I called Sashco last week looking for some Cleanseal for a Kitchen project. I'm in Houston and their website shows local dealers but I wasn't having any luck. A real person answered the phone right away. They gave me a few suggestions on where to find and even offered to ship me a couple of sample tubes. That's great customer service. And I did find it at the place the suggested.
I read the entire Ryan’s ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxGqOCINHE0Z0E5gxzSdNi9NWGugRY5Hm2 Plans and was able to make a shed plan. Using Ryan’s Shed Plans alone, the shed itself is great. Where I wish I knew more is with respect to ground preparation and foundations. Maybe that's beyond the scope of Ryan’s Shed Plans.
I though this was very insightful! Seems like one of those easily overlooked (or "I know what I'm doing, I've been doing this for X-years") areas that can really make the difference between durable long lasting protection, or having to re do the work, or even deal with damage from leaks.
Great product, amazing people. I teach construction at local community college and was fortunate enough to receive a student kit from Sascho that has the supplies to properly teach 15 students the correct way of caulking.
Well, with my many years of experience watching construction videos on youtube, I'd say in that case the jamb of the window casing needs to be cut a just little short so there's a small gap for the caulk to flow into and fill
That trim carpenter should come to our 10-year old house where every microbead sealing his trim to the window frame opened up in the first year of settlement leaving black gaps in a sea of white.
@@KevinT3141 there’s a lot of ways that could have failed: the moisture content of the framing, walls or trim was too high; poor caulk adhesion for any number of reasons; crappy caulk; crappy painter not applying properly; poor or insufficient mechanical attachment of the trim. Whatever the reason, it’s still a failure. Speaking as a GC and finish carpenter, as long as I installed properly dry trim over a properly built structure and was followed by a good painter I haven’t had a problem. And the whole “house settling” thing is in my opinion generally a BS excuse used to excuse poor building, though some builders even believe it.
@@mechanicalman1068 yup. Just like the drywaller that says..." oh that's settling, it always happens..." As a drywaller in the Midwest I plan for that movement and take precautions to prevent cracks and separation.
@@KevinT3141you are exactly right. Micro beads frequently means it's going to open up. Need to put in a good triangle of caulk to absorb vibrations or movement.
Sashco really needs to get more products and better distribution in Canada. Every time I've used big stretch or lexel (the only two Sashco options I can find here) I'm blown away by how much better they are than the standard fare we have available. I'd really love to get my hands on quite a few of the other more specialty products.
Love through the roof, also comes in a brush on. It sticks to everything, especially you. Used it on a joint leak in my son's car. Worked like a champ. The brush on is really useful
My only problem with the advice to use a much larger bead is that modern low-VOC interior primers and paints often fail to adhere to large beads of caulk, leading to cracks through the paint to the caulk. This, unfortunately, has been especially bad with Sashco products and my preferred Benjamin Moore paints, thanks to Sashco's greater flexibility. (I love Sashco for outdoors, but I just spent nearly a month recovering from an absolute disaster with Big Stretch and some doors painted with BM undercoat for enamel and Advance.) If we need to leave larger beads, we need better primer and paint compatibility.
Your description causes me to imagine mechanical failure of the paint due to it not being flexible enough to handle the increased surface movement. I tend to associate adhesion with terms like flaking and bubbling; did you see flaking and/or bubbling on the painted caulk joints?
Interior caulk is a different beast. More for paint adhesion, appearance , and a small amount of shrinkage to lessen bead size. We used Bolt. Forgot who makes it. Quick skinning over and good flexibility, very paintable. This whole demo is for exterior sealants, where engineering comes to inspect your work for insurance warranty underwriting. Seattle construction defect guy here. You would not believe the crapola we find on new multi family dwellings. Build it twice.
When I first started remodeling my house I used the cheapest caulk at Homeless Despot to save a couple bucks and it turned from clear to yellow in three months. Shortly after I saw a video of Matt praising Sashco so I ordered one tube of Lexel and one case of Big stretch online and I'll never again buy cheap silicon. The Lexel was nearly double the price of box store silicon but it is perfectly clear, easy to use, and sticks like crazy. I have a no threshold at my back door and I didn't want water getting under the new floor so I used Lexel on it and you can't see it at all at a distance. Up close it just looks like the floor is extra shiny there. In a year time it hasn't discolored, moved, or anything else. Definitely worth the twelve or so bucks a tube I paid for it
I just did my first caulking ever. Seems like I did some of those rookie mistakes. I was sealing a gap between the bathtub and an aluminum shower frame and used veeery little caulking material since I didn't cut the nozzle (a separate piece) and the 2mm opening looked fine. When I ran my finger over the bead a whole lot came off. So far it works and looks almost invisible, but I'll continue monitoring it.
Absolutely love this video! Thank you for this tutorial. I've seen most of the mistakes mentioned. Heck, I know I've made several myself. This was extremely helpful. Awesome content as always!
I made it into one of tour videos finally. 😂 Matt it was nice to meet you. We didn't have alot of time to talk because you're so popular. But I have learned a lot from your videos over the years.
I was taught to cut the tip of the tube straight, but lead with the tip instead of trail with it (so it's a pushing motion). This allows you to see how much you're squeezing out, and then you hold the gun at the 45 degrees so the back of the nozzle tools the caulking for you. This technique only really works on smooth consistent surfaces though; I was taught it by a glazier.
Soap & water or spit is what we used as a finish caulker. Plus you can wrap the middle of the tube with duct tape to make the pressure more even when hitting the release or I've seen others put a hole on the bottom and spray a quick sprits of wd 40 on the bottom for the same effect
I love big stretch,Lexel I worked for Lowes here in Vegas for 8 years and found the hardest thing about selling it was convincing people .Everyone knows Dap and all the other brands but not familiar with these brands,I would tell them if you hate it bring it back and tell me.Not one return and many people came to me and said I love it but not the price,contractors are cheap and that extra buck adds up,especially if you're never going back to a job.But for a homeowner they were much easier to sell.
I use to sell the sashco product line everyday at a couple of lumber yards that I worked at in my 30+ years in the lumber business. They don’t have a large line of product but everything they do have is a quality product.
Good-to-know info! Thanks. I took a double take when I first saw the "blob" crowning this index finger. Then I blew out a sigh of relief after reading its caption "caulking ...."
I love Sashco products. Big Stretch is always my go to unless I need a specific color then I use a Denver Color Caulk to match paint. Looks like Denver Color Caulk is switching to Big Stretch though so best of both.
@@buildshow ExactColor is great for small jobs when just a tube or two is needed but with larger jobs Denver Color Caulk can get me 4 cases without me having to shake my arm off. I think it's a little cheaper too.
@@jiggybish Perkins Builder Brothers stick their tubes of ExactColor on the end of a sawzall, lock the trigger down, and walk away while the caulkshaker3000 does its job 😂
Carry a wet rag. You have to lay a really good bead in order to not have to scrap some off with your finger. I will vouch for the Makita gun with a belt hook/clip.
I worked during the summers with a older fella painting for a local college. He kept a wet rag on him when caulking, and would wrap it around his finger and put the smoothest finish on his head I’ve ever seen.
Boy, you would not like the way I calk. I am a home owner only so I do it my way. I tape both sides of the joint. I tool it into the gap and if needed, I take extra calk on finger and go over the application and pull the tape off. It looks great. I know as a person doing this for a living, it is stupid and expensive. I have had to hire people now as I am 82. Most are not worth the trouble. They are slop artist and miss spots. This weekend my daughter will calk my sheds. I have the calk and Frog tape waiting. I will switch from spit to glass cleaner. Great video and I found nothing you said that I would argue about. Thanks.
I have to think that this idea of 1/4” bead doesn’t apply to a lot of interior finish carpentry. Casing to jamb or wall? The moulded edge might only be 1/8”. Baseboard too. And even so, a huge bead kills the nice crisp lines the mill and carpenter worked to achieve. Speaking as a GC and finish carpenter I’ve never had a problem with the micro or even sub micro beads used to smooth trim connections. There’s a lot that goes in to insuring that though: Sufficiently dry framing prior to insulation and drywall; sufficiently dry drywall and/or paint prior to trim; sufficiently dry trim; sufficient attachment of trim; quality painter.
Correct. This approach would make sense for an exterior application and a uniform paint job. But this would be incredibly difficult to cut in different colors on trim to walls or clapboard to trim.
I agree, definitely not for finish work inside. I would say outside work and bathroom work like the showers/tubs. Great advice but doesn't apply to all circumstances.
I've seen demonstrations on UA-cam of someone using sand paper to put a perfect 45 degree angle into the caulking tip, then labeling where the edge is so that you can always orient it flush against the corner. Lays the caulking significantly flatter and might not even require smoothing when done well.
And I use this term loosely, the trim carpenters and painters for Eastwood Homes in South Carolina need to watch this video. Never seen such brutal work in my life.
The best way to get a good bead is a good caulk and a good gun, personally I use a large highly polished kitchen spoon pulled at around a 80^ angle to smooth it out but that's just preference. It keeps me from from removing to much of the caulk and if held steady at the right angle gives a very cleanable curve.
It's always been intuitive for me to just float over the bead to make a uniform appearance. If I end up with a blob of sealant on my finger, I'm doing it wrong.
I love the Sashco products! Another great video and, as always, I learned some new things from Matt and now from Les. I got to use Sashco products on several projects Steve actually let me do on the #BuildShowBoston house and they are all impressive! Wonderful team at the company who provided tech support and advice on a few projects. Many thanks
Thanks Matt, I enjoyed the video. When I cut the end off a tube of caulking, I always wonder how close to the tip I should cut. Maybe it depends on what you are doing
Well it really depends what are caulking, if trim then minor amount just hiding not sealing. If sealing, especially exterior then yes do not want too small since want a larger area for the caulk to seal better. The real big issue I see is caulk on unprimed/painted surfaces. at a minimum primed wood. And from experience, exterior, nothing but an oil based primer and my go to for anything exterior is Zinnzers cover stain. not had any water rot issues using that primer.
Some of us who don't use caulk products all the time struggle to maintain consistent pressure with the caulk gun, especially on a long run. That's where the battery-powered caulk gun shines! Do everything else the same as in this video except dial in the speed at which the caulk is dispensed to get what is consistent for you.
Explain something to me. Big Stretch is a ASTM C-920 class 25 but Sherwin-Williams has an elastomertc caulking that is ASTM C-920 Class 35. Meaning it has more stretch ability than big stretch. So why don't you use that? Thanks for the videos
I did the caulking on my log home, that sucked, not Sashco stuff for that. I learned so much from that. For everything else I use Sashco, it works really well, that big stretch stuff holds on pretty good. The log home moves like crazy so having something that can move with the house is ideal. I use the clear stuff for upward facing log checks (cracks) so they don't fill with water, use some backer rod to give the caulking something to move over.
@@kev5782 I have used the clear sashco called Lexel. I have also used Check Mate 2 Log Check Sealer, it works pretty good as well but, after some time it turns yellow. So I tried the Lexel stuff and it works so far.
We recommend just some painters tape or plastic wrap. Lexel and Big Stretch don't dry out the same way as silicone. We've seen folks use chopsticks, nails...lots of different ideas.
It's not really possible beyond a couple weeks. Sticking a nail in the hole is a good way. The length of the nail keeps a channel open down to the caulk in the tube
Best way is to let some caulk out of the nozzle at the end of day so you have some hard caulk to grab the next day and all the hard stuff should come out like a plug.
I have a roll of HVAC aluminum tape that I use for this. I cut off about a 1" piece and wrap then fold around a cleaned tip. It will keep the caulk for months - almost as long as an unopened tube.
Hail First question: Can any of the products be used in an aquarium? Second question: Do you use acetic cure? Because I saw in another video about insulation products (the one from the Fire Department was very impressive and easy to understand 3 But if you need to use an applicator like this that has already been cut, and the finish is not good, wouldn't it be easier to use the command than the indicator? 93.93/93
I have always just wet my finger to tool water based caulks. Spraying the caulk with water looks like a great idea. Gonna try that. I use the Ryobi 18V caulk gun. Don't know about the giant beads, though. 1/8 - 3/16 max. 1/4 or bigger is too big. thanks.
When I had Hardie fiber siding done on my housr,factory paint caulking to match. Hardie spec is quite a bead,along spots they say and not in places they say no caulking
@droppedanchor3955 Hardie siding has specific caulking brand specs for use with their fiber cement siding when installed. It's perfectly color matched to the numerous factory painted colors. It also has characteristics that work best in application with the fiber cement siding. I can't recall the exact brand name at this time. And the application on the edges that meet the corner moldings are not a pushed in made to dissappear bead. They are substantial bead not pushed in with finger wipe after application. It works well,especially since the color is matched to the siding. They don't caulk the butt joints, between sections of siding,it's flashed at each butt joint. Caulking is at corner joints and corner outside joints,1/4" beads it looks like
When we're prepping a caulking job painters that carry a bucket of water and a clean rag will keep your fingers damp enough to slick out your bead of caulking
I'm hoping he was meaning on external joints, or joints that require sealing against water or weather. I agree that interior painting joints can't be that large. That is larger than quite a few moulding edges.
MARKETING for sure...there are lots of specialty brands, that can't get shelf space cus of marketing, and deals. Lots of better stuff in lots of different products, don't have the marketing money, they just make better stuff. With the internet, you can find exactly what's best, not just what you see readily available. Goes with even coffee beans, whole beans
Was that an albion gun? They make some really nice stuff, got one of their 26:1 drive guns, boy is that nice on the hands especially if you got carpal tunnel. They are right here in moorstown New Jersey also, nice guys.
@@Sashco I use their sausage guns also to complete my" build show" air sealing details. 😁 and of course the whole sashco product line, big stretch being my favorite, that stuff is amazing!😍
I'm a painter, not a glazier. I always cut the tip at 90*, but keep the tip at 90* to the seam/crack/edge to be caulked not a 45 like he showed. I 'waste' about a teaspoon per tube of caulk. I've never seen a professional painter or carpenter trim the tip of the caulk tube at 45*, just homeowners and hobbyists.
I was taught as an employee around 40 years ago to cut at 45. Been doing it and teaching others the same. I am a contractor and, like you, have put on thousands of tubes of caulk. I waste very little caulk or time. As to what others do, I've seen both. As long as the method works and is profitable and durable, why would you sling mud on it being a homeowner or hobbyist technique?
@@tegimr Sorry, I didn't mean to ruffle feathers. Whatever works best for everyone. I'm only a painter, but I was taught by a union glazier. In my personal experience the professionals I see that get the best results don't cut the tip at 45*. When laying down caulk with a 45* tip and getting the angle of the gun off by just a couple degrees over a 36" run can cause some of the problems shown in the vid. I see the results of plenty of (hurricane replacement) window installers that get horrible results, but they don't care about the quality of their work. Aside from not caring to do better work, their biggest problems are the result of troweling too much. For the past 10+ years I've caulked windows/doors installed in block/stucco homes which are set back several inches from the face. To get perfect results you must try to caulk in a single run. Caulking door/window frames that are set back several inches with a 45* tip does not allow you to run a bead of caulk to the very corner in 1 continuous run because the gun hits the edge of the frame. It requires caulking from 2 directions and then smoothing over where the 2 meet. If I can great aesthetic results running a continuous bead with a 90* tip, troweling less, and save 3 minutes per window on 500 windows/doors . . . it adds up.
In order for caulking to actually work you must have a gap or you are just wasting your product as it will eventually peel off as there is nothing to hold into place. I am sure somewhere on the tube it states this.
Of course Im doing it wrong. I do everything wrong according to experts. Even the experts that contradict each other. But this was very informative, and surprisingly, I already do these things
I’m an experienced amateur painter, and I knew all of this already. (I was hoping to learn something, but not today.) Now I’m worried for/about the trades.
@@BlossomPainting If no one on a building site knows how to use caulk, what else don’t they know? Maybe I’m an outlier, but I learned how to use a caulking gun as a kid. It just seems so basic and simple.
I cant stand it when people use their finger after laying a bead and spread it out. Im pretty awesome at laying beads with no finger after. Im on board for the "touch up bumps" with finger but there should not be any caulk on your finger after.
If I came to on of my jobs and the painter left 1/4” caulk joint never mind the 3/8 this guy wants! They would be fired I’d like to see a picture of the 3/8 caulk joint painted and finished on your nice new house there’s no way any one does this love the Chanel but can’t get behind this crazy recommendation from the guy that wants you to buy more product! Sorry not on my houses
Since welding from 15 till 48 I've always firmly believed that you need to work that caulk bead into that joint to get the proper adhesion, get that penetration deep down in that crack, whip that nozzle back and forth while droppin them dimes along the way. 😂 never in my life have i wiped a caulk bead. You should see my shower, it looks like a pressure vessel, dimes all over. 🤠
@@tegimr that's funny, usually there is always some spelling nazi telling me I used a word in the wrong context or mis abbreviated or something stupid like that. Thanks, makes me feel good for a change. Much love brother. 🤙
Hi James! We often recommend backer rod for large gaps to prevent over-use of goop, so not necessarily true. It is difficult to fit enough caulk into a tiny 1/8″ wide joint to adhere to its sides and leave enough in the middle so the joint can stretch.
I called Sashco last week looking for some Cleanseal for a Kitchen project. I'm in Houston and their website shows local dealers but I wasn't having any luck. A real person answered the phone right away. They gave me a few suggestions on where to find and even offered to ship me a couple of sample tubes. That's great customer service. And I did find it at the place the suggested.
Thanks for sharing!
I read the entire Ryan’s ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxGqOCINHE0Z0E5gxzSdNi9NWGugRY5Hm2 Plans and was able to make a shed plan. Using Ryan’s Shed Plans alone, the shed itself is great. Where I wish I knew more is with respect to ground preparation and foundations. Maybe that's beyond the scope of Ryan’s Shed Plans.
Les is the man!!! Confirmed most of my caulking do's......great video!
I though this was very insightful! Seems like one of those easily overlooked (or "I know what I'm doing, I've been doing this for X-years") areas that can really make the difference between durable long lasting protection, or having to re do the work, or even deal with damage from leaks.
Great product, amazing people. I teach construction at local community college and was fortunate enough to receive a student kit from Sascho that has the supplies to properly teach 15 students the correct way of caulking.
Hi, Ken!
I'd like to see the trim carpenters reaction when he sees the painter caulked a 3/8" bead over his 1/8" reveal on a window casing.
Well, with my many years of experience watching construction videos on youtube, I'd say in that case the jamb of the window casing needs to be cut a just little short so there's a small gap for the caulk to flow into and fill
That trim carpenter should come to our 10-year old house where every microbead sealing his trim to the window frame opened up in the first year of settlement leaving black gaps in a sea of white.
@@KevinT3141 there’s a lot of ways that could have failed: the moisture content of the framing, walls or trim was too high; poor caulk adhesion for any number of reasons; crappy caulk; crappy painter not applying properly; poor or insufficient mechanical attachment of the trim. Whatever the reason, it’s still a failure. Speaking as a GC and finish carpenter, as long as I installed properly dry trim over a properly built structure and was followed by a good painter I haven’t had a problem. And the whole “house settling” thing is in my opinion generally a BS excuse used to excuse poor building, though some builders even believe it.
@@mechanicalman1068 yup. Just like the drywaller that says..." oh that's settling, it always happens..."
As a drywaller in the Midwest I plan for that movement and take precautions to prevent cracks and separation.
@@KevinT3141you are exactly right. Micro beads frequently means it's going to open up. Need to put in a good triangle of caulk to absorb vibrations or movement.
Sashco really needs to get more products and better distribution in Canada. Every time I've used big stretch or lexel (the only two Sashco options I can find here) I'm blown away by how much better they are than the standard fare we have available. I'd really love to get my hands on quite a few of the other more specialty products.
Seem us up here are always short on these. I mean I have yet to see a house being built in Canada with Zip
@@virgil3241 I was told by a distributor up here that it doesn't yet have approvals for new construction but can be used for renos.
Nuflex is made in Canada and its great.
Love through the roof, also comes in a brush on. It sticks to everything, especially you. Used it on a joint leak in my son's car. Worked like a champ. The brush on is really useful
My only problem with the advice to use a much larger bead is that modern low-VOC interior primers and paints often fail to adhere to large beads of caulk, leading to cracks through the paint to the caulk. This, unfortunately, has been especially bad with Sashco products and my preferred Benjamin Moore paints, thanks to Sashco's greater flexibility. (I love Sashco for outdoors, but I just spent nearly a month recovering from an absolute disaster with Big Stretch and some doors painted with BM undercoat for enamel and Advance.) If we need to leave larger beads, we need better primer and paint compatibility.
I had the same problem in a house. What caulking are you looking to use interior for trim/doors??
Your description causes me to imagine mechanical failure of the paint due to it not being flexible enough to handle the increased surface movement. I tend to associate adhesion with terms like flaking and bubbling; did you see flaking and/or bubbling on the painted caulk joints?
Interior caulk is a different beast. More for paint adhesion, appearance , and a small amount of shrinkage to lessen bead size. We used Bolt. Forgot who makes it. Quick skinning over and good flexibility, very paintable. This whole demo is for exterior sealants, where engineering comes to inspect your work for insurance warranty underwriting. Seattle construction defect guy here. You would not believe the crapola we find on new multi family dwellings. Build it twice.
Lexel is an amazing calk that lasts much longer than silicone
Incredible product. I love using it whenever I can.
Yessah, great product
When I first started remodeling my house I used the cheapest caulk at Homeless Despot to save a couple bucks and it turned from clear to yellow in three months. Shortly after I saw a video of Matt praising Sashco so I ordered one tube of Lexel and one case of Big stretch online and I'll never again buy cheap silicon. The Lexel was nearly double the price of box store silicon but it is perfectly clear, easy to use, and sticks like crazy. I have a no threshold at my back door and I didn't want water getting under the new floor so I used Lexel on it and you can't see it at all at a distance. Up close it just looks like the floor is extra shiny there. In a year time it hasn't discolored, moved, or anything else. Definitely worth the twelve or so bucks a tube I paid for it
I just did my first caulking ever. Seems like I did some of those rookie mistakes. I was sealing a gap between the bathtub and an aluminum shower frame and used veeery little caulking material since I didn't cut the nozzle (a separate piece) and the 2mm opening looked fine. When I ran my finger over the bead a whole lot came off. So far it works and looks almost invisible, but I'll continue monitoring it.
Absolutely love this video! Thank you for this tutorial. I've seen most of the mistakes mentioned. Heck, I know I've made several myself. This was extremely helpful. Awesome content as always!
love the caulk. good stuff Matt.
Everyone knows you love caulk you don’t need to tell Matt.
@@Bmagg i don't know what you're insinuating, but there's nothing better than sealing up a joint 👍
I made it into one of tour videos finally. 😂
Matt it was nice to meet you. We didn't have alot of time to talk because you're so popular. But I have learned a lot from your videos over the years.
haha!
I always put a 3/8 bead on top of my Coronado baseboard. Looks great. 😂
I was taught to cut the tip of the tube straight, but lead with the tip instead of trail with it (so it's a pushing motion). This allows you to see how much you're squeezing out, and then you hold the gun at the 45 degrees so the back of the nozzle tools the caulking for you. This technique only really works on smooth consistent surfaces though; I was taught it by a glazier.
Soap & water or spit is what we used as a finish caulker. Plus you can wrap the middle of the tube with duct tape to make the pressure more even when hitting the release or I've seen others put a hole on the bottom and spray a quick sprits of wd 40 on the bottom for the same effect
Hello from Denver! I didn't even know we had this here!
Howdy, neighbor!
I love big stretch,Lexel I worked for Lowes here in Vegas for 8 years and found the hardest thing about selling it was convincing people .Everyone knows Dap and all the other brands but not familiar with these brands,I would tell them if you hate it bring it back and tell me.Not one return and many people came to me and said I love it but not the price,contractors are cheap and that extra buck adds up,especially if you're never going back to a job.But for a homeowner they were much easier to sell.
The high cost of low prices, it costs more, but it actually works better.
I use to sell the sashco product line everyday at a couple of lumber yards that I worked at in my 30+ years in the lumber business. They don’t have a large line of product but everything they do have is a quality product.
I wish the home centers would carry more of their stuff. Big stretch is only available in white at any big box store I’ve looked at.
Good-to-know info! Thanks.
I took a double take when I first saw the "blob" crowning this index finger. Then I blew out a sigh of relief after reading its caption "caulking ...."
I love Sashco products. Big Stretch is always my go to unless I need a specific color then I use a Denver Color Caulk to match paint. Looks like Denver Color Caulk is switching to Big Stretch though so best of both.
Look up ExactColor by Sashco. It’s powered by Big Stretch and you can add your paint or stain to tint it. Basically custom colored Big Stretch.
@@buildshow ExactColor is great for small jobs when just a tube or two is needed but with larger jobs Denver Color Caulk can get me 4 cases without me having to shake my arm off. I think it's a little cheaper too.
@@jiggybish Perkins Builder Brothers stick their tubes of ExactColor on the end of a sawzall, lock the trigger down, and walk away while the caulkshaker3000 does its job 😂
Carry a wet rag. You have to lay a really good bead in order to not have to scrap some off with your finger. I will vouch for the Makita gun with a belt hook/clip.
Union caulkers are the ones to learn from. Many high rise buildings have windows with tooled caulk joints.
I worked during the summers with a older fella painting for a local college. He kept a wet rag on him when caulking, and would wrap it around his finger and put the smoothest finish on his head I’ve ever seen.
That big stretch caulking is the best caulking I have ever bought.
Boy, you would not like the way I calk. I am a home owner only so I do it my way. I tape both sides of the joint. I tool it into the gap and if needed, I take extra calk on finger and go over the application and pull the tape off. It looks great. I know as a person doing this for a living, it is stupid and expensive. I have had to hire people now as I am 82. Most are not worth the trouble. They are slop artist and miss spots. This weekend my daughter will calk my sheds. I have the calk and Frog tape waiting. I will switch from spit to glass cleaner. Great video and I found nothing you said that I would argue about. Thanks.
Even caulking is an art!!!!!!
Such a great video for diyers too. Thanks
I have to think that this idea of 1/4” bead doesn’t apply to a lot of interior finish carpentry. Casing to jamb or wall? The moulded edge might only be 1/8”. Baseboard too. And even so, a huge bead kills the nice crisp lines the mill and carpenter worked to achieve. Speaking as a GC and finish carpenter I’ve never had a problem with the micro or even sub micro beads used to smooth trim connections. There’s a lot that goes in to insuring that though: Sufficiently dry framing prior to insulation and drywall; sufficiently dry drywall and/or paint prior to trim; sufficiently dry trim; sufficient attachment of trim; quality painter.
Correct. This approach would make sense for an exterior application and a uniform paint job. But this would be incredibly difficult to cut in different colors on trim to walls or clapboard to trim.
I agree, definitely not for finish work inside. I would say outside work and bathroom work like the showers/tubs. Great advice but doesn't apply to all circumstances.
I’m 22 years old and glad I have been caulking correctly for about four years now
I've seen demonstrations on UA-cam of someone using sand paper to put a perfect 45 degree angle into the caulking tip, then labeling where the edge is so that you can always orient it flush against the corner. Lays the caulking significantly flatter and might not even require smoothing when done well.
And I use this term loosely, the trim carpenters and painters for Eastwood Homes in South Carolina need to watch this video. Never seen such brutal work in my life.
Lexel is the only one I'm familiar with I've used it for glass shower enclosures for years never found anything that compares
That Lexel sticks to everything!
Very helpful video
Nice caulk!
The best way to get a good bead is a good caulk and a good gun, personally I use a large highly polished kitchen spoon pulled at around a 80^ angle to smooth it out but that's just preference. It keeps me from from removing to much of the caulk and if held steady at the right angle gives a very cleanable curve.
It's always been intuitive for me to just float over the bead to make a uniform appearance. If I end up with a blob of sealant on my finger, I'm doing it wrong.
what about how it looks? i was taught that you want the caulking to look like it isn't there. a very fine line so it looks better.
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing
I love the Sashco products! Another great video and, as always, I learned some new things from Matt and now from Les. I got to use Sashco products on several projects Steve actually let me do on the #BuildShowBoston house and they are all impressive! Wonderful team at the company who provided tech support and advice on a few projects. Many thanks
Huh. Didn't expect to be entertained since it's, well, caulking. But here we are!
Pushing is so you can visually see when the joint is full. If you pull the tube obscures the vision.
Cobra tip! I’m going to check these guys out
Great video Matt!
I just nerded out over caulking
Something satisfying about knowing and understanding the nerdy details in our world!
Thanks Matt, I enjoyed the video. When I cut the end off a tube of caulking, I always wonder how close to the tip I should cut. Maybe it depends on what you are doing
At the closing in the end, Les was evidently wondering what's going on in the background lol
It was like watching a disappointed someone who thought they had a friend, lose that friend. Not very socially graceful.
Well it really depends what are caulking, if trim then minor amount just hiding not sealing. If sealing, especially exterior then yes do not want too small since want a larger area for the caulk to seal better. The real big issue I see is caulk on unprimed/painted surfaces. at a minimum primed wood. And from experience, exterior, nothing but an oil based primer and my go to for anything exterior is Zinnzers cover stain. not had any water rot issues using that primer.
"larger beads" saye the man selling caulk.
Some of us who don't use caulk products all the time struggle to maintain consistent pressure with the caulk gun, especially on a long run. That's where the battery-powered caulk gun shines! Do everything else the same as in this video except dial in the speed at which the caulk is dispensed to get what is consistent for you.
Which gun are you using? Canadian source??
@@BlossomPainting Ryobi
agreed.. client will hate a bad caulk job for a long time.
How did you all keep your shirt so clean? Haha! Experience.
I manage a coffee shop in Denver. If I saw you coffee would have been on me.
Explain something to me. Big Stretch is a ASTM C-920 class 25 but Sherwin-Williams has an elastomertc caulking that is ASTM C-920 Class 35. Meaning it has more stretch ability than big stretch. So why don't you use that? Thanks for the videos
I did the caulking on my log home, that sucked, not Sashco stuff for that. I learned so much from that. For everything else I use Sashco, it works really well, that big stretch stuff holds on pretty good. The log home moves like crazy so having something that can move with the house is ideal. I use the clear stuff for upward facing log checks (cracks) so they don't fill with water, use some backer rod to give the caulking something to move over.
what brand of clear caulk in the u.f. log checks? i have an exposed log ridge beam to seal on the exterior.
@@kev5782 I have used the clear sashco called Lexel. I have also used Check Mate 2 Log Check Sealer, it works pretty good as well but, after some time it turns yellow. So I tried the Lexel stuff and it works so far.
Does Sashco have any products or recommendations for sealing half used caulk tubes?
We recommend just some painters tape or plastic wrap. Lexel and Big Stretch don't dry out the same way as silicone. We've seen folks use chopsticks, nails...lots of different ideas.
Tesla techs do gloves and acetone dipped finger on motor couplings or something like that. This is another level tho for sure
The cheep spray on glass cleaner works well.
Used lexel for many of things.
As a novice; how do you seal up a partially used tube so it does not harden?
It's not really possible beyond a couple weeks. Sticking a nail in the hole is a good way. The length of the nail keeps a channel open down to the caulk in the tube
Best way is to let some caulk out of the nozzle at the end of day so you have some hard caulk to grab the next day and all the hard stuff should come out like a plug.
I have a roll of HVAC aluminum tape that I use for this. I cut off about a 1" piece and wrap then fold around a cleaned tip. It will keep the caulk for months - almost as long as an unopened tube.
I see that Sashco branded Cox caulk gun.
Nothing funnier than sending the newbie to pick up some big stretch caulk.
Very cool Matt lots of stuff I didn’t know one question how does that caulking hold up in cold Canadian climate?
Hail
First question:
Can any of the products be used in an aquarium?
Second question:
Do you use acetic cure? Because I saw in another video about insulation products (the one from the Fire Department was very impressive and easy to understand
3
But if you need to use an applicator like this that has already been cut, and the finish is not good, wouldn't it be easier to use the command than the indicator?
93.93/93
I have always just wet my finger to tool water based caulks. Spraying the caulk with water looks like a great idea.
Gonna try that. I use the Ryobi 18V caulk gun.
Don't know about the giant beads, though. 1/8 - 3/16 max. 1/4 or bigger is too big.
thanks.
And those caulking cap bead tools been on the market for at least 4 years before they had it.
Caulk salesman says you should be using more caulk.
When I had Hardie fiber siding done on my housr,factory paint caulking to match. Hardie spec is quite a bead,along spots they say and not in places they say no caulking
Very interested in Hardie fiber siding caulk - but I can't quite understand your comment.... can you add something please?
@droppedanchor3955 Hardie siding has specific caulking brand specs for use with their fiber cement siding when installed. It's perfectly color matched to the numerous factory painted colors. It also has characteristics that work best in application with the fiber cement siding. I can't recall the exact brand name at this time. And the application on the edges that meet the corner moldings are not a pushed in made to dissappear bead. They are substantial bead not pushed in with finger wipe after application. It works well,especially since the color is matched to the siding. They don't caulk the butt joints, between sections of siding,it's flashed at each butt joint. Caulking is at corner joints and corner outside joints,1/4" beads it looks like
@droppedanchor3955 now I see brand. OSI quad max
This was a really good video.Can you reach out to them for a diyer questions or concerns.
Yes! Give us a call anytime.
my favorites also
Hiding imperfections. Got it.😂
Brilliant
I use Tremco vulkem poly, Best stuff I have ever found. Easy to apply and accepts paint very well
When we're prepping a caulking job painters that carry a bucket of water and a clean rag will keep your fingers damp enough to slick out your bead of caulking
Glaziers...? Anyone? Phil McCracken, you out there?
Clear Lexel tube says paint-able. Not easily. Every time I paint it, let it dry overnight, the paint cracks when drying.
Give it a full cure - 24 to 48 hours. Then call us if you still have issues for sure!
I don't think homeowners are going to like a 1/4 inch caulk joint. For decades 1/16 inch has been the expectation.
I like to make sure I have contact on both sides and not just fill the crack.
I'm hoping he was meaning on external joints, or joints that require sealing against water or weather.
I agree that interior painting joints can't be that large. That is larger than quite a few moulding edges.
@@tegimr he said including tub joints
If it's for water sealing purposes, exterior, bathrooms. 1/4 inch. If it's for aesthetics, like baseboard. Micro-bead.
Hope you got a Tic Tock/YT Shorts version of this video. It would really go far teaching the next gen!
What, no mention of the Alister Plunger? No drip, built into the tube and not a specialized caulking gun.
Let’s talk caulk guns.
All I see is DAP and GE on the consumer shelves. Wonder why?
MARKETING for sure...there are lots of specialty brands, that can't get shelf space cus of marketing, and deals. Lots of better stuff in lots of different products, don't have the marketing money, they just make better stuff. With the internet, you can find exactly what's best, not just what you see readily available. Goes with even coffee beans, whole beans
Was that an albion gun? They make some really nice stuff, got one of their 26:1 drive guns, boy is that nice on the hands especially if you got carpal tunnel. They are right here in moorstown New Jersey also, nice guys.
Yes, we love Albion!
@@Sashco I use their sausage guns also to complete my" build show" air sealing details. 😁 and of course the whole sashco product line, big stretch being my favorite, that stuff is amazing!😍
Don’t hover all ways put presser on your caulk nozzle.
I'm a painter, not a glazier. I always cut the tip at 90*, but keep the tip at 90* to the seam/crack/edge to be caulked not a 45 like he showed. I 'waste' about a teaspoon per tube of caulk. I've never seen a professional painter or carpenter trim the tip of the caulk tube at 45*, just homeowners and hobbyists.
I was taught as an employee around 40 years ago to cut at 45. Been doing it and teaching others the same. I am a contractor and, like you, have put on thousands of tubes of caulk. I waste very little caulk or time.
As to what others do, I've seen both. As long as the method works and is profitable and durable, why would you sling mud on it being a homeowner or hobbyist technique?
@@tegimr Sorry, I didn't mean to ruffle feathers. Whatever works best for everyone. I'm only a painter, but I was taught by a union glazier. In my personal experience the professionals I see that get the best results don't cut the tip at 45*. When laying down caulk with a 45* tip and getting the angle of the gun off by just a couple degrees over a 36" run can cause some of the problems shown in the vid. I see the results of plenty of (hurricane replacement) window installers that get horrible results, but they don't care about the quality of their work. Aside from not caring to do better work, their biggest problems are the result of troweling too much. For the past 10+ years I've caulked windows/doors installed in block/stucco homes which are set back several inches from the face. To get perfect results you must try to caulk in a single run. Caulking door/window frames that are set back several inches with a 45* tip does not allow you to run a bead of caulk to the very corner in 1 continuous run because the gun hits the edge of the frame. It requires caulking from 2 directions and then smoothing over where the 2 meet. If I can great aesthetic results running a continuous bead with a 90* tip, troweling less, and save 3 minutes per window on 500 windows/doors . . . it adds up.
I found lexel almost impossible to tool when placing a large bead. I’m hoping there is a trick I don’t know about.
It skins over very fast. Can only work in small sections at a time.
Goo gone instead of glass cleaner
@Austin V Papp I’ll try it
@Austin V Papp Correct. It is not water-based, so you will want to use mineral spirits or similar.
I love big stretch…
Shocker that a caulking rep says you need to use more caulking.
In order for caulking to actually work you must have a gap or you are just wasting your product as it will eventually peel off as there is nothing to hold into place. I am sure somewhere on the tube it states this.
Of course Im doing it wrong. I do everything wrong according to experts. Even the experts that contradict each other. But this was very informative, and surprisingly, I already do these things
I’m an experienced amateur painter, and I knew all of this already. (I was hoping to learn something, but not today.) Now I’m worried for/about the trades.
How so? Interesting impression?
@@BlossomPainting If no one on a building site knows how to use caulk, what else don’t they know? Maybe I’m an outlier, but I learned how to use a caulking gun as a kid. It just seems so basic and simple.
@@frederickheard2022 I see… yes your right… and your not an outlier , most trades throw tools into their kids hands.
Damn, could have used this a week ago. My bead did not look that good.
I cant stand it when people use their finger after laying a bead and spread it out. Im pretty awesome at laying beads with no finger after. Im on board for the "touch up bumps" with finger but there should not be any caulk on your finger after.
TLDR Bigger bead = more sales
If I came to on of my jobs and the painter left 1/4” caulk joint never mind the 3/8 this guy wants! They would be fired I’d like to see a picture of the 3/8 caulk joint painted and finished on your nice new house there’s no way any one does this love the Chanel but can’t get behind this crazy recommendation from the guy that wants you to buy more product! Sorry not on my houses
Since welding from 15 till 48 I've always firmly believed that you need to work that caulk bead into that joint to get the proper adhesion, get that penetration deep down in that crack, whip that nozzle back and forth while droppin them dimes along the way. 😂 never in my life have i wiped a caulk bead. You should see my shower, it looks like a pressure vessel, dimes all over. 🤠
Funny , I would go crazy as a guest at your place… so keep the drinks coming.
Not only can you lay dimes, you are quite the wordsmith.
@@tegimr that's funny, usually there is always some spelling nazi telling me I used a word in the wrong context or mis abbreviated or something stupid like that. Thanks, makes me feel good for a change. Much love brother. 🤙
Ofcourse you want to see fewer microbeads, you want the caulk get used, cause you sell the caulk lol
Essentially use more of our product so we can sell you more.
Hi James! We often recommend backer rod for large gaps to prevent over-use of goop, so not necessarily true. It is difficult to fit enough caulk into a tiny 1/8″ wide joint to adhere to its sides and leave enough in the middle so the joint can stretch.