Caulking Wood Siding Before Painting

Some specialty caulks may need a primer before paint is applied but most caulking is paintable.

Caulking wood siding before painting.

There are several different types of caulking on the market. If doing so exposes bare wood recaulk all cracks between any two nonmoving materials. Work efficiently by following each step. Let the caulk cure for a few days before power washing the exterior.

When you re filling small cracks to prepare for painting cut the tip carefully to keep the hole tiny about 1 16 in. The different kinds of caulking for your home. Scrape away any peeling paint adjacent to the caulked areas. Caulk should dry before painting over it otherwise it can cause new paint to crack and warp.

Also any butt joints and joints at the peak of diagonal fascia boards. The tiny hole lets out just enough caulk to fill typical small to medium size cracks. Similar to paint previous coats of. The nails holding up the siding should not be caulked.

A common mistake is to cut off too much of the caulk tube tip leaving a hole that s way too big for most interior caulking work. Don t caulk the horizontal joints on siding where the siding courses overlap. Though you can prime before or after caulking under normal circumstances priming first yields better results. For caulk that will be painted over a latex caulk should be used.

The places on the exterior of the house that need careful caulking before painting would be the fascia board joints of the overhang. This can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to eradicate. Old caulking that has failed and allowed water to migrate behind the siding can cause wood rot decay and if left undetected mold will most likely grow in your walls. Is the old caulking removed before new coats are applied.

Before beginning a do it yourself painting project learn the proper preparation procedures or you may end up making the job harder than necessary.