House construction

Silicon II caulk is difficult to use for several reasons: If you try to smooth out a thick layer of caulk, it really sticks to your finger (and everything else)! Since the caulk begins curing immediately out of the tube, you only have about 10-15 seconds to smooth out a fresh layer of caulk; after that time the surface “skin” will stick to your finger, and you will get wrinkles and lumps in any seam that you drag your finger over. Running a seam around a corner is very tricky! If you are caulking a seam, it is best to fill it with a series of layers, letting each layer cure for about 3-6 hours before putting down another layer. Smooth out the high points of each layer; the low areas that need more caulk can be smoothed out after the next layer is applied. After each layer is applied you have about 10 seconds to smooth out the caulk; the more you “play” with the caulk after 10 seconds the worse it will get. After you have put down 3-6 layers of cured caulk on a thick seam you can put down a thin bead of fresh caulk on an entire seam and smooth it out within 10 seconds.

For best results make sure the caulk is fresh, and keep the tip of the caulk tube and your fingers cleaned (using paper towel). If you want to paint the caulk, you can first use Silicon II as a base and cover it with a final layer or two of good siliconized acrylic latex caulk that is paintable.