Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Keeping the Water Out

A much misunderstood aspect of home maintenance involves caulking. What to caulk and what not to caulk, and where does it work? Basically, caulking is not a substitute for good workmanship. I have seen houses where the siding was cut short, with an inch between the butt end of the siding and the corner board on the house. That was all dabbed at with caulking. That is not a proper use of caulking. Nor is caulking effective filling a 2" hole. A guideline, despite what it might say on the tube, is that it can be suitable to fill up to about a 1/4" gap. Another handy use of caulking is to fill around entry points, for plumbing or wiring, where they head through the exterior wall and into the home. This is shown below in the photo and keeps moisture out and also discourages carpenter ants and other pests that are opportunistic about sneaking into the house. One tip, be careful using caulking and think about what you are doing. Some people apply it everywhere and, in so doing, they actually seal off areas that should be left open so any trapped water can exit the siding.

Thanks for stopping by.

http://www.kingofthehouse.com/

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA home inspector