Caulking is the process of sealing cracks with waterproof caulk. A perfect caulking protects your house and lowers your energy bills whereas improper caulking fails the purpose and wastes your money. To help you get the best caulking for your house here I give you top mistakes of caulking you should avoid :
Wrong Caulk selection: most of the people commit mistake while selecting caulk when it comes to caulking. Selection of high quality caulk made up of Silicone or polyurethane is recommended for best results. Acrylic caulk shrinks and can crack over time creating gaps to let air and water seep through. Air and water leakage can cause you water damage, mold growth and higher energy bills. You can choose 100% silicone caulk as it is waterproof, flexible and crack proof. Professional caulking services in Sydney use best quality and long lasting caulk for caulking. Silicone caulk sure gives strong odour as it dries and is almost impossible to paint but it can last over 20 years. Polyurethane lasts from 10–20years, have good adherence and can be painted over. If you desperately want to save money then butyl rubber or oil or resin based caulks are some less expensive options. But these caulks lack in flexibility and adherence so it’s better to avoid these caulks.
Avoiding use of applicator: Caulk cartridge is not designed for direct application of caulk. Right caulking gun is needed to dispense the caulk. A caulking gun with comfortable grip and smooth plunger rod is the right caulking applicator. You can get these caulking guns from any hardware store to achieve best caulking in Sydney.
Not removing old caulk: Caulk becomes hard over the time and mold can get formed beneath it due to accumulated moisture. Do not apply the caulk over old caulk. Remove the old caulk using sharp tools then clean the surface with alcohol, wire brush or household cleaner to remove the mold. Apply the caulk only when surface is totally clean and dry. Professional caulking services in Sydney always prefer to remove the old caulk completely before caulking.
Application of too much caulk : You may get tempted to add more caulk when you see deeper and wider cracks but instead insert backer rod to fill the gap before caulking it. Backer rod is a foam rod that is placed in deep joints to fill the space before application of caulk. Caulking in Sydney is often done using Backer rods in case of deeper cracks.
