Caulking Materials Basics

Know your caulking products, whatever the job

Caulk products seal out wind and water, and by doing so, help glue materials together, strengthening their bond. There are a wide variety of caulking materials out there, and plenty of suppliers of caulking materials, so step one in choosing which caulks to sell is figuring out which jobs people are usually doing that require caulk and caulking equipment.

The most common caulking jobs for your customers are likely to be bathtub repair and interior or exterior paint jobs. Finding the right commercial caulking products for these jobs is simply a matter of knowing your caulk products. Here we'll look at three areas of caulking:

1. Know which caulking material to have in stock for painters.

2. Seal the deal with the right bathroom caulking material.

3. Find caulking manufacturers that offer specialty caulks and caulking products.

 

Stock acrylic caulking products for painters

Most painters use caulk around doors and windows, both inside and outside of homes; for both types, water- and draft-proofing are key. Acrylic caulk (and/or a slight variant called acrylic latex) is the best bet for painters. It can be painted, and cleans up easily, unlike silicon caulk.
Try: House-Painting-Info has pages of data on caulking for house painters, both interior and exterior, differentiating between types of caulk. At DAP Products you'll find a searchable database of acrylic caulk suppliers.

Keep customers singing in the bathtub with the right caulk products for tub and tile

Silicon caulk can't be painted and it's harder to clean than other types of caulk, but its waterproofing powers make it the hands-down favorite for tub-and-tile caulking. Elastomeric latex sealant is also an up-and-coming player in the bathroom caulk arena.
Try: The Bathroom Caulking Guide at OnlineTips.org gives tub-and-tile caulking a thorough going-over. Find an elastomeric latex caulk supplier and compare prices at NexTag.

Fill every caulking need with specialty caulk products

Go beyond caulking materials basics to supply caulk that may not be needed as often as painter's caulk or tub-and-tile varieties, but has no substitute for unique jobs. Caulks for mending asphalt blacktop, gutters and roofs are available from most caulk manufacturers. It's worth it to stock a few to save someone's day. Also, make sure your employees are well-versed in caulk varieties and uses to answer customers' questions and make the right sale.
Try: Scroll down at Understanding Caulk to find speciality caulks for fireplaces, granite counter tops, and more. InstallerStore.com has colored caulk of all types. And, GE has come up with Caulk Singles, single-use, disposable caulk applications.

 

• Tub and tile caulk usually has mildew-fighting agents in it to prevent mildewing around bathtubs; because of this toxin, it can't be used in kitchens. When you stock silicon caulks, keep kitchen-ready versions in a separate area and call attention to the difference.

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