How Often Should I Caulk My Windows?

Having your own home is everyone’s dream; however, many overlook the upkeep. Sure, you might have to do some remodeling and rearranging to make it feel fit. However, one thing that many people forget is caulking the windows. But how often should they do this?

You should caulk your windows as much as they need it. Over time, caulk tends to deteriorate, causing cold or warm drafts and water to make their way in. Furthermore, your home can lose its curb appeal. So, re-caulk as much as it seems fit.

Below we will discuss the importance of caulking your windows and how often you should do it. This way, you can keep your home in tip-top shape. Let’s get started!

Caulk is used by painters mainly for your windows to look better overall. It would be unprofessional and unattractive to leave gaps around the window pane and sills.

So, before painting, caulk is used to fill the gaps. And in case you’re wondering, there are caulk varieties that work well with paint.

People who work in building maintenance, those who specialize in home remodeling, and homeowners themselves turn to caulk for safety. They are aware that caulking is a preventative measure that can shield a home from dreaded problems like mildew, wood rot, and masonry fractures from seriously harming the building.

All of these are caused by water leaking into a crack or opening around the window, which then ruins the nearby flooring and/or walls.

It’s the same as leaving a window open a crack if there are gaps around it. Now, in the winter, you might believe it’s letting chilly air in, but that would be incorrect according to the law of thermodynamics.

The heat is moving, and it is leaving your house because heat flows from hotter locations to cooler ones. Another myth that needs to be dispelled while we’re doing this is the idea that it always rises. Yes, it rises upward, but it also decreases in pressure.

Therefore, if the hot air inside your home perceives an opportunity to escape through a gap that requires caulking when your furnace is running in the winter, it will do so.

Eventually, the temperature inside your home will drop one, two, or three degrees. When the thermostat eventually detects it, the heater will turn back on.

In contrast, the air conditioner will work hard during the summer to reach the desired temperature because the hot air will find its way into your chilled home. However, when the caulk is used to fill the gaps around the windows, warm air stays warm and chilly air stays cool, depending on your preference.

Many building materials are not water-resistant when utilized to build a house. This is particularly true if drywall panels were used to create the walls and wood was used for the structure.

When you think about it, this makes most suburban and rural homes, especially older ones, prone to leaks. Around the windows, unsealed spaces or even little fractures act as invitations for rain and melting snow.

Leaks could be moving down within the walls, along the frame, and toward the underfloor, where the water will not only soak the wood but also rot it away. This could be happening without you even realizing it.

In a brand new home, you could be caulking around your house within the year! This is because the caulking’s integrity appears to suffer during the first year when the house appears to settle.

Therefore, if the initial caulk is loose and no longer effectively seals the window, trim, and exterior, checking all the windows and recaulking them is the best course of action.

How frequently you’ll need to re-caulk an older home depends on the caulk’s quality when it was previously applied. On average, caulk ought to last five years, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check it every year or two.

If you’ve noticed drafts or a sudden increase in energy costs, that’s one indication that you could need to caulk once more.

The need for new caulk won’t go away, just like any chore you could complete today but postponed until the proverbial tomorrow.

In a sense, Mother Nature will fulfill her end of the contract. Whether it’s the sun drying out the caulk or the rain finding a way in, the weather will continue to have an impact.

As a result, when you finally get down to caulking the windows, you might find that you have more work than you anticipated. Additionally, it can end up costing you extra if you’re not the DIY kind.

You do not need to hire a professional to caulk your windows, as this is something that is easily done on your own. Not to mention, caulking your windows yourself will save you a lot of money.

You will only need to purchase the material if you decided to do it DIY. This can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, depending on the size of your home.

If you are uncomfortable doing this on your own, you can always ask a family member or a friend to do it for you. This will still cost less than hiring a professional, as some professionals will charge you a high per-hour rate or a high flat rate.

If you decide to hire help, take a moment to watch what they do so that you can learn how to do it on your own. You will most likely be re-caulking your windows once a year. As mentioned before, doing this on your own will save you a ton of money.