I’ve been reading past posting about caulking molding. Is it general practice to caulk the edges of molding. Do you ask the client if they want caulk or not. Would this be an additional charge. What about molding that is stained, do you caulk it also.
thanks in advance
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I almost always caulk paint-grade moulding.
Stain-grade, I usually do not caulk. The exception is when the moulding will not fasten tight to the wall- ie. the drywall and/or framing is wonky. If it is ME who has done the framing and drywall, then no caulk necessary, of course! :o)
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Just to be clear, you said you usually don't caulk stain grade. Is that because it is stained, because I've painted stain grade molding. You also bring up a good point. Whose "job" is it to caulk, the painter or the carpenter, generally.
thanks
I've painted stain grade too, but I assume he meant that he doesn't usually caulk stained molding. Nor do I.
It's the painter's job to caulk and fill nail holes. I think that's as it should be since it's part of the finish. Usually, I'm both the carpenter and the painter. I have followed carpenters who have filled nail holes and even primed as part of their job. Most of the time their work is fine, but I have seen them use the wrong materials (eg. silicone or latex caulk for nail holes) and that just makes my job as the painter that much harder.
Just like Kenhill3, I caulk those transitions and yes, I think it's general practice. There's no "extra" charge for it. It's part of a standard paint job.
I do try and use as little as possible. It's only there to hide any small gaps between the molding and wall. If the gaps are too large for caulk (and they would have to be really big to not be able to caulk), I ask the customer if they want me to repair the molding.
I think another factor in caulking or not has to do with the color contrast between the molding and the wall.
If you have white molding on a light painted wall, any gaps will be dark and very obvious. But if you have dark, stained molding, the gaps won't be as obvious and may not have to be filled.
Personally, I like the look when painted molding is caulked all the way around. It just looks cleaner to me.
I use DAP painter's acrylic latex caulk for moldings. As the name implies, it's perfect for paint grade trim, inside or outside.
Very easy to work with, fills gaps up to 3/8". Water cleanup. 2 hour drying time before paint. Available in a few colors too. About $1.35/10oz tube at HD.
Well, thanks for the input. Looks like I'll be asking the client if they want the molding caulk, because I'm not use to caulking molding.
Don't skimp on the quality of the sealant. One of my pet peeves is that molding-to-sheetrock joints almost always open up after one heating season. Usually the higher the quality of the sealant and wood the better - but not always. I'm talking even backprimed (and in the case of crown, back-blocked) interior trim, which I am increasingly specifying to reduce shrinkage.
Won't work for most people, but probably the best solution - unfortunately - is to allow things to sit for a season, then seal and paint the final coat.
Worst issue for callbacks IMO.
Jeff