We're serious about caulk.
The honest, plain-English guide to sealing things properly. Whether you're patching a drafty window, rescuing a shower gone wrong, or staring at a gap in your baseboard wondering how it got so bad, you're in the right place. We know which caulk you need, how to lay it right, and how to make it last.
A caulk for every crack.
What are you sealing?
Pick a room. Each guide goes joint by joint: what goes in it, why, and the tube we'd buy.
The two-second answer
- Is it wet?Tubs, showers, sinks, anything that gets splashed daily100% silicone
- Will you paint it?Trim, baseboards, crown, drywall gapsAcrylic latex
- Outside and moving?Siding, window and door trimElastomeric or hybrid
- Concrete or masonry?Driveways, foundations, brickPolyurethane
- Roof, gutters, flashing?Metal, asphalt, and laddersButyl or roof sealant
- Water pouring in right now?Active leak in a masonry wallHydraulic cement
- Gap wider than 1/4 inch?Any of the aboveBacker rod first
Need a real answer?
The Caulk Finder asks six quick questions about your joint (where it is, what it's made of, whether it gets wet, moves, or gets painted) and names the formulation and a tube to buy, with prep tips for your exact gap.
The caulk aisle, organized
Nine formulations do nearly every job in the house. Pull a tube off the shelf to meet it properly.
Want the chemistry? Read Federico's guide to caulk formulations.
From The Bead
Our magazine: how-tos, history, and advice from the Crew. All stories
Seal of Approval
The tubes we'd reach for first. Editorial picks. No brand pays us, and Amazon links on the reviews page are affiliate links. All reviews
GE Silicone 2 Kitchen & Bath
100% silicone with mildew resistance, and a classic for good reason.
Best for interior trimDAP Alex Plus
The painter's workhorse: cheap, easy to tool, water cleanup.
Best for windows & sidingOSI Quad Max
Grabs vinyl, wood, and metal and shrugs off weather.
Best for concrete & masonrySikaflex-1a
Pro-grade polyurethane that bonds to rough, porous surfaces.
Play with your caulk
Learning is more fun when there's a high score.
Bead Master
Lay a bead along five real-world seams, from baseboard to gutter. Squeeze too hard and it blobs; move too fast and it skips. Score it, tool it, beat it.
Play the gameThe caulk crossword
Two grids, Apprentice and Master. Pencils optional.
Solve itWhich caulk are you?
Flexible? Paintable? Permanently waterproof? Find out.
Take the quizCaulk IQ
Trivia for people who read tube labels for fun.
Test yourselfTube calculator
How many tubes for that job? Do the math before the store run.
CalculateQuestions we get every day
What's the difference between caulk and sealant?
In the store, not much: the words overlap. In the trade, "caulk" usually means the stiffer, paintable stuff for small, still joints, and "sealant" means flexible, high-performance products for joints that move. The full breakdown.
Can I put new caulk over old caulk?
Please don't. New caulk sticks to the old bead, and the old bead is already failing. Cut it out, clean the joint, and start fresh. Here's how.
How long before I can shower after caulking?
Follow the tube. Many kitchen and bath silicones are water-ready in 30 minutes to a few hours, but a full 24 hours is the safe bet for a bead that lasts.
Why won't paint stick to my caulk?
It's almost certainly silicone. Standard silicone repels paint. Cut it out and use a paintable acrylic, polyurethane, or hybrid.
What's the best caulk gun?
A smooth-rod, dripless gun with a decent thrust ratio beats a cheap ratchet gun every time. Our gun guide explains why.