[john_carpainter]

Which is better caulking or low expansion foam? Or something else??

 

[Chris Johnson]

Sealing between the window frame and rough opening? Spray foam. Where the exterior facade abuts the window, backer rod and caulking.

 

[tenon0774]

Sealing between the window frame and rough opening? Spray foam. Where the exterior facade abuts the window, backer rod and caulking.

In my opinion, if you gotta use backer rod on a new house under construction,(with the exception of concrete slabs);

You gotta fire somebody.

But I'm an a**hole remodeler trying to right the wrongs of the "new residential construction industry" and make "dreams come true" at the same time.

"The world should not be held together with a 3/8" bead."

The tip of a tube of caulking is tapered to a point, for a reason.

 

[Chris Johnson]

I hear you

In my area we are mostly brick veneer. And a lot of time stone. We keep it back 3/8-1/2" from the window, old habits. Backer rod then a good 3/4" bead of caulking that has been mixed. I won't let a guy who shows up with a box of tubes caulk a new home. I want to see a pail of caulking mixed up, fill the gun, various size tips on hand, and something other then his finger to tool the joint

 

[VinylHanger]

I hear you

In my area we are mostly brick veneer. And a lot of time stone. We keep it back 3/8-1/2" from the window, old habits. Backer rod then a good 3/4" bead of caulking that has been mixed. I won't let a guy who shows up with a box of tubes caulk a new home. I want to see a pail of caulking mixed up, fill the gun, various size tips on hand, and something other then his finger to tool the joint

I don't think I have ever seen a bucket of caulk? What do you mix it with?

 

[jlsconstruction]

I didn't know you could mix caulk.

 

[Ohteah]

Mix part A and B add colorant, most I ever use are 2.5 gl pots. Industrial I've seen 5 gl and I'm sure bigger.

It's like anything it's cheaper to buy in bulk. Makes sense when you have 1 in joints and 100s of LF to caulk.

I think a 3/8 joint on residential ain't pretty, but it's probably minimum for effectiveness. If you only have a small joint between a window and masonry or two dissimilar surfaces , it's not gonna take a lot of movement for the joint to fail.


Try to always use backerod , A 2 point joint is better than a three point joint.

Or just let the painter worry about it .......

 

[VinylHanger]

IIRC, Certainteed used to spec a 3/8 inch caulk joint for their siding. Or maybe it was the caulk manufacturers, but either way you were supposed to use a 3/8 inch joint/bead.

 

[superseal]

I don't think I have ever seen a bucket of caulk? What do you mix it with?

BM knife grade is a fabulous sealant in a can as well as the 2 part polys I use for control and expansion joint work.

Sika and Dymonic are my favs

Mixing can be done with a large drill and paddle mixer.

 

[Chris Johnson]

I'll hirer SuperSeal!!!

 

[66 Shelby]

I didn't know you could mix caulk.

I didn't either. I learn something new every day, although if I had a 3/8-1/2" joint on a new build I would probably get run out of town. That's not acceptable here - 1/4" is the max.

 

[jlsconstruction]

I didn't either. I learn something new every day, although if I had a 3/8-1/2" joint on a new build I would probably get run out of town. That's not acceptable here - 1/4" is the max.

Yeah, mine are usually an 1/8 or as little as I can cut the tip of the tube

 

[superseal]

Minimum bead should be 1/4" x 1/4" although I stock backer rod up to 2".

Once I had to buy 4" pool floats to pack a job You should have seen the hamburger flipper I needed to tool that :laughing:

Modern stucco bead comes with 1/4" backer rod and bond breaker already attached these days making it easier on the caulker.

This is about optimal size...

 

[superseal]

Bear in mind fellas, that 4" backer rod wasn't for window packing as I'm sure I'd be run out of town as well :laughing:

 

[jocobe]

If it is brick veneer there should be a 1/4" space at both sides and at the top of the window. There should be a 1/2" space at the bottom. Backer rod and caulk.

If you brick to the window, as the house settles, the front edge of the window gets caught on the brick. We call it brick bound. It distorts the frame of the window and affects its operation.