Imagine caulk that doesn't crack and doesn't shrink.
Which filler should I use?
- Thread starter SamFisher
- Start date
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So not an invisible repair then?
Depends on who's doing it and how much effort put in. I can make both caulk and sealant invisible. Decorators use their finger to form the caulk into a concave bead. I use a square forming tool.
I thought you used a hammer.
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Why won't you show a pic then?
Did you use your forming tool when you made this?
At first I though this was another post from Kettle the curious "handy man".
Sorry for the ribbing. I was asking a genuine question as I like to learn but your swervey answers makes me suspicious.
Forget about it. I'll stick with jointing tape to fix cracks as that is an invisible fix.
Final question - whats your obsession with caulk failing? The caulk I lay does not shrink or crack. Visited parents recently and some 25yrs old caulking I did is still as stable as the day it was laid. It's decent stuff. There's an entire industry around its production.
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If you look carefully, you can see nail. Would a plier, a chisel, or my latest china soldering iron have been used on that? Captain obvious, we have here?
How else can a relatively consistent bead be made? Tool and tape were used. The jagged edges were cause by tape lifting. It's not a problem unless you nitpick with a magnifying glass. The gap between skirting and floor was not suitable for filling flush with the floor and a 45 degree bead was used. The end of the bead was tappered/blended with the thumb dipped in dilute washing up liquid. The floor is not under the skirting, it was cut with a gap from the skirting.
Sorry for attacking your beloved caulk. I have no patience and talk straight on things that irritate me.
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It's caulk under the bridge
In that case, I would expect cracks under that bridge. You need hybrid.
Only if you built it...
Here's a "de-cracked" door frame to plaster wall joint. Impression of the sealant can be seen (lossy image on this site removed the detail) on the plaster wall side where masking tape was lifted off. People can nitpikc, but I am happy with the result. The joint is subject to small movement when the door is pushed, pulled or slammed. Nothing but hybrid will work.
I agree that MS polymers are best in that situation but I disagree with your (blanket) statement that regular caulks are inferior products.
MS polymers are incredibly sticky and can be difficult to tool. BTW, washing up liquid does not work as a release agent. Washing up liquid works with silicones.
If I fit skirting boards, I will use a thin bead of caulk where it meets the wall. Other things being equal, I would not even consider using MS polymers. The caulk will be faster (and cleaner) to apply and a 10th of the cost.
If your caulks routinely crack then something is wrong. You may be; using an inferior caulk, applying it in in appropriate circumstances, applying it incorrectly or applying the wrong products over it.
That said, not all caulks are created equally. I have used many different ones over the years. My go to is Everbuild 125. If I overcoat it with Dulux Trade emulsion, and wait until the next day, I do not expect hairline cracks in the paint finish. Such cracks however are, often, the paint cracking over the caulk and not the caulk cracking.
You can disagree, but it won't stop me throwing them all out. Hybrid is one size fits all. It's not only superior. It's superior x 10.
I don't seems to have trouble tooling. I can multi-pass on the tooling after curing if necessary. Washing up liquid stops the stickiness to the finger or tool.
DIY'er is concerned with durability. Trade is concerned with profit - if it fails after a couple of months, that means more business.
My caulk doesn't crack, I don't use it. Everybody else's caulk crack, and that p*sses me off because it costs me time, energy, and materials.
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Toupret.
Sponge around edges as you fill.
180 grade sand.
Spot prime
Paint.
Mix filler in small rubber pot and silicone kitchen spatula.
Better to catch areas before your first prime.
Easyfill has been superseded
Use the quick drying version and a summer fan if you need to crack on
Sponge around edges as you fill.
180 grade sand.
Spot prime
Paint.
Mix filler in small rubber pot and silicone kitchen spatula.
Better to catch areas before your first prime.
Easyfill has been superseded
Use the quick drying version and a summer fan if you need to crack on
Not if you have experience and technique. EB25 used like silicone on interior glass here. Unlike silicone, this will never fail during its lifetime.
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