How do you caulk vertical siding?

Caulk wood siding around trim and at butt joints or other places with unsightly gaps….

1. 3.1 1. Gather Materials.
2. 3.2 2. Clean Area.
3. 3.3 3. Install Backer Rod.
4. 3.4 4. Run Bead of Caulk Along Cracks.
5. 3.5 5. Use Finger/Foam Brush to Smooth Caulk.
6. 3.6 6. Clean Off Excess Caulk.

Should you caulk vertical 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. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. Think of a wood home as a living thing. It needs to move and breathe.

How do you caulk board and batten siding?

How to Caulk Board and Batten Siding

1. Choose an exterior-grade acrylic latex or a synthetic rubber caulk.
2. Begin caulking on a dry day when you don’t expect rain as rain and damp conditions can interfere with the curing process.
3. Brush dust from the joints you plan to caulk, using an old paintbrush.

Do you caulk exterior Board Batten?

For cement board and batten siding, installation requires the battens to be caulked.

Should you caulk siding joints?

Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together, caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. Also, avoid caulking tongue-and-groove siding boards together.

Do you caulk Hardie board siding?

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.

Do you caulk Hardie board joints?

Joint-flashing material must be durable, waterproof material that does not react with cement based products. Other products may also be suitable. James Hardie DOES NOT recommend using caulk or “H”-jointers for the butt joints of HardiePlank® siding with ColorPlus® technology.

Should you caulk batten siding?

If the structural panels under the battens are side lapped at the joint there is no reason to caulk them. Individual boards (and battens) should not be caulked for expansion/contraction.

Do you need to caulk Hardie board and batten?

Ugly Caulking 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.

Where should you not caulk?

What must be caulked

• Caulking Corners.
• Butt-joints…. but not all Butt-joints.
• Trim boards & Wood Windows.
• Garage door trim – but never any part of the garage door itself.
• Imperfections on the Siding.
• Window weep hole should not be caulked.
• Garage door panels should not be caulked.
• Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked.

Should you caulk the bottom of siding?

Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked. Water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board. While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together, caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. Also, avoid caulking tongue-and-groove siding boards together.

Can You caulk over James Hardie siding?

James Hardie DOES NOT recommend using caulk or “H”-jointers for the butt joints of HardiePlank® siding with ColorPlus® technology. James Hardie also DOES NOT recommend applying caulk to the horizontal overlap between siding planks (see Figure 2). For complete installation information visit

Do you have to caulk butt joints on cedar siding?

We only caulk butt-joints on cedar siding if previously caulked. Fiber cement boards are caulked only when there is no metal flashing behind them. Some manufacturers do not require the metal flashing, therefore, we caulk the butt joint to keep the pieces together and also prevent moisture. Pretty much all trim joints need to be sealed.

Where do you apply caulking on a house?

In other words, caulking is applied where moisture would otherwise penetrate and cause deterioration. In this article, we will go over typically caulked areas on the exterior typical Northwest style homes, and also areas that should never be sealed. This is a must do for all houses.