Caulking Old Cedar Siding

The nails holding up the siding should not be caulked.

Caulking old cedar siding.

Other technical resources can be found elsewhere on their website. If overused or incorrectly placed siding caulk can cause more damage to your exterior than good. If you re shopping for the best caulk for cedar siding here is what to look out for. I m not a painter but i do install cedar siding and i always caulk all the joints.

Caulk by its adhesive nature will try to limit this movement leading to widespread failure and cracking in the caulk over time. Caulk comes in two forms. Below is a link to their installation guide. If your house has siding on the exteriors caulk is a product you might want to install.

Is the old caulking removed before new coats are applied. But if done incorrectly it can lend a sloppy amateurish look. The wood s structural integrity will remain unless the wood is exposed to excessive moisture which can cause curling cracking and wood rot. When you try to restrict either it is at your peril.

The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. If i am installing a prefinished product which i do mostly i use a color osi match caulk. Left unstained cedar s red hue will fade to gray within about a year. It seals the spaces thereby protecting your home from invasion by pests and keeping the moisture and cold outside.

Caulking windows to give them a finished look inside and out and seal out leaks and drafts is a fairly common diy task. It needs to move and breathe. Similar to paint previous coats of. While cedar stands up to the elements fairly well on its own putting a seal or a coat of paint on it can enhance the color and protect the wood from inclement weather.

Grumpy chicago gutters. Basic maintenance repair and painting of cedar wood siding using gardner flex n fill and behr premium plus exterior paint. 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 i install a non finished product i usually go with a 3m paintable caulk.

When deciding how to use caulk on your siding however it is generally more important to consider where you should not use it. It is generally not a good idea to use caulking on wood siding.