For contractors, the choice usually comes down to a simple question:
Does the joint need to be painted, or does it need to resist water and movement?
Decorators’ caulk is generally best for internal finishing and gaps that will be painted. Silicone is the better choice for flexible, water-resistant sealing around sanitaryware, bathrooms, kitchens and other suitable wet areas.
Choosing the right product first time helps produce a better finish and avoids unnecessary remedial work.
Decorators’ caulk is ideal for finishing small internal gaps and joints as part of decorating and refurbishment work.
Typical property maintenance applications include:
The major advantage is that decorators’ caulk can be painted over, allowing the joint to blend into the finished surface. For void refurbishments, planned decorating programmes and general making-good work, it’s therefore a useful everyday product.
However, caulk isn’t the right choice for joints regularly exposed to water or requiring significant flexibility.
Silicone sealant is designed for applications where greater flexibility and water resistance are required.
In property maintenance, typical uses include sealing around:
For bathrooms and sanitary installations, an appropriate sanitary silicone is normally the better option.
Unlike decorators’ caulk, conventional silicone generally isn’t intended to be painted. The finish and colour therefore need to be considered when selecting the product.
For a contractor completing multiple repairs or refurbishments, using the correct sealant isn’t just about appearance. Using caulk where a waterproof flexible seal is required can lead to premature failure. Using conventional silicone where the joint subsequently needs painting can create finishing problems.
The right product depends on the job – not simply which tube happens to be in the van.
Standardising a small range of appropriate caulks and silicones can also help multi-trade and property maintenance teams ensure operatives have suitable products available for common tasks.
Orion Trade Supplies stocks decorators’ caulk, sanitary silicone and professional sealants and adhesives for property maintenance, refurbishment and multi-trade contractors. Products are available online in our webshop and through our trade branches in Rochester, Kent and Peckham, South London.
Whether you’re making good ahead of decorating or sealing a newly fitted basin, choosing the right product helps get the job finished properly first time.
