Hi, can anyone help recommending a good decorators caulk? I've just spent ages caulking around newly installed skirting boards and door frames, left the caulk over a week, I just was about to start painting downstairs when I noticed its cracking, all skirting & woodwork is securely screwed and glued to primed masonry walls I've used the most expensive latex caulk I could find "Geocel Painters mate" bought from screwfix. Can anyone recomend a caulk that won't let me down, whats the best type paintable silicone, silicone latex mix and where can I get some? Many thanks in advance, I can't be the only person suffering this problem.
Hi Leigh, it not the calk, when you have done all caulking let dry over night then either; coat with undercoat, or bin, or softsheen, or diamond matt. before overcoating with you chosen finish. will not crack. job done T-C
it happens all the time. it happens a lot in new build house's with all the movement of the wood, plaster etc. also if it's very warm in the house, that can be another cause. try using pollyfilla caulk. doesn't crack too much
Thanks for the reply; I think youre right, but after doing a bit of researching, the acrylic caulks like I'm using are not really up to the task, the latex offers a good surface to paint, but it's elasticity is severly compromised 5-10%. Apparently some products (isosyteric or something) which combine the best properties of latex and silicone, all overpaintable offer that extra flex up to 50%, the best one is an American product DAP Dynoflex 230 can't find it in the UK though, and shouldn't be used in bathrooms as is susceptable to mildew. But the best products to go for are the 1 part polyurethene caulks/sealants that offer 80 - 100% elasticity, last 25 years and don't sag & are paintable only downside is they cost 3 times, but I would rather pay more for something that lasts longer than the paint. Platform stock Sikaflex EBT, I think Everflex do one PU40 from toolstation, not sure about Screwfix! Cheers
I find it better to slap an undercoat on surfaces first. That seals the wood etc and stops the caulk 'artificially' drying out too fast, making it shrink. Mr. Handyandy - really
There's a few ways to stop your caulk from cracking, they include... Prepararing your Surface Correctly - remove any old caulk, grout or flaking plate, clean the surface, THEN apply new caulk Trying to Filling Too Large Gaps - Gaps larger than a quarter-inch or more than half an inch should first be filled with backing material like foam tape before adding the caulking material. Using the Right Type of Caulk - There are three main types of caulk: silicone, latex, and acrylic. Each type is suited for different purposes, pick the one that does that you need to do.