Caulking Lap Siding

Caulk is by necessity a sticky gooey substance and as such it smudges easily.

Caulking lap siding.

Is the old caulking removed before new coats are applied. Think of a wood home as a living thing. 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. If overused or incorrectly placed siding caulk can cause more damage to your exterior than good.

Joint flashing butt joint horizontal lap treatment june 2014 james hardie does not recommend caulking butt joints or the horizontal overlaps joint flashing 6 in. Similar to paint previous coats of. It needs to move and breathe. It is generally not a good idea to use caulking on wood siding.

James hardie also does not recommend applying caulk to the horizontal overlap between siding planks see figure 2. And many homeowners over caulk applying caulk where it doesn t belong and potentially compromising the performance of their siding. Caulk by its adhesive nature will try to limit this movement leading to widespread failure and cracking in the caulk over time. 152 4 mm wide 1 in.

In this instructional video we demonstrate how to use proper caulk techniques on lp smartside products pre finished with diamond kote which recommends dap. 25 4 mm on overlap no caulk figure 1. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. The nails holding up the siding should not be caulked.

Caulking your home s siding is a simple process but not necessarily a foolproof one. Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur. When james hardie siding products butt into wood based materials a 1 8 gap will allow for expansion and contraction of the wood based product. Whether you are repainting replacing a window or replacing the siding on your house the caulking around the window trim is a very important element.