Caulking Lap Siding Bottom Edge

It needs to move and breathe.

Caulking lap siding bottom edge.

One way to prolong the useful life of the siding is to keep it well maintained. For the same reason do not caulk exposed nail heads. Window weep hole should not be caulked. The corner boards and the ends of the siding are nailed to the corner studs which anchors the wood for a maintenance free joint.

Lp siding products also come in sheets in when water runs down the face of the siding it tends to hang on the bottom edge wicking up and causing the bottom edges to swell and delaminate. Trim boards that sit on top the siding. The siding expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. The bottom edge of lp lap siding is where the failure is first evident.

Refer to the colorplus touch up section for details do not use caulk on hardieplank lap siding with colorplus technology. Garage door panels should not be caulked. Corner boards are applied to the sheathing with siding fitting tightly against the narrow edge of the boards allowing for expansion and an adequate caulking bead. Caulk across the top edge of the siding where it meets the top of the wall around windows and doors across the bottom edge of the siding where it meets the foundation and any other area where gaps exist.

The panel siding tends to do better than the lap siding because there is no drip edge for water to cling to. While a diyer or a novice painter might attempt to produce a cleaner look by. The worst failure we have seen yet. Caulking at hardieplank lap siding butt joints is not recommended for colorplus for aesthetic reasons as the caulking and colorplus will weather differently.

Wherever hardie siding meets a trim board the company recommends you leave a 1 8 gap between the siding and the trim and apply a 3 8 bead of approved caulking to protect and seal the edge of the siding. All penetrations such as over driven fasteners and site cut edges of siding need to be sealed with caulk and paint.