When you think of masonry companies, you probably don’t think of caulking. But caulk is an extremely useful and versatile material in any building trade. It’s easy to use, can be applied on almost every surface, and provides a level of resilience that mortar can’t beat. Using caulk in mason projects does and will happen. For more information on when and why you would opt for caulk over traditional tuckpointing or cement, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to caulking.
The first pressing question that needs answering is why would you opt for caulk over another material. Simply put, caulk is flexible. In situations where you need a little movement or the two surfaces don’t match exactly, caulk will provide the stability without the hazards of using cement. Otherwise, you’ll find that if the two dissimilar surfaces were to shift in the future, or even settle after the cement dries, more damage could be incurred.
This means if your home is made of brick and there’s an area, maybe a windowsill, that’s made with wood, caulk would be used to fill in the gap between the two. In the same retrospect, caulk is preferred to help connect surfaces that meet at a perpendicular angle. Due to the high chances of movement in these types of angles, caulk is the better option to mortar or cement.
Finally, you’ll want to choose caulk if an area that was already caulked starts to fail. Never try to cement over the top of caulk… it just won’t work.
The above parameters are just examples of a few situations when you’d want to choose caulk. However, there are a lot of common areas that most masonry companies will opt for caulk. They include the following:
If you have a home that has stone or terra cotta on your exterior walls, masonry companies will likely opt for caulk to help fill in the gaps. This helps reduce the chances of two stones shifting and putting unnecessary pressure on each other.
As we mentioned above, windows are one of the most common places that masons opt for caulk. It’s the only practical way to make sure that your windows are sealed and set within your home’s structure. Whenever you notice any holes, cracks, or deteriorating caulk around your windows, you need to get it caulked again. Doing this also helps reduce drafts, thus lowering your energy bills.
Every home’s foundation ends and eventually meets a sidewalk or driveway. The point where the two meet needs to be caulked. Unless they are both set at the same time with continuous process, there are going to be gaps. These gaps are the perfect place for unwanted water or pests to enter. Caulk eliminates these problems and reinforces the structures.
To make sure that water stays put, and avoid any damage on your pool deck, you’ll need to caulk it. Using caulk on your pool deck allows for the movement of the water, and the pool itself, to be separated from the deck. This reduces damages and helps maintain aesthetics.
To make sure your chimney is as efficient as possible, you need to use caulk to seal the chimney cap and flashing. If not, it can be dangerous to light a fire in your home. Caulk is the best binding agent to use since the materials being connected are so different.
Contrary to what you might think, caulking is an important trade in the masonry business and requires some background knowledge and experience if you want to do the job correctly. Rather than trying to do it yourself and waste time and money, consider bringing in the professionals. As with any job, you want to make sure that you’re getting what you pay for. That’s why we recommend going with a professional company like Chicago Tuckpointing Inc. to help repair damages, re-seal your windows or chimneys, or reinforce your expansion joints.
If you’re in need of a professional masonry company, call the professionals at Chicago Tuckpointing Inc. today. We value our customer relationships and we pride ourselves on transparency, integrity, and honesty. All of the professionals at Chicago Tuckpointing Inc. have over 20 years of experience in mason work and will make sure that your job is done to your satisfaction from start to finish. With no hidden fees, we’ll make sure that your repairs, installations, or tuckpointing jobs are done without any added stress. To get the best masonry in the Chicagoland area, call Chicago Tuckpointing Inc. today at (708) 942-1951.