Details, Details, Details: Caulking Part 4

In the last entry I talked about the types of sealants that are used with Stucco or EIFS.  Today I am going to discuss how the application of the sealant is equally important as choosing the right sealant.

Sealant manufactures give detailed instructions on how their particular sealants should be installed.  A general rule of thumb for all sealants is that proper sealant installations require a minimum 5-step process for the sealant to perform correctly.

Those steps are:

Step 1: The area where the sealant is going to be applied must be cleaned and/or primed.

Step 2: Almost all sealant joints require some sort of bond breaking agent, i.e. backer rod, bond breaking tape, etc…

Step 3: The sealant is applied with a consistent pressure & uniformity.

Step 4: The sealant must be tooled in both directions to ensure proper adhesion.

Step 5: Final clean up or touch up of any excess sealant is completed.

As you can see, applying sealant correctly is not as simple as taking a caulk gun, applying it and walking away.  Sealant joints on Stucco or EIFS building should always be completed by a trained waterproofing contractor following the steps listed above and also the sealant manufactures instructions.