Caulking Wood Shingle Siding

A specialty caulk for outdoor use only.

Caulking wood shingle siding.

To finish your shingle siding apply two or more coats of sealer or two coats of primer. It needs to move and breathe. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. Dap alex plus 12 pack 10 1 oz white paintable latex caulk.

Best for use with aluminum metal concrete mortar plastics rubber stone vinyl and exterior wood. Sealing for natural weathering if you prefer weathered cedar s grey color but want a more uniform color than what comes naturally you can seal the cedar using bleaching oils. Cover as much of the wood as you can with sealant using a small brush to get into the spaces between panels if the siding is already installed. Caulking them is a mistake and the caulking is likely to fail prematurely.

Siding caulk can be used on several different areas of your exterior siding to help prevent water damage and moisture buildup. The best exterior caulk for roofing construction and repairs since it can withstand extreme temperatures and creates a strong insulating and water tight seal. If desired paint the shingles taking care to cover all surfaces evenly. Do ride the smooth edge when caulking a seam between a window and textured siding.

Once all the shingles are installed apply caulk at all the trim joints. Caulk is a substance designed to seal a joint between two surfaces and to fill small holes. 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. 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.

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. 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. Think of a wood home as a living thing.

Siding is often textured and if you slide the tip of the tube along the bumpy texture the bead of caulk will.