There are many different types of caulk that have Pro’s and Con’s for many different purposes. In this table, we try to break it down.
This is a generalised summary of different products of a few manufacturers products. Check the product information of your product to verify.
Type in the title row to filter out the other rows to make an easy comparison between all the different types of caulk.
TYPES OF CAULK | SILICONISED | FIRE- RATED | POLYURETHANE | ACETOXY | SILICON | SILICON |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ease of Use | Relatively easy to tool & clean up | Relatively easy to tool & clean up | Harder to apply and “stringy” | Easy to tool, but leaches into porous | Easy to tool and use | Easy to tool and use |
Tooling Time | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | 10 minutes | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | 5 minutes |
Clean up with | Water immediately | Water immediately | Mineral Turpentine. | Mineral Turpentine | Mineral Turpentine | Mineral Turpentine |
Solvent | Water-based | Water based | Oil-based | Oil-based | Oil-based | Oil-based |
Paintable (after full cure) None of these Caulk materials are Sandable | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Mould/Mildew Resistant | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Durability | Interior & Exterior | Interior & Exterior (exterior use must be protected from the elements) | More durable. Interior & Exterior | Interior ONLY | Interior & Exterior | Interior ONLY |
Toxicity | Less toxic than polyurethane | Less toxic than polyurethane | Somewhat toxic; | Strong odour, recommended for drying stage only | Low odour | Low odour |
Flexibility/Shrinkage | Shrinkage upon curing (up to 28%) Flexible ±20% | Flexible ±20% | More flexible. Flexible ±25% | Flexible ±20% | Flexible ±20% | Flexible ±20% |
UV Stability | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Water resistance | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes. Recommended for use in damp and steamy areas |
Dry Time to Touch @ 25°C and 55% RH | Approx 25 mins | Approx 25 mins | 6 to 12 hours. Tack free time 2 hours | 8-10 minutes. | 8-10 minutes | 8-10 minutes |
Dry Time @ 25°C and 55% RH | Full cure achieved after 7 days (depending on size of joint) | Full cure achieved after 7 days (depending on size of joint) | 1 to 10 days (approx. 2-3mm/day) | 24 hours | 5-7 days (10mm) | 5-7 days (10mm) |
Problematic applications | Not to be used for joints subjected to temporary or permanent immersion in water. | Not recommended for use in areas of high humidity or presence of free water during application or initial cure. | Harder to apply and tool off, not recommended for internal areas. | Not to be used on porous surfaces. | Not mould/mildew resistant. | Not for use on polycarbonate plastic sheeting. |
Uses | Perimeter sealing of door and window frames. | Acoustically rated: | • Construction and expansion joints. | Cabinetry, wood skirting, internal window frames to sills, all internal gaps that require no painting and finishing touch. | Cabinetry, wood skirting, internal window frames to sills, all internal gaps that require no painting and finishing touch. | Bathtubs and shower joints, kitchen splashbacks, bathroom and laundry counter tops, wet area tile joints. Avoid heavy chemicals. |
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