The steps of window caulking in 1:20
Caulking the windows means following a few steps with rigor so that the work is efficient and lasts as long as possible. Good caulking uses professional sealing products and the installation respects the specifics of application. What happens next depends on the tooling used, how long you don’t have to count and how much you can do.
Follow the Elite Caulking method in video but also in pictures on this page
Go to the site to make a correct estimate: why:
The evaluator must go to the site to see the conditions under which the site will be implemented.
The work of replacing the caulking cannot be reduced to a linear foot of the seal laying.
Depending on the neighbourhood of the building, the house or the condominium, the conditions for the renovation of the caulking will be different and will require improvements… sometimes expensive.
Security, permits, accessibility of pods, look, listen.
What should be considered for a caulking quote?
While safety standards on a caulking site may seem restrictive, they are nevertheless necessary to guarantee the serenity of the construction sites on the side of the workers, the head of the company and that of the customer.
It is necessary to evaluate the equipment that will allow access to facades, windows and measure the available (or unavailable) public space to install them.
The presence of electrical wires and telephones sometimes require the intervention by Hydro-Québec, which will secure the poles and connected wires. The necessary permits and on-site services of this company will not be included in the final cost of the bid and will be charged in SUS.
Without a face-to-face inspection of the premises these points are not evaluable.
The weight of safety in caulking submission
The weight of the permits (EN SUS) which concern the immediate conditions of the site, the machinery to be set up is considered in a quote, a bid and this weighs heavily in the bill.
The aim is to secure, the workers of course, but also the users of the public road.
For example, as soon as the façade of the building to be caulked is less than three meters from the electrical wires,Hydro-Québec must be called to secure its infrastructure. Cover the wires; Protecting them will ensure the safety of all; it is the health and safety of work law in Quebec, it is also a matter of common sense.
The use of the pods is also a point to be secured beyond the fact that it is necessary to verify that its location and deployment are compatible with the immediate environment and traffic conditions on the street.
The cost of the municipal permit for a caulking site
Caulking the back façade of a building in Montreal is very often occupying public space, whether it’sdirectly on the street or just working in an alley, for this, you need a city permit (EN SUS)
Between the blocking of traffic and the occupation of the land by the equipment, including the pods, not to mention the risks inherent in the construction site, the road occupancy permit is required by all municipalities.
This permit shows work dates, occupied space, RBQ and company insurance license numbers and validates the authorization of the work in an official and public manner.
Depending on the type of road, main street, major boulevard, alley, the costs generated will be different. The presence of parking meters (for the occasion non-exploitable) will also weigh in the customer’s bill! N.b. All permit fees are not included in the submission and are charged in SUS.
How do you feel it’s time to redo the caulking joints?
This is a common question here is the answer in video after our answer in the FAQ
It is on site with an example that we better understand the need to renovate his caulking.
On the spot we find that the sealing joint is dry, cracked, cracked, we see bubbles, holes. The lintel also shows more or less significant cracks.
If the inspector/estimator finds that 30% of the sealant is affected by these weaknesses, he will advise renovating the caulking for the entire building.
The Importance of Masonry Control Seals
The masonry control joint is one that combines two separate buildings or separates two sections of walls.
This technical seal allows a certain movement between each façade, each part of the wall. Movements most often due to temperature differences, land movements as small as our soils can demonstrate.
Today, these joints are made with sealant, more flexible, more flexible and also more durable over time.
Controlling this seal will prevent water infiltrations which with frost will pose a real threat to the brick façade.
Eventually, the cement seal will have to be removed and redone with a control joint to current standards that will allow the joint to expand on the one hand while retaining its sealing power.
The cooperation of a mason is required in order for the diagnosis to be made professionally.
Why should the condition of the top window seal be monitored first
The upper seal of the window frame is the first and most important to inspect. It is often the first to show signs of weakness when taking off from the lintel.
We see that if the one on the first floor is taken off, the second floor will be taken off and the upper floors will be even more so.
This is especially true for facades most exposed to extreme weather and climates. (Intense sun, rain, snow/freeze). The south-westerly facades suffer particularly.
How to treat lightening joints
During an inspection for caulking work, cement lightening joints often show cracks that allow water to seep in.
This causes the underlying cement to burst and the lightening function to be degraded.
The lightener sees its edges and corners weakened, sometimes broken.
The best practice with a view to renovating the caulking is to remove the weakened cement, fill the space with a pudding (alveoli rods called“backer rods”),put a primer and then proceed with the installation of the sealant.
The lighteners become watertight again and the lighters cover their role and aesthetics.
How to treat rusty lintels on the front?
When the rust is found to have settled on the angle iron of the lintels, we recommend a complete cleaning, the installation of a primer layer and then paint. This ensures a return in good condition of this major part of the façade since it is it that supports the brick above the window.
Elite caulking does not recommend covering the lintels with an aluminum sheath, as water flows often remain caught between the lintel and the sheath.
The risk of reviving rust in this now hidden part is obvious. This is what causes the “stair” cracks that are sometimes seen on brick facades.
The Importance of The Thickness of the Caulking Joint
Looking at already redone door seals, which were already repeated several years ago, they are relatively wider. Estimated at almost an inch, one can think that the original joints measured between half and three-quarters of an inch.
Once the old sealant has been removed to lay the new caulking, traces of sealant on the sides will inevitably be visible both on the door frame and the adjacent brick.
Indeed the brick is porous, it is impossible to remove 100% traces of the joints whether they are silicone, thermoplastic or other ….
This explains that the new seal will be wider than the previous one, it will cover and hide these unsightly traces.
The new caulking will be about 1/16th thicker than the previous one.
The seal should be placed 45 degrees between the wall and the door or window. In the example of the video, this seal does not need to be taken back except perhaps for its color.
How to lay uniform caulking joints.
Why aren’t caulking joints always perfectly smooth when they are put on? The video shows that old but wide joints have a “wave” shape, called “trigger blows,” “clicks,” rather than a nice uniform smooth.
The reason is that these joints have not been shaped. The shaping is the finish of the caulker,this work is done with tabs of different widths, this operation also serves to push the sealant to the maximum in the space devolved and promote its adhesion.
Shaping eliminates this “wave” effect and standardizes the joints. Formerly this smoothing was done by passing the fingers on the sealant, the results were more or less successful … Today, they are sticks soaked in a soapy solution and which carry out a work of great final aesthetics.
What are the weaknesses of the thermoplastic sealant.
A thermoplastic sealer is seen in the video. This type of sealant is made from solvent, which evaporates over time, resulting in a contraction of the joint in place and therefore the appearance of cracks and holes showing the weaknesses of the supposed protection. Elite Caulking uses silicone-based sealant as a priority.
What are the weaknesses of the polyurethane sealant.
The video takes a first-hand look at the technical aspects of the various sealants used on the site for which the caulking company will bid.
The building has in the past benefited from a caulking renovation with a polyurethane sealant, which attracts dust, much dust, requires more cleaning maintenance and dries out faster in the sun than other sealing materials like silicone.