Caulking Siding Joints

25 4 mm on overlap no caulk figure 1.

Caulking siding joints.

Those joints need to be protected somehow. While as a diyer you might be obsessing about your caulking skill truth be told that will not matter if you don t have the right caulk. Should they always be caulked. If overused or incorrectly placed siding caulk can cause more damage to your exterior than good.

There s no way around regular maintenance of those siding butt joints unless you want to completely remove the siding and install joint flashing. The answer depends on the manufacturer and installation method used when the siding was first installed. These siding joints can be caulked successfully if the gap is wide enough for the caulk to get into the crack. Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur.

Sometimes the old caulk in the siding joint is cracked and you need to cut the old caulk out with a razor knife. 152 4 mm wide 1 in. If the siding joint is so tight that the caulk only bridges the gap it may split again. Where two pieces of siding meet.

When deciding how to use caulk on your siding however it is generally more important to consider where you should not use it. Natural siding boards are designed to expand and contract. Caulk backer rods are lengths of foam that help fill large gaps before caulking. 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.

Caulk is the durable waterproof paste that s used as a sealant in joints and gaps to keep dirt pests moisture and exterior air at bay. Butt joints but not all butt joints. Deterioration of the caulking in the joint has become a maintenance issue for home owners over time. Apply these strips in place of traditional caulk or over already caulked joints for a finished appearance.

James hardie also does not recommend applying caulk to the horizontal overlap between siding planks see figure 2. Although i do not understand why they have not changed the information about caulking in the instruction manual. Generally we do not recommend caulking butt joints on cedar siding. Joint flashing is recommended for all hardie lap siding now.