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Reuben's Quick Tip: Caulk Doesn't Belong Here

By
Home Inspector with Structure Tech Home Inspections

 

If I'm going to write a blog about caulk, I need to get something out of the way first; it's pronounced kawk, not kallllk.  The "L" is silent, and the word rhymes with walk or talk.  If you're uncomfortable uttering this word aloud, try 'sealant' instead.  Moving on.

    As we learned from Charles Buelle's blog about caulking not caulking at the base of tiled shower walls, there are just some places where caulking doesn't belong.

One of the most common offenders is at the bottom of storm windows; if the base of the storm window gets caulked shut, where does the water go?

Caulk at base of storm window

Nowhere.  It just sits there and rots the window out.  Most storm windows already come with weep holes in the bottom of the window to allow water to drain out; keep these holes open.

Weep holes

When I find caulking at the base of storm windows, I recommend repair.  The fix can be as simple as drilling a bunch of holes at the base of the storm window.

 

Dan Edward Phillips
Dan Edward Phillips - Eureka, CA
Realtor and Broker/Owner

Good Morning Reuben, excellent post and photos, thanks for posting it!

Nov 08, 2010 10:06 PM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

Good morning Dan, thanks for reading.

Nov 08, 2010 10:22 PM
Laura Giannotta
Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic Shore - Little Egg Harbor, NJ
Your Realtor Down the Shore!

  Reuben, this is great info...I guess the mispronunciation a caulk get under your skin!  LOL 

Nov 08, 2010 10:27 PM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

Laura - just a little :)    If I hear my client mispronounce the word in front of me, my choices are now to mispronounce the word the same way they did, so as not to sound like I'm correcting them (and die just a little inside), or pronounce it correctly and probably make the client feel 'corrected'.  I know, I know... it's a major dilemma.  

Nov 08, 2010 10:39 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I have the line on my computer program to keep those weep holes clean!  See them very diligently caulked all the time!

Rhymes with "hawk" or "balk?"

 

;)

Nov 08, 2010 11:34 PM
James Quarello
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC - Wallingford, CT
Connecticut Home Inspector

Where would contractors and home owners be without caulk? It's a wonder material, it makes me wonder what they were thinking.

Nov 08, 2010 11:43 PM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Reuben thanks for the nod---but I have a question----what's a storm window?:)

Nov 09, 2010 01:43 AM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

Jay - I'm trying to compile a list of places not to diligently caulk.

James - no doubt.  Did they think those holes in the bottom of the window were a mistake?

Charles - for Seattle, a storm window is what they refer to as the period of time in-between rain storms.  It means something else here in Minnesota.

Nov 09, 2010 02:02 PM
Aaron Silverman
SuccessfulRental.com, Bluewater Property Management, LLC and Lowcountry Turnkey Properties, LLC - Charleston, SC
Improving Real Estate Experience through Education

Good advice.  Your blogs are useful.  Thank you for the good advice and tips.

Aaron

Nov 11, 2010 11:26 PM
Jeremy Wrenn
Winslow Homes - Youngsville, NC
VP of Finance, Winslow Homes

Ok, I can go with the caulk being "kok", but walk being "wok" and talk being "tok"?  Not OK.  Everyone I know clearly says "talk" not "tok", and "walk" not "wok".

The only time I've ever heard it that way was in the Northeast.  And besides, "wok" is already taken by "wok", that thing one can cook in.

 

Oct 17, 2011 05:53 AM
Jeremy Wrenn
Winslow Homes - Youngsville, NC
VP of Finance, Winslow Homes

And yes, I did go to Webster's and see they had it that way.  But hey, they can't be right all the time.  :)

Oct 17, 2011 05:54 AM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

Jeremy - you mean people in your area say "Walk" like "wall" with a k on the end?  Get out.  I don't believe you! :)

Oct 17, 2011 09:48 AM
Jeremy Wrenn
Winslow Homes - Youngsville, NC
VP of Finance, Winslow Homes

Absolutely!  It takes longer, and gosh darn diddly dangit, it's the right thing to do.  :)

Oct 17, 2011 10:24 AM
Jeremy Wrenn
Winslow Homes - Youngsville, NC
VP of Finance, Winslow Homes

Do you not pronounce the "l" in walk?

Oct 17, 2011 10:24 AM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

You're right, Jeremy.  From here on out, I refuse to ignore letters.  Hyundai will be Hi-Un-Day, knife will be KiNiFee, and walk will be waLLLLk.  :-)

Oct 17, 2011 10:58 PM
Jeremy Wrenn
Winslow Homes - Youngsville, NC
VP of Finance, Winslow Homes

Exellent, glad I could Wallllllk you through that.  :)

Oct 18, 2011 02:10 AM
Jeremy Wrenn
Winslow Homes - Youngsville, NC
VP of Finance, Winslow Homes

Seriously though, I've never heard anyone NOT pronounce the "L" in both walk & talk, except those with a NE accent.  Maybe I just missed that it wasn't there when I was in Wi-SCON-sin (as they say there).

Oct 18, 2011 02:12 AM