Caulk is a flexible sealant usually supplied in a tube or sausage and is used to seal joints for a watertight union. It is often used to weatherproof dissimilar substrates and prevent water intrusion into the joint and subsequently into the home. According to paint companies in South Florida, exterior caulks in our area need to be checked and maintained on a routine basis.

Caulk is used primarily to seal or bridge a joint of two dissimilar substrates. For windows, it's used for frames to masonry wall returns, metal joints to metal, and glass to metal. On exterior doors, caulk is applied for jams to masonry returns, 90-degree angle stucco to stucco, bands to walls, fascia miter corners, and linear wood sections to sections.

These surfaces, particularly in a new home, will shift as the house begins to move and settle. This natural movement moves the substrates, causing the joints or intersections to stress, shift, and then separate. The movement can cause the caulking to flex or move beyond its capabilities, causing the joints to open and expose the opening to the elements.

Another common condition seen by pain