All the Ways You Should Use Sealant Around the House but Don’t
The sealant is one of the greatest illusion tools ever invented. We’ve been using it to prevent leaks and mask gaps for centuries, and it remains one of the most useful things you can have in your toolbox. Not only is caulk one of the easiest building materials to use, you can use it in a surprisingly wide range of projects to help renovate and decorate your home. All you need is a caulk gun, some patience, and the right caulk . Here are all the ways you could and should use sealant around the house.
Like a good old sealer
First of all, sealant is perfect for its primary purpose: sealing gaps. No matter how carefully the measurements are taken, there will always be gaps at the edges of your home. Sometimes sealing these gaps is an aesthetic problem, and sometimes it is simply necessary, but in any case, the sealant is your savior. You can use sealant for…
- Put an end to drafts. If you feel a breeze blowing through your windows, doors, or walls where pipes enter your home, sealing the gaps around them is an easy way to fix the problem. You can even seal electrical wiring leading into a residential area if you use fire retardant sealant .
- Don’t make mistakes. If your home has been invaded by ants or other insects, one way to stop this wave is to find out where they are coming from and seal any holes or crevices you see. While critters are pretty resourceful (and determined) when it comes to breaking into your home, a little sealant can sometimes go a long way.
- Manage crumbs and spills. If you have gaps between countertops and walls or kitchen appliances, a bead of caulk can prevent an endless rain of spills, crumbs, and other debris that won’t slip behind cabinets and attract the aforementioned insects.
As an adhesive
All purpose caulk is also a great flexible adhesive in a pinch, so any time you need to stick something to walls or floors, consider caulk. This is ideal in places where you cannot or do not want to use fasteners such as screws or nails. If you need skirting boards on your walls, but you know that there is a plumbing or heating pipe right behind the drywall, it’s better to glue the trim with sealant than to drive nails into it and hope for the best.
Sealant is also good for spot repairs on the floor, such as gluing loose tiles back into place or repairing linoleum or vinyl floors that have begun to peel. The sealant dries to a flexible rubbery texture that gives it good elasticity so it doesn’t crack or break when you walk on it like more brittle adhesives.
For wallpaper repair
If you have wallpaper that is peeling off the wall in places, a bit of clear caulk under the edge will stick the paper back to the wall. When it dries, a little caulk on the seam will help hold it in place. While you wouldn’t want to use sealant to stick all of your wallpaper, using it here and there when old glue doesn’t work will make it look finished while you wonder why you thought wallpaper was a good idea to start with.
For quick wall repairs
Speaking of wall repairs, if you have minor imperfections in an interior wall—small cracks, holes from old nails, or a gap in the corner where two walls meet—sealant can be a quick and acceptable repair solution. A bead of caulk can fill a hole, and caulk may actually be the best choice for repairing a thin crack in a wall (as long as you’re sure it’s not the harbinger of a more serious and costly problem ) due to its flexibility; sometimes using a joint sealer or putty to repair a crack results in… more cracking as the forces that created the crack in the first place continue their nefarious work, while the sealer can shift and stretch a bit.
Sealant can also be used as a spot adhesive for chipped tiles on the wall. If the tile is intact (or if you have a spare salted one), a few lines of caulk will put it back in place with no fuss.
For roof repair and maintenance
If you have a small leak in your roof and aren’t ready to replace it, some roofing sealant can help. While roofing sealant won’t solve big problems, sometimes all you have to do is seal up an old flashing that has begun to loosen or fill gaps here and there in an old roof. Chasing the roof can buy you at least some time, and other than having to climb the roof first, it’s no more difficult than chasing anything else in the house. If your roof is suspicious, go up there and caulk anything that looks suspicious and you can have a much drier experience.
In preparation for painting
The difference between a good paint job and a terrible one is the prep work and the attention to detail. Paint sealant will make your next painting much easier. It is a fast-drying (usually within an hour) sealant, the surface of which is compatible with primer and paint. It is ideal for filling thin gaps and small imperfections in walls prior to painting, so the end result is a smooth surface without dents or gaps.
It should be noted that if you are filling a gap larger than a quarter of an inch with painter’s caulk, you should invest in a few foam rods and insert them first. This reduces the amount of sealant you need to use and makes it much more stable and less likely to happen.
For quick siding repairs
If you have vinyl siding in your home and you have holes or cracks, rain and other moisture gets in between the siding and your home’s exterior wall (insects can also use these cracks to get in; woodworm ants, for example, love them. slots in which nests can be made). You can patch them up using a piece of siding scrap left over from the project and some matching color exterior caulk. Simply cut a piece of siding slightly larger than the opening and seal it with caulk. Then seal the edges of your patch.
You can also use outdoor caulk to fill small holes or cracks if you don’t feel a patch is necessary. A few minutes with a caulking gun can be the difference between water damage in your home and a dry, carefree existence.
To add bumpers
Bumpers are little soft balls that you attach to things to keep them from scratching or hitting the floor, cabinets, or walls. Sealant can be used to create or replace “bumpers” on just about anything:
- Cabinet doors. Do cabinets in your kitchen or bathroom slam loudly every time you slam them shut? Apply some caulk to the top and bottom outer corners, let them dry, and boom, your cabinet doors will now close much more quietly.
- Bottom. Anything you don’t want to scratch your floor or need to stop slipping can use some bumper sealant. The underside of chair legs, under ceramic pots, or at the bottom of a soap dish are just a few examples where a drop of sealant can prevent scratches or unwanted movement.
- Picture frames. Apply some sealant to the corners to protect the walls from scratches and other photo frame marks. Once dry, these bumpers will keep the photo frame a short distance from the wall, preventing damage to the frame.
Turn any carpet into a non-slip rug
If you have carpet that constantly slides across the floor, you can purchase rugs or carpet tape to keep it in place. But if you don’t have them and need a quick fix, you can flip the carpet over and apply some silicone sealant around the edges. Once dry, it will act as a grippy edge that will hold the mat in place, as well as any specialized product you can buy for this purpose.