What to Look for in Exterior Caulk – Today’s Homeowner

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The aim of a sealant, or caulk, on the outside of a house is to seal gaps that permit air and moisture to infiltrate the construction of the house.

That appears easy sufficient, however the actuality of constructing supplies is that they’re continuously shifting.

Adjustments in temperature and humidity trigger them to repeatedly broaden and contract which implies the scale of these gaps is continually altering.

Which means that the caulk filling these gaps is recurrently being stretched and squeezed, so if it dries arduous it can crack inside a season or two because of the motion. To have any longevity in an exterior setting, a sealant wants to stay versatile even after it dries.

As a result of most houses are comprised of many various kinds of supplies, the gaps that must be crammed are sometimes between utterly totally different constructing supplies. So, a profitable exterior caulk additionally must bond, or adhere, nicely to all kinds of supplies and floor textures.

As a result of an exterior sealant could be very seen, it’s additionally necessary for it to mix aesthetically with your property. Some caulk choices are very versatile however can’t be painted and solely are available in just a few colours. Whereas there are many “paintable” caulk choices, a lot of them dry comparatively arduous inside just a few months.

Resolution: Elastomeric Caulk

Elastomeric caulk is a good answer as a result of it has the flexibility to stretch.

Titebond DuraMaster High Performance Sealant, seen sticking between a brick and a piece of molding

Titebond has addressed all these points with their new all-purpose exterior sealant known as TiteShield.

It’s an elastomeric caulk which, because the title implies, can stretch even after it’s utterly dry. The truth is, TiteShield can broaden and contract as much as 50% of the joint measurement whereas masking gaps as much as two inches in width.