Doing decorators caulk right

ashe

One thing I seem to have endless problems with is caulk. No matter what brand in use I always seek to get some cracking or crazing. 

We have some rough corners in our house and I've scraped out the previous caulk, applied a bead, tooled it off to a very small amount and smoothed it out with a damp sponge so hardly any there, but when I paint over it I get hair line cracks the next day?

they say paintable within 1h but I left it 24h. 

Surely decorators don't caulk and leave it a week to fully go off before painting, so can anyone give me some advice? Most recent brans is evercell, with farrow and ball paint. Next room is tikkurila and hoping to sort this out before I do any more.

housebuyer143

ashe said:

One thing I seem to have endless problems with is caulk. No matter what brand in use I always seek to get some cracking or crazing. 

We have some rough corners in our house and I've scraped out the previous caulk, applied a bead, tooled it off to a very small amount and smoothed it out with a damp sponge so hardly any there, but when I paint over it I get hair line cracks the next day?

they say paintable within 1h but I left it 24h. 

Surely decorators don't caulk and leave it a week to fully go off before painting, so can anyone give me some advice? Most recent brans is evercell, with farrow and ball paint. Next room is tikkurila and hoping to sort this out before I do any more.

What areas are you caulking? I don't find mine ever cracks unless I caulk things that are still prone to movement. Could that be the issue you are having? 

danrv

You could try Toupret Flex-Fill. 
I used it on some challenging interior mid wall cracks. I used Polyfilla before and hairline cracks appeared a few weeks after painting. I applied the Flex-Fill and then Polyfilla to smooth over and it all seems good.
Just be sure to widen the repair area with a triangular groove. I also applied some diluted PVA before the Flex-Fill.

https://www.toolstation.com/toupret-fibacryl-flexible-filler/p40082?store=C4&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=_dt&pcrid=&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIss3Nws7g_gIVWIpoCR3S-Q1kEAQYASABEgIWFvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Nearlyold

Are the hairline cracks in the caulk itself or between the caulk and the surface you've applied it to. 

If you're removing virtually all the caulk you've applied when tooling and wiping with a sponge then that may be the problem. A very thin layer of caulk will crack easily.

ashe

Basically we have some corners to rooms that have been caulked before and it's lifted so I've stripped that out and beaded it neatly, and along the top of the room where the ceiling meets the wall or coving just as it is generally untidy and again was already caulk there 

RonRamsgate

Have used a few brands of decorators caulk but now use wickes, without issue. 
Pump in the caulk, tool it with a fugi type tool keep it dry and never use a finger !
Where its important to get a perfect finish, i prime the caulked area. Currently using zinsser cover stain (spray) then emulsion over.
Some emulsion is worse than others, it use to be flexible enough and allow small movement without crazing over caulk.
Crazed/cracked emulsion on caulk can be treated with (spray) peel stop, then emulsion as usual. 

That works for me 

ashe

RonRamsgate said:

Have used a few brands of decorators caulk but now use wickes, without issue. 
Pump in the caulk, tool it with a fugi type tool keep it dry and never use a finger !
Where its important to get a perfect finish, i prime the caulked area. Currently using zinsser cover stain (spray) then emulsion over.
Some emulsion is worse than others, it use to be flexible enough and allow small movement without crazing over caulk.
Crazed/cracked emulsion on caulk can be treated with (spray) peel stop, then emulsion as usual. 

That works for me 

Good tip, thanks - we have some peel stop so I'll try that 

Postik

I've found all caulk gets fine crazes when painted with emulsion.

The thing that eventually solved it for me was using an oil based primer over the top of the caulk before emulsion. This is the only thing that ever worked for me.

You have to use a very light coat and then I'd normally do a couple of coats of emulsion over the caulk/primer and feather it in. Without the extra coats of emulsion you get a shadow show through.

housebuyer143

ashe said:

Basically we have some corners to rooms that have been caulked before and it's lifted so I've stripped that out and beaded it neatly, and along the top of the room where the ceiling meets the wall or coving just as it is generally untidy and again was already caulk there 

Yes, this will keep cracking. I tried the same with mine and it comes right back. You either need to go the whole hog and get the fibreglass tape and poly fill over it and sand or try the Flexi filler recommended here. 

ashe

But if it's not used for that, like it is in dozens of videos I've watched on YT, what is decorators caulk actually used for? 

danrv

ashe said:

But if it's not used for that, like it is in dozens of videos I've watched on YT, what is decorators caulk actually used for? 

Things like filling small join gaps in skirting boards, architraves etc. These areas generally don’t show the effects of movement like walls and ceilings do.
Decorators caulk is more of a finishing product.