Making Sense of Caulks and Sealants

Making sense of caulks and sealants is not as easy as a few decades ago. Why is that? Because modern caulks and sealants today are abundant, and many companies advertise their products as lasting longer, adhering better and stretching farther than any caulks or sealants have gone before. Flashy packaging, labeling and clever product names can leave a person in a state of confusion as to which are the best caulks and sealants.

Making Sense of Caulks and Sealants

The first step in making sense of caulks and sealants is to pay greater attention to their labeling to learn what their main purpose is. Actually, the reason most people misunderstand the difference between caulks and sealants is simple to understand. Both caulks and sealants serve the same purpose. They effectively fill in the cracks, and gaps, between different types of building materials. Are there any real differences between caulks and sealants? Yes, there are.

The main difference between them is their elasticity. For example, when dry, caulks are less flexible and can become rigid. Because of this, it is used on materials that don’t expand or contract much. Unlike caulks, sealants are elastic and can be used to fill in gaps between materials that are flexible. Silicone sealants are ideally designed to be used on areas and on materials that need to expand and contract.

Limitations and Uses of Caulks and Sealants

Both caulks and sealants have pros and cons, although, some newer sealants are amazing in what applications they can be used for. However, they are both applied by using a caulking gun. The greatest limitations and aspects of caulks are their lack of elasticity and their susceptibility to temperature changes. In time, all caulks eventually dry out and crack, which makes modern sealants much more appealing to individuals and industries. Why? Because they are flexible, can handle temperature changes and do not dry or crack easily.

Benefits of Silicone Sealants 

Here are some of the benefits of modern silicone sealants:

• Repels water, sound and gases
• Provides ultra-violet light protection
• Can withstand extreme temperatures
• Doesn’t react negatively with other chemicals
• Has low toxicity

Modern sealants have many more uses than their earlier cousins ever did. In fact, synthetic silicone sealants today can bond materials as well as serve as sealing agents. Although some silicone sealants are designed more to bond materials than to act as a sealing agent, all silicone sealants still provide many needed properties and traits industries depend on.