracks and holes with caulk in your home s trim and siding before painting not only makes the paint job look better but also makes the paint last longer.

Unfortunately it will not stick well to stained surfaces. It is best to avoid a fast dry acrylic caulking for exteriors use. Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked. The tiny hole lets out just enough caulk to fill typical small to medium size cracks.

Cracks and holes in any surface collect water which causes paint to peel. Be sure to work with a reputable and professional painting company in your area to complete this project. Caulk adheres very well to clean bare wood and vinyl. Caulking tips the time to caulk is after you have cleaned and repaired any damage to the walls and millwork.

The next place would be the soffits or the plywood underneath. Also avoid caulking tongue and groove siding boards together. If you are painting new surfaces prime first then caulk. The places on the exterior of the house that need careful caulking before painting would be the fascia board joints of the overhang.

A common mistake is to cut off too much of the caulk tube tip leaving a hole that s way too big for most interior caulking work. However if you re working on certain surfaces the caulk will not stick without a primer base coat. Caulk is a substance designed to seal a joint between two surfaces and to fill small holes. John burbidge author of the book watching paint dry shows how to properly caulk windows doors and cornerboards on the exterior of a house prior to pain.

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. Silicone acrylic latex solvent based elastomeric and butyl rubber to list the most common. Hardie plank butt joints and corner trim areas should be caulked to seal up any exposed joints.

Choose the right caulk for the job.