Caulking Fiber Cement Siding

Big stretch acrylic latex caulking sealant by sashco.

Caulking fiber cement siding.

A mark parlee a general contractor in des moines iowa responds. Dap alex plus 12 pack 10 1 oz white paintable latex caulk. Many professionals like those at james hardie also agree that you should not use caulk on fiber cement siding unless there is no metal flashing underneath. Placing caulk over large portions of wood siding prohibits the natural movement of the wooden panels and can cause extensive damage to the exterior of your home.

Natural siding boards are designed to expand and contract with the elements and we do not want any adhesive to prevent their natural movement. The following information is adapted expanded a bit from certainteed corporations installation instructions for the company s fiber cement siding products as this is the most comprehensive guide we could find for caulking clearance instructions when installing fiber cement siding. Instead we snug the joints up tight and. Jaime prefers to use the vinyl mounting blocks typically used with vinyl siding.

We only caulk butt joints on cedar siding if previously caulked. Item 157140 model 11532. When james hardie siding products butt into wood based materials a 1 8 gap will allow for expansion and contraction of the wood based product. Caulking around windows doors eaves and trim edges gives added insurance that leaks will not occur.

In my experience water that gets trapped against fiber cement siding can be absorbed by the material causing joints to swell and shrink during freeze thaw cycles. On our jobs we typically don t leave gaps for caulk at butt joints because this detail can contribute to the problem. 1 i chose this caulk because it has 25 flexibility compared to silicone based caulk. Flashing acts as a.

Best caulk for fiber cement siding or hardiplank siding lets you have the perfect sealing your surface needs. 2 house built before 2008 so has no flashing okay to caulk. That is why we are showing you some other products for various surfaces along with our top pick.