Caulking Cedar Siding Seams

The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity.

Caulking cedar siding seams.

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. Use when installing bath fixtures to seal gaps between shower tiles between sinks and counters and around the base of the toilet. If overused or incorrectly placed siding caulk can cause more damage to your exterior than good. When caulking seams between windows and masonry siding including basement windows and windows on stucco or brick homes you ll need an exterior caulk that s compatible with.

Generally we do not recommend caulking butt joints on cedar siding. It is generally not a good idea to use caulking on wood siding. 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. If i am installing a prefinished product which i do mostly i use a color osi match caulk.

Paintable silicone caulk can be used around the outside of window units to properly seal the window and the siding edge or around the entire door unit. Use around sinks tubs and showers. The answer depends on the manufacturer and installation method used when the siding was first installed. Because the staing will tint the caulk slightly.

I m not a painter but i do install cedar siding and i always caulk all the joints. Grumpy chicago gutters. Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur. 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. Don t use a filler like wood filler as it will not move with the cedar siding. It needs to move and breathe.