# My caulk blew out and shrank



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

A condo we did this past winter has some pretty bad caulking failure. On one board it both shrank and blew out. Now we only caulkied the new trim, condo was painted and caulked a few weeks before we got to it.

We tower tech 2 and gave it 48 hours to cure then hit with Advanced.


----------



## ReNt A PaInTeR (Dec 28, 2008)

cdpainting said:


> A condo we did this past winter has some pretty bad caulking failure. On one board it both shrank and blew out. Now we only caulkied the new trim, condo was painted and caulked a few weeks before we got to it.
> 
> We tower tech 2 and gave it 48 hours to cure then hit with Advanced.


Try SW SherMAX Clear. Give it 24 hours to dry.

The paint might crack but the caulk won't. Its been my go to caulk for years. 

I have caulked big gaps on exteriors and its still good. :wink:


----------



## ThreeSistersPainting (Jan 7, 2017)

Ive had similar results, I was using Sherwins 950a acrylic. Wasnt allowing the caulk to dry enough before I painted, the result was the paint drying faster then the caulk. Then the caulk finally settled which splits the paint layer.


----------



## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

I don't think this is a case that could've been solved by using different caulk. More likely a case of siders installing wet wood. Unfortunately, it often comes back on us.


----------



## ReNt A PaInTeR (Dec 28, 2008)

ThreeSistersPainting said:


> Ive had similar results, I was using Sherwins 950a acrylic. Wasnt allowing the caulk to dry enough before I painted, the result was the paint drying faster then the caulk. Then the caulk finally settled which splits the paint layer.


I have only used that on track homes back then. 

Was this residential?


----------



## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

A week ago, I had a carpenter trying to explain to me that I should be painting caulking within 48hrs of application or it's definitely going to split. His theory was that it needs to be sealed. Never heard of that one before.


----------



## ReNt A PaInTeR (Dec 28, 2008)

Wildbill7145 said:


> A week ago, I had a carpenter trying to explain to me that I should be painting caulking within 48hrs of application or it's definitely going to split. His theory was that it needs to be sealed. Never heard of that one before.


We have always do that. 24 hrs actually not 48 hrs.


----------



## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> We have always do that. 24 hrs actually not 48 hrs.


Looking back, I don't think I worded that post very well. His suggestion was that you shouldn't let caulking sit unpainted for more than 48hrs. Basically, once it's dried and cured it should be painted right away.


----------



## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Saw thread title and was prepared to relocate it to the OPPU thread.


----------



## ThreeSistersPainting (Jan 7, 2017)

I waited the recommended amount of time, then primed and top coated. Still pulled away after a week.


----------



## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Have used Tower tech 2 for years now with never a fail. So hard for me to believe it's the fault of the product. I'd say too much shifting going on for some reason.


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

For interior trim, part of the problem is for a high end job, caulk beads are very thin and joints are tight, so it does not hold much caulk (or it looks bad because you run a thick bead). So, when stuff dried and shifts, it is easier for it to open up. Of course in areas that need a lot of heat in the winter, crown often shrinks a lot in the winter. Looks good in the summer, bad in the winter in some homes. 

I do not like caulking tongue and groove if I can help it. That stuff likes to open up a lot too.


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

About clear caulk: does anyone feel it hold up better than white caulk? It washes off my hands better and tools smoother on clear, but I still use white.


----------



## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

DeanV said:


> About clear caulk: does anyone feel it hold up better than white caulk? It washes off my hands better and tools smoother on clear, but I still use white.


You only _think_ it washes off better cause you can't see it. :wink:


----------



## ReNt A PaInTeR (Dec 28, 2008)

DeanV said:


> About clear caulk: does anyone feel it hold up better than white caulk? It washes off my hands better and tools smoother on clear, but I still use white.


Not with SherMAX. Only way to get it off your hands is with Lacquer thinner.

Give it a try on high end trim. You'll see. :wink:

I'm going back tomorrow to a job I did 2-3 years ago with it. 

I'll post pics tomorrow.


----------



## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

cdpainting said:


> A condo we did this past winter has some pretty bad caulking failure. On one board it both shrank and blew out. Now we only caulkied the new trim, condo was painted and caulked a few weeks before we got to it.
> 
> We tower tech 2 and gave it 48 hours to cure then hit with Advanced.


Is this the before photo or what happened after you finished? Caulk gets blamed too often. That trim shrank.


----------



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

The first time I used tech 2 it was clear on an exterior with massive gaps. It was vertical cedar siding laid out with boards like this -_-_-_- The overlap was less than 1/8" and the boards were badly cupped. They could not be screwed down or they would split or nothing good for boards to grab well underneath. Backer rods and lots of caulk. I went back a year later and nothing opened up or peeled. And that house had serious moisture intrusion issues because of all the vertical gaps between boards. Moisture meter readings were insane but it would not dry out behind siding.

Drove by that exterior today: 4 years later, still looking fine.


----------



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

epretot said:


> Is this the before photo or what happened after you finished? Caulk gets blamed too often. That trim shrank.


I took the pictures this morning. This pic is of the new moldings. Moldings that were already caulked up by the last painter just before we got in there with the new HO. Both our and theirs all look like this. There is both the split look and blownout look on just about all the baseboards. I also explained this trim once the humidity gets here will make the wood expand and blow out this caulking which is not covered by warranty.

I explained that is most likely wasn't the paint or caulking but the wood shrinking from the 85-90 degrees the home is during the winter and will expand again.


----------



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

DeanV said:


> The first time I used tech 2 it was clear on an exterior with massive gaps. It was vertical cedar siding laid out with boards like this -_-_-_- The overlap was less than 1/8" and the boards were badly cupped. They could not be screwed down or they would split or nothing good for boards to grab well underneath. Backer rods and lots of caulk. I went back a year later and nothing opened up or peeled. And that house had serious moisture intrusion issues because of all the vertical gaps between boards. Moisture meter readings were insane but it would not dry out behind siding.
> 
> Drove by that exterior today: 4 years later, still looking fine.


A few homes we did 3-5 years ago with tower tech still look great, no splitting/shrinkage or blow outs. This is what we use day in and day out with some big stretch once in awhile.


----------



## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

this is why you apply a generous bead. harder is make look slick but another skill that separates the pros from the rest


----------



## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

CD your post title is hilarious.


Let Carly read it and see if she blushes....


----------



## Delta Painting (Apr 27, 2010)

When I was doing NC I would see a lot of other contractors caulking trim before it was primed. That was my first thought...


----------



## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> Not with SherMAX. Only way to get it off your hands is with Lacquer thinner.
> 
> Give it a try on high end trim. You'll see. :wink:
> 
> ...


Sheesh Edgar! What do you have? A machine gun for dispensing that stuff?


----------



## 007 Dave (Jun 22, 2016)

Delta Painting said:


> When I was doing NC I would see a lot of other contractors caulking trim before it was primed. That was my first thought...


I've seen that too. the guys that taught me the trade years ago taught me to not caulk un-primed trim. They said it will let go of the trim prematurely. I've always tried to follow that rule but have never heard it from any other painters.

On another note I've went to do a repaint on a newer home and my frog tape won't stick to the baseboard.:vs_mad: It makes me want to say some bad words. I think it's from the painters that painted it when it was built. They caulked the baseboard after the finished paint was applied. They were skilled caulkers but couldn't cut a straight line.


----------



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

007 Dave said:


> I've seen that too. the guys that taught me the trade years ago taught me to not caulk un-primed trim. They said it will let go of the trim prematurely. I've always tried to follow that rule but have never heard it from any other painters.
> 
> On another note I've went to do a repaint on a newer home and my frog tape won't stick to the baseboard.:vs_mad: It makes me want to say some bad words. I think it's from the painters that painted it when it was built. They caulked the baseboard after the finished paint was applied. They were skilled caulkers but couldn't cut a straight line.


Same with me. Even this new pre primed crap primer get primed before prep.


----------



## MurphysPaint (Nov 23, 2015)

Looks to me that there was a moisture or extreme temperature issue causing expansion and contraction.


Murph


----------



## ReNt A PaInTeR (Dec 28, 2008)

MurphysPaint said:


> moisture or extreme temperature issue causing expansion and contraction.


On his caulk?? :surprise:


----------



## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> On his caulk?? :surprise:




Well yeah, surely you know what it's like when it's cold outside. The caulk tends to shrink a little. 

Then again maybe you Texas boys don't know about that with all the warm weather, and those big trucks to keep your caulk warm at night 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> MurphysPaint said:
> 
> 
> > moisture or extreme temperature issue causing expansion and contraction.
> ...


Under Certain conditions yes. Lol


----------



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Jmayspaint said:


> ReNt A PaInTeR said:
> 
> 
> > On his caulk??
> ...


Them there Texas boys don't realize how much the cold can shrink your caulk.


----------



## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

I agree with the fact that wood (mdf as well) expands and contracts (daily) thusly making the caulking fail, but is that a flush joint? If so I would say to use Elmer's or comparable fillers for flush joints....


Only other variable which does not seem to be the case here.... but sometines people wipe the caulking bead with a wet rag instead of just a wetted finger, which waters the bead down greatly, and makes it weak.


----------



## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> I have only used that on track homes back then.
> 
> Was this residential?


Must be nice track homes. 950 is expensive for track homes lol. We use NR4000 in those situations. It is..what it is... 

Get what you pay for. :vs_cool:


----------



## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

DeanV said:


> About clear caulk: does anyone feel it hold up better than white caulk? It washes off my hands better and tools smoother on clear, but I still use white.


Same stuff, just with colorant removed.

Clear caulking is a painter's best friend.  

Especially on exterior jobs. :wink:


----------



## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> Not with SherMAX.
> Give it a try on high end trim. You'll see. :wink:


I vote yes with Shermax. We use it almost exclusively now. Yes, it costs more..but I can pretty much walk away from a job and not ever really worry about the caulk messing up. I view it as additional insurance.  

Depending on results, we'll see, might be switching to another caulking other than Shermax. Has the potential to be much* better. :vs_whistle::biggrin:


----------



## canopainting (Feb 12, 2013)

That looks like movement. It could also be that the studs, rafters or timbers were green or wet then dried out some.


----------



## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

woodcoyote said:


> Same stuff, just with colorant removed.
> 
> Clear caulking is a painter's best friend.
> 
> Especially on exterior jobs. :wink:


Really? I've found that clear caulk is thinner, doesnt stick as good, and cracks out easier. It seems to me, that they have to use a different (weaker) formula to make it clear. Why else wouldnt ALL caulk be made clear, besides that you cant see what you've done, anyway.?


----------



## MurphysPaint (Nov 23, 2015)

Woodco said:


> Really? I've found that clear caulk is thinner, doesnt stick as good, and cracks out easier. It seems to me, that they have to use a different (weaker) formula to make it clear. Why else wouldnt ALL caulk be made clear, besides that you cant see what you've done, anyway.?




Clear caulk that I've used goes on white, cures clear within 7 days.


Murph


----------



## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

Sooo, uhh....did you do that yourself or did you have help?  
Whistling.....


----------



## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

lilpaintchic said:


> Sooo, uhh....did you do that yourself or did you have help?
> Whistling.....


That gives the term OMS a whole new meaning.


----------



## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

MurphysPaint said:


> Clear caulk that I've used goes on white, cures clear within 7 days.
> 
> 
> Murph


Yes. The clear caulk that I've used, does the same thing...


----------



## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

Woodco said:


> Yes. The clear caulk that I've used, does the same thing...


It's just a colorant additive. A majority of caulking has a mixture of silicon compounds/acrylics and other additives/compounds to add stretch,strength, paintability, etc.

Long story short, yes clear caulking is indeed your friend. In some instances, like most caulk, some are better than others. Give the Shermax a try like has been mentioned, great stuff. 

Yes it does dry clear/transparent, for the most part, and is quite useful. We buy it by the case load as its invaluable to us for exterior work and some interior work.


----------



## fauxlynn (Apr 28, 2011)

Paradigmzz said:


> CD your post title is hilarious.
> 
> 
> Let Carly read it and see if she blushes....





lilpaintchic said:


> Sooo, uhh....did you do that yourself or did you have help?
> Whistling.....



This reeks of smutnounce.:smile:


----------



## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

^^^^
That's yesterday's news. 

You need to to tune in more often. :wink:


----------



## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

fauxlynn said:


> This reeks of smutnounce.


There's not one ounce of smut in that!! 
Sometimes caulk just expands so much it just blows out everywhere....well it does ya know. I've seen it happen. 

*sending Crickets bacon right now*


----------



## ReNt A PaInTeR (Dec 28, 2008)

slinger58 said:


> ^^^^
> That's yesterday's news.
> 
> You need to to tune in more often. :wink:


That's almost necroposting borderline.


----------



## jprefect (Mar 4, 2015)

Wildbill7145 said:


> A week ago, I had a carpenter trying to explain to me that I should be painting caulking within 48hrs of application or it's definitely going to split. His theory was that it needs to be sealed. Never heard of that one before.


Did you try explaining to him that he was a carpenter, and shouldn't be allowed to play with his caulk?

"Painters and Carpenters, though natural enemies in the wild, can LEARN TO LIVE TOGETHER IN CAPTIVITY!" :devil3:


----------



## Painter-Aaron (Jan 17, 2013)

I have a job I completed before Christmas doing this. A lot of expansion. Wet wood could definitely be a culprit if it was held in a damp environment for too long.


----------

