Caulk and wood siding
 

PGG wrote:
I've noticed light and drafts coming in my basement between the threshold
between the foundation and the walls. On a whim I bought this caulk-like
product that expands. I did the bottom edge of my wood siding (the edge
between the bottom piece and the foundation).

However now I'm flipping through the notes I took while doing the home
inspection, and I have written down "never caulk cracks in the wood
siding".

Anybody know what he is talking about?

Was caulking between the bottom wood siding piece and the foundation bad?

Maybe. Some people would disagree with the advice about not caulking
cracks in wood siding. I would at least word it more carefully and I
suggest not calking the overlap crack.

No matter what some moisture is going to find it's way behind the
siding. You want a way for that moisture to escape and that is the crack
where the horizontal rows of siding meet. This includes the last row.

Now the crack between the sill plate (the 2x4 sitting on the foundation)
and the foundation should be sealed. I would generally suggest doing this
as the house is built with a material made for the use, or if that was not
done, with a product like you used from the inside, not the outside.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

PGG wrote:
I've noticed light and drafts coming in my basement between the
threshold
between the foundation and the walls. On a whim I bought this
caulk-like
product that expands. I did the bottom edge of my wood siding (the edge
between the bottom piece and the foundation).

However now I'm flipping through the notes I took while doing the home
inspection, and I have written down "never caulk cracks in the wood
siding".

Anybody know what he is talking about?

Was caulking between the bottom wood siding piece and the foundation
bad?

Maybe. Some people would disagree with the advice about not
caulking
cracks in wood siding. I would at least word it more carefully and I
suggest not calking the overlap crack.


When you say "overlap crack", I guess you mean the horizontal overlap of
every piece of siding and not just the bottom piece? I don't see an
overlap crack in the rest of the siding as I move from the bottom to top
of the house. It is all painted together.

Well I would not worry about not seeing any, but I sure would not make a
special effort to seal any.


No matter what some moisture is going to find it's way behind the
siding. You want a way for that moisture to escape and that is the crack
where the horizontal rows of siding meet. This includes the last row.

Now the crack between the sill plate (the 2x4 sitting on the
foundation) and the foundation should be sealed. I would generally
suggest doing this as the house is built with a material made for the
use,
or if that was not done, with a product like you used from the inside,
not
the outside.

Some of the last row is sufficiently separated that I did in fact seal
between the 2x4 and the foundation. But in other parts, the last row of
the wood siding piece was adjacent and I sealed between that. I think
I'll take a screwdriver and remove the caulk from those areas.

What can I say. I messed up. It isn't that big of deal, right??

I think I would make an effort to add some weep holes, but again I would
not get too upset. Someone else who may have more experience or who may
live in a area with different weather may have something to say however.


Thank you Joseph

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

How old of house? If it was painted with only latex paint, the siding will
breath and you can caulk the bottom. You should certainly caulk from the
inside of the basement any gap between the treated lumber plate and concrete
wall.


"PGG" wrote in message
news:pan.2004.09.05.03.26.32.399000@NO_SP_A_Myahoo .com...

I've noticed light and drafts coming in my basement between the threshold
between the foundation and the walls. On a whim I bought this caulk-like
product that expands. I did the bottom edge of my wood siding (the edge
between the bottom piece and the foundation).

However now I'm flipping through the notes I took while doing the home
inspection, and I have written down "never caulk cracks in the wood
siding".

Anybody know what he is talking about?

Was caulking between the bottom wood siding piece and the foundation bad?

I would still caught from inside the basment any gaps between the foundation
wall and the sill plate.


"PGG" wrote in message
news:pan.2004.09.05.18.58.39.659000@NO_SP_A_Myahoo .com...
On Sun, 05 Sep 2004 18:44:55 +0000, Art wrote:

How old of house? If it was painted with only latex paint, the siding
will
breath and you can caulk the bottom. You should certainly caulk from
the
inside of the basement any gap between the treated lumber plate and
concrete
wall.


50 years old. I'm trying to remove the caulk.