• Around windows and doors
• Around basement sash
• In splits and cracks in siding
• Between joint in wood siding
• Cracks between door thresholds and stoops
• Between dissimilar materials such as wood and metal
• Along the bottom of siding where it meets the
  foundation of a house
• At dormers and roof flashing
• Around gable vents and roof vents
• At power entrances and exits
• Around fixed storm windows

Caulking product selection:

To caulk, you will need two products: a metal caulking gun shell and the caulking, which comes in a plastic-like or cardboard cartridge and fits the caulking gun shell. Cartridges and shells are the same standard size.
You also can by caulking in bulk and fill a steel-tube caulking gun with it, like you would fill a water pistol. Bulk caulking is really a professional product and the savings of buying it in bulk probably would not be worth your time and the
extra mess.

You have a variety of caulking types and prices from which to choose.
The basics are:

Oil-based caulking. This is the inexpensive spread. It may be used almost anywhere. However, oil-based caulking tends to “dry out” in cracks. Or it shrinks in the cracks when the oil in the caulking disappears. If you use this product, plan on recaulking every 3 years or less. The initial savings may not be a wise investment in the long haul.

Polyvinyl acetate. This is a good buy for most any surface. The cost is moderate and it will stick to the job for several years – much longer than oil-based. Check the label on the caulking tube.

Latex caulking. This is sometimes known as “painter’s caulking”. It is quick-drying, and may be thinned with water. The cost is moderate; the lasting qualities about the same as polyvinyl acetate.

Silicone caulking. This is the good stuff. It is very costly, but will last for years – up to 50 or more years – on most surfaces. It come in colors, since the material doesn’t take paint finishes very well.

Butyl rubber caulking. Butyl is on the level of silicone caulking. It is long-lasting – up to 20 years or even longer. Butyl is tops for sealing masonry joints. It is costly. Be sure to read the label; the caulking is sometimes restricted to certain usage.

How to work with caulking:

It’s easy to see an open joint that needs to be caulked. If the joint is already caulked, but you doubt its soundness, take a putty knife and press the blade of the knife into the caulking. If the caulking is still “gummy”, the material doesn’t have to be replaced. But if the caulking cracks and falls out of the joint when you scratch it with the putty knife, remove the old caulking and apply new caulking.

After loading the caulking gun with your selection of caulk, you are ready to begin your project. Hold the caulking gun at about a 45-degree angle- the same angle as the cut on the nozzle of the cartridge- pull the trigger and, at the same time, pull the caulking gun toward you. Never push it up along the crack or break that you are trying to caulk. Smooth the caulk surface with a wet finger. Dip your finger in a coffee can filled with water. Then lightly run your finger down the caulking. Sometimes a wet ice cream stick can be used in place of your finger to get the same job done.

As always, ACO Hardware carries everything you need for Weatherproofing your home for this winter season.