"Neverminded"

That's cool since I never-mind. :thumbsup:

BamBamm5144 said:

... Nevermind.

Click to expand...

That's good. I was just wondering how many guys caulk the j channel to the window trim anyway.


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Too many.

BamBamm5144 said:

That's good. I was just wondering how many guys caulk the j channel to the window trim anyway.


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Click to expand...

But why?


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It may depend on how its wrapped.
Are you talking about wraps that slip behind jay channels on the flat? About an inch? Or overlay residing with foam that bumps the jay out past the brick mold of the windows. Then yes any other time no

Slips behind the J.


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Tom M said:

It may depend on how its wrapped.
Are you talking about wraps that slip behind jay channels on the flat? About an inch? Or overlay residing with foam that bumps the jay out past the brick mold of the windows. Then yes any other time no

Click to expand...

what's your concern Jake?

Just a debate I'm having. I've never done it where the j channel is caulked to the wrap and my main siding installer who has been doing it for 30 years can count on one hand how many times he's done it in his career.

I never knew it was a way that guys did it.


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Never done it myself.If everything is weatherproofed the way it should be I see no reason

We've always caulked to the wrap.

It may not be needed, in that situation, but I think it just looks better. But only if you're a good caulker and you use the right caulk.

I do it.
Wrapped right or not, why provide an entrance for water to enter and get behind the siding, especially with a hard, driving rain?

I try to make the house as water impermeable as possible which includes sealing the gap between the "J" and the window capping.

I know some don't agree, but I use tape down the J to give me a nice. neat straight line.

Why would vinyl get caulked and held tight by the caulk? Everything in VSI says it needs to be able to expand and contract.


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never caulked it, we have a reside right now where they caulked it with clear and then it got dirty now we have to clean it off of the windows. PITA

J channels are relatively small pieces with relatively short runs around an opening. They're not like large pieces of siding which may have substantial expansion/contraction.

Also, caulk does expand and contract to some degree.

If the caulk did prevent the channel from moving, the worst that would happen is the channel would appear wavy as it was exposing or contracting. The piece is small in comparison to the siding it wouldn't be noticeable. But, my point is, that is far better than water getting in behind the siding: leaking behind the siding, down the house wrap till the water finds a nail and nail hole and then into the house.

In my opinion, I just think it's better to leave the house as water impermeable as possible: no openings.

But I'm also always ready to admit my way is wrong if you know a better way. I'm always willing to learn a better way of doing something.

Seems once again it's a preference thing with no real defined way of right or wrong.

Alot of times in these type of installs the gaps can be ugly because the jay lays funny so the caulk looks neater. If you do one, do them all so they look the same.

Jay is very ridgid with its shapes and I have never seen an issue with caulk preventing its movement.

Back in the day when I did lots of siding, we always caulked the j to the wrap. Now I have been at a lot of he houses and aparts I sided and never say where the j had buckeled from being caulked.

I think that the j does not move as much as the siding.