Caulking Lap Siding

Slide a piece of metal sheeting behind the butt joint.

Caulking lap siding.

Some of the most commonly caulked areas of siding include both corners and crevices as well as some butt joints and window and door trim boards. How to caulk the window trim on lap siding 1. When to use caulk on exterior siding siding caulk can be used on several different areas of your exterior siding to help prevent water damage and moisture buildup. And many homeowners over caulk applying caulk where it doesn t belong and potentially compromising the performance of their siding.

Scrape the side of the window trim next to the siding and the immediate edge of the lap siding with a paint scraper. While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board. 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.

Caulking them is a mistake and the caulking is likely to fail prematurely. Pull the tip of the caulk tube slowly along the joint of the window trim and the siding holding the caulk gun at a. 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. The fundamental principle of water management is to shed water by layering materials in such a way that water is directed downwards and outwards out of the building or away from the building.

Caulking at the horizontal overlaps is not recommended because it impedes these drainage and drying mechanisms inherent to lap siding. Caulking your home s siding is a simple process but not necessarily a foolproof one. Caulk is by necessity a sticky gooey substance and as such it smudges easily. Use a keyhole or reciprocating saw with a fine tooth blade to remove enough material from one of the pieces of lap siding.

Think of a wood home as a living thing. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity.