Caulking Wood Siding Before Painting

A diyer or a novice painter might attempt to achieve a cleaner look by caulking the siding nails but the nail is guaranteed to push the caulking material out within a few months.

Caulking wood siding before painting.

Is the old caulking removed before new coats are applied. Don t caulk the horizontal joints on siding where the siding courses overlap. The tiny hole lets out just enough caulk to fill typical small to medium size cracks. When you re filling small cracks to prepare for painting cut the tip carefully to keep the hole tiny about 1 16 in.

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. Caulk should dry before painting over it otherwise it can cause new paint to crack and warp. Work efficiently by following each step. Also any butt joints and joints at the peak of diagonal fascia boards.

If doing so exposes bare wood recaulk all cracks between any two nonmoving materials. The places on the exterior of the house that need careful caulking before painting would be the fascia board joints of the overhang. Scrape away any peeling paint adjacent to the caulked areas. The next place would be the soffits or the plywood underneath.

For caulk that will be painted over a latex caulk should be used. Before beginning a do it yourself painting project learn the proper preparation procedures or you may end up making the job harder than necessary. Some specialty caulks may need a primer before paint is applied but most caulking is paintable. Old caulking that has failed and allowed water to migrate behind the siding can cause wood rot decay and if left undetected mold will most likely grow in your walls.

Particularly at the corners where they are mitered together. There are several different types of caulking on the market. This can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to eradicate. Let the caulk cure for a few days before power washing the exterior.

The different kinds of caulking for your home.