# Caulk or not



## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

Would you guys caulk this panel?

Pic is a close up of a 6 panel door.

I have 75-80 doors to paint. All of which have a panel that looks like this. The doors are essentially in perfect condition otherwise. Everything will be brushed.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

epretot said:


> Would you guys caulk this panel?
> 
> Pic is a close up of a 6 panel door.
> 
> I have 75-80 doors to paint. All of which have a panel that looks like this. The doors are essentially in perfect condition otherwise. Everything will be brushed.


I wouldn't, but it depends on where you live. Here, there are huge swings in humidity and temperature in the course of the year. If we caulked those now, the caulk would get squeezed up when the panel expanded during the more humid months.


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## DirtyPainter (Oct 18, 2013)

Unlike where Gough is... We deal with much less of that. And that's a lot of doors to caulk panels on. If they're willing to pay for it. Do it, it'll look cleaner IMO.. Especially if you're brushing them. Minor gaps like that tend to accumulate unwanted "gobs" of paint when you're brushing, more so than if you sprayed them.


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## KD PAINTING (Nov 8, 2012)

I would say no, but if you're asked to then sure...


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Did you discuss this with the GC? I guess it all comes down to how you wrote your quote up. Most times we would caulk those gaps, 70 doors is a lot of caulking.


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

epretot said:


> Would you guys caulk this panel?
> 
> Pic is a close up of a 6 panel door.
> 
> I have 75-80 doors to paint. All of which have a panel that looks like this. The doors are essentially in perfect condition otherwise. Everything will be brushed.


In a heartbeat! With a good elastomeric caulk.:yes:


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

cdpainting said:


> Did you discuss this with the GC? I guess it all comes down to how you wrote your quote up. Most times we would caulk those gaps, 70 doors is a lot of caulking.


Lot of caulking and painting by hand!


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

epretot said:


> Would you guys caulk this panel?
> 
> Pic is a close up of a 6 panel door.
> 
> I have 75-80 doors to paint. All of which have a panel that looks like this. The doors are essentially in perfect condition otherwise. Everything will be brushed.


From the looks of that pic isn't doesn't look like that little line of paint in that crevice has seperated any.Thats a good sign to caulk or not.


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## Damon T (Nov 22, 2008)

The brushing may fill the lines. You could see after the first coat how much bridging is going on. might be easier and cleaner to caulk. If I was spraying I might not caulk it as the spray would leave it un filled.


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## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

Do you already have the job? Or are you bidding it? If it is the first, shouldn't that have been decided at the time of the estimate?


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

Caulk or walk.


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## creativeeyeball (Feb 20, 2014)

caulk and hvlp spray for best results


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## BC_Painter (Feb 14, 2010)

Yep, I'd caulk it, unless the customer really didn't care, and wouldn't pay for it


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

BC_Painter said:


> Yep, I'd caulk it, unless the customer really didn't care, and wouldn't pay for it


Well, she certainly cares. This is one of the reasons I'm doing the job. For as many doors as this home has, I have real concerns about caulking them given the shear movement of the panels.

This job will be billed TM, so spending and additional 15-30 of prep doesn't bother me. 

I think what I'm having difficulty with is the fact that this place doesn't need painted. Besides failing caulk, the trim is prestine.


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

Damon T said:


> The brushing may fill the lines. You could see after the first coat how much bridging is going on. might be easier and cleaner to caulk. If I was spraying I might not caulk it as the spray would leave it un filled.


I'm brushing. I will do a few doors and let them dry to see the result. If it's unsatisfactory, I will caulk.


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

Hines Painting said:


> Do you already have the job? Or are you bidding it? If it is the first, shouldn't that have been decided at the time of the estimate?


Time and Material.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Around here, caulk is SOP.

The issue of caulk/don't caulk on floating panels will be debated forever.


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

slinger58 said:


> Around here, caulk is SOP.
> 
> The issue of caulk/don't caulk on floating panels will be debated forever.


Good point.

Everyone has a good reason for doing it or not.


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

slinger58 said:


> Around here, caulk is SOP.
> 
> The issue of caulk/don't caulk on floating panels will be debated forever.


Sop?:blink:


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

mudbone said:


> Sop?:blink:


Standard Operational Procedure


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

mudbone said:


> Sop?:blink:


Stupid Old People


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

Paradigmzz said:


> Stupid Old People


Now you did it. Here come the old guys.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

mudbone said:


> Sop?:blink:


sop, noun, : something that is done or given to someone in order to prevent trouble, gain support, etc., e.g. Bacon given to a mod to avoid being banned for continuing to make awful puns.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

We are converting some stained doors on a job next week. It is a cottage where the temp is 55º in the winter. You can see where the panels shifted enough to leave a line of lacquer finish from prior shifting of panels. We are doing another job with painted oil doors that have cracked where the already painted panel doors have shifted and cracked the paint.

It almost is a lose-lose situation.


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## BhamPainter (Mar 6, 2013)

If you're doing it T & M, I'd say show her both options and let her decide. 80 six-panel doors is a lot of caulking, but then it's a lot of hand-painting, too. Just make sure she understands what the price difference is.


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## Hissing Cobra (Feb 24, 2014)

I wouldn't caulk them myself. I've seen too many raised panels in both doors, ceilings, and walls that moved a lot and the caulking pulls away to reveal a bigger, uglier mess than if you didn't caulk them. NOBODY can prevent panels from expanding and contracting so caulking them is a useless endeavor.


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

Hissing Cobra said:


> I wouldn't caulk them myself. I've seen too many raised panels in both doors, ceilings, and walls that moved a lot and the caulking pulls away to reveal a bigger, uglier mess than if you didn't caulk them. NOBODY can prevent panels from expanding and contracting so caulking them is a useless endeavor.


Paint that has cracked in panels looks just as bad!


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

I'm sorry I asked this question.

Looks like I stumped some of the best painters in the country.


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## BhamPainter (Mar 6, 2013)

epretot said:


> I'm sorry I asked this question.
> 
> Looks like I stumped some of the best painters in the country.


. . . and yet, some of the worst would have already finished and gotten the check by now.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

Yes, caulk it, for Christ sake. Anyone worried about the door swelling should consider priming/sealing top & bottom.


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