Success With Caulking
By Steve Maxwell
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Despite the fact that caulking formulations have never been better, real-world caulking performance hasn’t kept pace with this increased potential. Caulking still has a well-deserved reputation for being a goopy, stop-gap product that never lasts as long as lifespan ratings promise. This is especially true of caulking used in exterior situations, though it doesn’t have to be this way. Caulking can be counted upon for the long haul if it’s chosen well and applied correctly. But success depends on more than just snipping the end of a tube and squeezing the caulking gun trigger until your hand hurts. You’ve got to understand a few things that aren’t obvious, and make allowances for what this understanding reveals.
Although there is a technical distinction between the words caulking and sealant, the terms are used almost interchangeably in the trade. So, to keep things simple, I’ll use the word caulking exclusively for all gunnable sealing products that come from a caulking tube and are designed to fill building gaps and cracks. No point in getting unnecessarily complicated.
Why Caulking Fails
Think about the exterior caulking jobs you’ve seen over the years. How many are still keeping water out 5, 3 or even 2 years after application? Probably no more than half do what they’re supposed to do for the long haul, and that means premature failure of building envelopes as water seeps into places where it shouldn’t be. Regardless of the product involved, the cause of exterior caulking failure is almost always the same: poorly managed expansion/contraction issues. Caulking manufacturers have remained almost completely silent on this at the retail level, though you have to wonder why since lack if understanding makes so many caulking installations fail. Maybe they think the public isn't prepared to sit still long enough to appreciate the subtleties involved. Maybe caulking performance doesn't have enough to do with sales. Whatever the reason, it's the same old story. If you want top-notch results, you have to educate yourself beyond common knowledge and see that things are done correctly.
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Success With Caulking
By Steve Maxwell
|
|
|
Despite the fact that caulking formulations have never been better, real-world caulking performance hasn’t kept pace with this increased potential. Caulking still has a well-deserved reputation for being a goopy, stop-gap product that never lasts as long as lifespan ratings promise. This is especially true of caulking used in exterior situations, though it doesn’t have to be this way. Caulking can be counted upon for the long haul if it’s chosen well and applied correctly. But success depends on more than just snipping the end of a tube and squeezing the caulking gun trigger until your hand hurts. You’ve got to understand a few things that aren’t obvious, and make allowances for what this understanding reveals.
Although there is a technical distinction between the words caulking and sealant, the terms are used almost interchangeably in the trade. So, to keep things simple, I’ll use the word caulking exclusively for all gunnable sealing products that come from a caulking tube and are designed to fill building gaps and cracks. No point in getting unnecessarily complicated.
Why Caulking Fails
Think about the exterior caulking jobs you’ve seen over the years. How many are still keeping water out 5, 3 or even 2 years after application? Probably no more than half do what they’re supposed to do for the long haul, and that means premature failure of building envelopes as water seeps into places where it shouldn’t be. Regardless of the product involved, the cause of exterior caulking failure is almost always the same: poorly managed expansion/contraction issues. Caulking manufacturers have remained almost completely silent on this at the retail level, though you have to wonder why since lack if understanding makes so many caulking installations fail. Maybe they think the public isn't prepared to sit still long enough to appreciate the subtleties involved. Maybe caulking performance doesn't have enough to do with sales. Whatever the reason, it's the same old story. If you want top-notch results, you have to educate yourself beyond common knowledge and see that things are done correctly. |
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