Caulking Lap Siding Bottom Edge

While a diyer or a novice painter might attempt to produce a cleaner look by.

Caulking lap siding bottom edge.

The panel siding tends to do better than the lap siding because there is no drip edge for water to cling to. Window weep hole should not be caulked. Refer to the colorplus touch up section for details do not use caulk on hardieplank lap siding with colorplus technology. Lp siding products also come in sheets in when water runs down the face of the siding it tends to hang on the bottom edge wicking up and causing the bottom edges to swell and delaminate.

Designed to let water out of your windows these small openings should never be. Trim boards that sit on top the siding. 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. Garage door panels should not be caulked.

For the same reason do not caulk exposed nail heads. The bottom edge of lp lap siding is where the failure is first evident. All penetrations such as over driven fasteners and site cut edges of siding need to be sealed with caulk and paint. Wherever hardie siding meets a trim board the company recommends you leave a 1 8 gap between the siding and the trim and apply a 3 8 bead of approved caulking to protect and seal the edge of the siding.

The corner boards and the ends of the siding are nailed to the corner studs which anchors the wood for a maintenance free joint. One way to prolong the useful life of the siding is to keep it well maintained. Think of a wood home as a living thing. Caulking at hardieplank lap siding butt joints is not recommended for colorplus for aesthetic reasons as the caulking and colorplus will weather differently.

The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. Corner boards are applied to the sheathing with siding fitting tightly against the narrow edge of the boards allowing for expansion and an adequate caulking bead.