The kids are having a house built. The trim is 1″x 4″ rough sawn. The vinyl siding ‘J’ channel butts up to the trim. All vertical ‘J’ channel to wood seams are caulked. None of the horizontal seams are.
Builder claims he won’t do it on the horizontals because it will cause the siding to buckle. The model home was completely caulked but he said that was a mistake. Do they insist on the caulk or not?
Replies
my experience with vinyl and wood joints are that caulking will fail because of the movement at the joint. (vinyl moves more than the wood). so the vertical joints are doomed. i agree with the builder on the horizontal joints, especially if the caulking has good adhesion.
Too many other questions need to be answered- is there a dripcap on the windows? Do the windows have integral flanges? Why use 1x4 AND j-channel when you could just use wide (4") j-channel instead, eliminating the wood???
Caulk vinyl siding? Good one.
But ya, why have roughsawn trim, that is a maintenance issue, up to vinyl? If you are going to Tupperware a house, do the whole thing.
Caulking is not needed at the wood-to-vinyl joint -- but this is only true if the house is built properly. (And if the house is poorly built, caulking is only a short term bandaid, since expansion and contraction will open the joints.)
Are the windows and doors properly flashed, and properly installed?
Is there a roof overhang (something more than an inch or two) on all sides?
Was the house wrapped properly before the siding was applied?
Is the roof done properly, with properly installed felt, dripedge, valley flash, step flash, chimney flash, cricket (if needed)?
caulking and vinyl.......pretty much no. no where....
flashing behind the J ......yes.
caulking don't do much but trap water.
vinyl breaths(and "leaks") ....that's why all those little weep holes....
and that's why ya need something to shed the water underneath.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
Thanks for all the advice guys. I forwarded all your comments to them so they can make a decision.
John