Caulking Old Wood Siding

Most of the caulk on store shelves is basically one of four types.

Caulking old wood siding.

Be sure to remove any caulk where the siding overlaps as old houses need to breathe. Siding windows and doors. Carefully use a pry bar to remove the siding. Placing caulk over large portions of wood siding prohibits the natural movement of the wooden panels and can cause extensive damage to the exterior.

Score the calk on the edges as the ends split easily. Wash it down with a hose once the caulk has dried the outbuilding can be given a good rinsing with a garden hose and scrub brush to knock off dirt sawdust and other debris that may prevent paint. Sometimes the old caulk in the siding joint is cracked and you need to cut the old caulk out with a razor knife. These siding joints can be caulked successfully if the gap is wide enough for the caulk to get into the crack.

Removing all the silicone is difficult to accomplish as there is almost always some residue and when you remove it from wood it inevitably grips onto the wood fibers and pulls them with it resulting in a mutilated work piece that requires lots of repair. Apply an epoxy consolidant to soft wood and coat the rest with. In the old days the builder would install the trim bring the siding up to it and caulk the corner. Remove the old siding.

It needs to move and breathe. Elastomeric polyurethane latex or silicone. Fill any dents and holes with either a wood or epoxy filler. It is generally not a good idea to use caulking on wood siding.

On most new homes the trim goes up after the siding is installed which creates a large gap that should not be caulked. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. The selection in the caulk aisle at home centers is mind boggling but actually choosing the right one is pretty simple. When you try to restrict either it is at your peril.

If the siding joint is so tight that the caulk only bridges the gap it may split again. Pull out loose nails and renail using stainless steel siding nails. As homeowners with this kind of siding know wood naturally expands and contracts with fluctuations in temperature and precipitation. Painting and repairing old wood siding step by step.

Here s how to make the right choice. When it comes to things like old windows traditional glazing putty is a much better choice. The caulk not only protects the wood but gives a nice clean look to the architectural details of the structure by removing shadow lines. Trim boards that sit on top the siding.