Caulking Cedar Siding Joints

Most other areas were caulk is necessary should be lightly smoothed with your finger.

Caulking cedar siding joints.

Think of a wood home as a living thing. If i install a non finished product i usually go with a 3m paintable caulk. Generally we do not recommend caulking butt joints on cedar siding. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity.

Caulking on the exterior siding joints at the corner board if done carefully does not need to be smoothed with a finger. Natural siding boards are designed to expand and contract with the elements and we do not want any adhesive to prevent their natural movement. Should they always be caulked. Caulk by its adhesive nature will try to limit this movement leading to widespread failure and cracking in the caulk over time.

A lot of moisture from rain snow misdirected sprinklers or exuberant water fights can get in there enough to do some serious and expensive damage. The answer depends on the manufacturer and installation method used when the siding was first installed. This is a high performance formula that comes in a 10 1 oz bottle. Butt joints are a perfect example of poor joint design they re too small to accommodate a bond breaker so the caulk can t stretch properly once applied but they re also too large to simply leave alone.

Where two pieces of siding meet. If i am installing a prefinished product which i do mostly i use a color osi match caulk. It needs to move and breathe. The hole should be about 3 16 of an inch for most caulking joints.

If you re in the market for the best exterior caulk for cedar siding you will appreciate what the red devil 077010 has to offer. Siding caulk can be used on several different areas of your exterior siding to help prevent water damage and moisture buildup. Butt joints but not all butt joints. When you try to restrict either it is at your peril.