It is both the processes and material (also called sealant) to seal joints or seams in various structures and some types of piping.
| Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/BanksPhotos. Caulk is a flexible material used to seal air leaks through cracks, gaps, or joints less than 1-quarter-inch wide between stationary building components and materials. For components that move -- doors and operable windows, for example -- weatherstripping is the appropriate material.  Many companies now make caulks that are combinations of latex and silicone. They are often marketed as siliconized latex or latex plus silicone.. These products offer the ease of use of latex with the added durability of silicone. Caulk comes in two forms: a cartridge or a squeeze tube. Caulk is used to fill cracks or gaps around windows, doors, plumbing and pipes to prevent water, bugs or air from entering your home. 10 most extreme places on Earth. Silicone caulk is a building material with a sticky, gel-like consistency. It is used as a sealant or water-proofing agent around structures and fixtures on both the interior and exterior of a building. This caulk is typically clear in color, but may also be white or colored to match the surrounding decor.  What It's Made Of. Caulk is made of materials that have been used for centuries and newer chemical substances created through the advances of modern science. You may recognize it in many forms such as the chinking used between logs on a log cabin to the rubbery substance that surrounds a shower enclosure. Save. Caulk is a non-structural, physical compound that provides an airtight, watertight, or non-porous seal. The seal or closure made by caulk is used to prevent something, such as air, water, gas, liquid, or steam, from entering or escaping between two other materials. Caulk is used to seal joints or spaces between those two materials whether they are similar in substance or not. People have used caulk for centuries Silicone caulk is the type of caulk that people tend to be most familiar with. It is usually clear in color and has a rubbery, flexible texture when dry. For the past 20 years or so, the majority of caulks on the market have been made out of silicone. This type of caulk is a hybrid of acrylic, latex, and silicone caulks. It is easier to apply than regular silicone caulk but has a similar durability. Some types of acrylic latex silicone blend caulk can be painted to match certain color schemes. Traditional caulking (also spelled calking) on wooden vessels uses fibers of cotton and oakum (hemp fiber soaked in pine tar). These fibers are driven into the wedge-shaped seam between planks, with a caulking mallet and a broad chisel-like tool called a caulking iron. The oldest form of caulking is used to make the seams in wooden boats or ships watertight, by driving fibrous materials into the wedge-shaped seams between boards. Caulking is both the processes and material (also called sealant) to seal joints or seams in various structures and some types of piping. The oldest form of caulking is used to make the seams in wooden boats or ships watertight, by driving fibrous materials into the wedge-shaped seams between boards. A related process was formerly employed to join sections of cast iron sewerage pipe How To Use Caulk. Caulk is great a material that can help you do it all. Aside from sealing cracks and filling in any gaps or joints you have inside or outside of your home, caulk is also used to help waterproof and weatherproof homes. It is easy to use and very durable.
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what is caulking