Caulking Lap Siding Bottom Edge

Trim boards that sit on top the siding.

Caulking lap siding bottom edge.

One way to prolong the useful life of the siding is to keep it well maintained. Lp siding products also come in sheets in when water runs down the face of the siding it tends to hang on the bottom edge wicking up and causing the bottom edges to swell and delaminate. Refer to the colorplus touch up section for details do not use caulk on hardieplank lap siding with colorplus technology. All penetrations such as over driven fasteners and site cut edges of siding need to be sealed with caulk and paint.

While a diyer or a novice painter might attempt to produce a cleaner look by. The panel siding tends to do better than the lap siding because there is no drip edge for water to cling to. Caulking at hardieplank lap siding butt joints is not recommended for colorplus for aesthetic reasons as the caulking and colorplus will weather differently. Designed to let water out of your windows these small openings should never be.

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

The bottom edge of lp lap siding is where the failure is first evident. For the same reason do not caulk exposed nail heads. Window weep hole should not be caulked. Caulk across the top edge of the siding where it meets the top of the wall around windows and doors across the bottom edge of the siding where it meets the foundation and any other area where gaps exist.

Garage door panels should not be caulked. The corner boards and the ends of the siding are nailed to the corner studs which anchors the wood for a maintenance free joint.