Many people tend to think of home improvement as involving big, expensive projects, but it involves some of the simplest tasks that can make the biggest difference in the condition of your home. This includes interior caulking.
Why Is Interior Caulking Important?
Caulking is a very simple home improvement project that can have a surprisingly big impact on the overall condition of your home. Caulking can create a tight barrier anywhere that two surfaces meet in your home to stop rain and snow from entering gaps in joints, where it can cause serious problems. It is an incredibly affordable way to prevent expensive home repairs from being needed down the line and can even protect your health.
What Are The Benefits Of Interior Caulking?
One big way that caulking can save homeowners money is by reducing the loss of air that has been heated or cooled, thereby saving energy costs. Sealing the small gaps around the home can stop unwanted airflow between the outside and inside of the home.
Any water that makes its way into your home’s infrastructure, such as the walls or floors, can lead to wood rot. This can be very expensive and time-consuming to correct. In addition, the damp environment created anywhere that water enters your home can encourage the growth of mold and mildew, which may lead to health issues such as respiratory problems for your home’s inhabitants.
Another big benefit of caulking is that it can prevent insects from making their way into your home, where they can cause damage to your woodworking and make your family uncomfortable.
Areas That Need Interior Caulking
Kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms are some of the prime locations for water damage in a home, so these are the areas that deserve the greatest attention when caulking. However, any area where two hard surfaces meet and there is potential exposure to water or humidity is a good candidate for caulking.
Kitchens
In the kitchen, be sure to caulk around the area where the backsplash meets the kitchen counter and wall. You also need to caulk around your kitchen sink where it meets the countertop. In short, any wet area in your kitchen can benefit from caulking.
Bathrooms
In a bathroom, you need to caulk in the area where the shower or tub meets the surrounding floor and wall. All of the interior joints within your shower need caulking. If you have more than one piece of wall or floor that surrounds the shower, you might also need to add caulking to the corners.
If there are any holes in your bathroom or the plumbing comes through the floor or the wall, these areas also need to be caulked. In some cases, these areas may be covered with decorative plates, so it is important to check behind them to see if they have been caulked.
A good rule of thumb to follow is that any joint in your bathroom that has the potential to encounter water on a regular basis should be caulked rather than allowed to remain open or filled with grout. The caulking used for bathrooms should be waterproof and mold-resistant.
Windows And Doors
Caulking around interior walls and doors can reduce drafts and go a long way toward keeping your energy bills under control. When choosing caulk for interior windows, it is important to look for a variety that holds paint well and will not emit toxic fumes.
How Often Should Interior Caulking Be Done?
It is important to understand that caulking will only prevent water damage if it is properly maintained. It can dry out, crack or become damaged over the years, so it is important to check your caulking periodically to ensure it is still adhering and replace it when it no longer performs.
In newer homes, joint caulking may need to be redone in the first year or so because of all the settling that occurs that can separate caulk from wall joints. After that point, established homes can normally go for around five years between caulking jobs in normal conditions. However, homes situated in areas that are subject to harsh weather may need more frequent caulking.
Keep in mind that you cannot caulk over old caulk; any dried-out or hardening caulk that is no longer serving its purpose must be removed before new caulking can be placed.
Work With Waterproof Caulking & Restoration For Interior Caulking Services
If you have noticed any small gaps around your windows, have started to feel drafts in certain spots within your home, or have noticed an unexplained rise in your energy bills, it may be time to consider comprehensive caulking.
Reach out to the interior caulking experts at Waterproof Caulking & Restoration to find out how their professional caulking services will get the job done to the highest standard for long-lasting protection.