[Popskull]

I used SW 60 year caulk on a tongue and groove ceiling, 2 months later it cracked because the ceiling shrunk,I bought a case of Big Stretch caulk, has anyone used this? Thanks in advance

 

[stelzerpaintinginc.]

Where is it cracking, and are you sure you caulked something which should be caulked? T & G will continually expand & contract. Caulking perimeter & butt joints can be done with relatively low risk, but that's about it. Is this interior or exterior? Where on the T & G did you caulk? What's the moisture content of the wood? Was it acclimated before installation? How was it installed? What are the current temps & humidity levels you're working in?

Big Stretch is great caulk, but it is not magic caulk. If you're caulking something that will continue to expand & contract, adding another layer of caulking won't fix the issue. Please post pics when you can.

 

[Popskull]

Here’s the ceiling, it’s been there for 25 years but it was stained before, it’s not huge cracks

 

[Popskull]

 

[Joe67]

What a nightmare. Basic problem is that there are no real gaps there to fill. So you just end up with a very thin coat of caulk which easily tears. I'd say your best bet at this point is to try to cut out as much of the original caulk as possible, get what you can filled, but leave a reasonably heavy bead in the v's so that it can't just tear. Of course, you do stand a chance of leaving yourself a bigger mess later. Perhaps others have smarter ideas. But if I was to try it, I'd say the BigStretch should be able to do it - if it's not just a thin coat.

 

[MikeCalifornia]

not sure what the 60yr is from SW, urethane? or silicon elastomeric? Either way, I think you try and upgrade your caulking and just run a fat bead then finger so you have a nice cove.

 

[Popskull]

not sure what the 60yr is from SW, urethane? or silicon elastomeric? Either way, I think you try and upgrade your caulking and just run a fat bead then finger so you have a nice cove.

Its actually 55 year caulk 950 A siliconized acrylic

 

[MikeCalifornia]

Its actually 55 year caulk 950 A siliconized acrylic

There you go, that basic alex+ garbo. Best that is for is base or casings. SherMax or the one in the light blue tube? Look for urethane or elastomeric in the description.
Never compare based off year descriptions, that is useless. Either the ASTM will be the key, but that's a bunch of research no one wants to do.

 

[cocomonkeynuts]

bigstretch advertizes maximux 2" bridge, I have a 2" sample here in the shop. pretty cool stuff

 

[DeanV]

Those lines should not have been caulked, imho. I prefer to leave those joints open.

 

[Gymschu]

How is your technique? I mean, I know some painters simply lay the caulk bead and don't tool it with their finger or a plastic bead tool. You need to really PUSH the caulk into the gap for maximum performance. I can't recall too many failures when I've properly tooled the caulk into the crack. That being said, all bets are off if you have a lot of movement due to weather/humidity levels that cause a lot of movement.

And, truth be told, who knows if the stuff was properly installed 25 years ago with the proper fasteners, etc. I mean, it's cracking at every joint so I am a bit suspicious as to how it was attached to the framing. Some knucklehead could have used an air nailer and sunk the nails in to far, etc. or didn't use ENOUGH fasteners.........

 

[Holland]

I told the manage at SW that if their '60 year caulk' failed before 60 years, I was coming back for a refund.

He looked at me with a straight face and said: "Save your receipt".

(of course both of us would likely be over 100 years old).

 

[Popskull]

I told the manage at SW that if their '60 year caulk' failed before 60 years, I was coming back for a refund.

He looked at me with a straight face and said: "Save your receipt".

(of course both of us would likely be over 100 years old).

That 60 year caulk I got only lasted 2 months,

 

[Holland]

That 60 year caulk I got only lasted 2 months,

There looks to be a lot of movement in that T+G. Are the back sides and ends sealed? Exterior wood is susceptible to changes in humidity, and can swell and shrink with the seasons. Caulk is rated for some expansion, but most caulks - and paint - can't expand that far -
*(Shermax Elastomeric caulk is better than most - something like 70% joint movement).

Since you've already caulked, I'd be tempted to just caulk and paint it again and see what happens. Looks easy enough to re-do.

While I was doing that, I would mention to the customer that it might happen again... because wood likes to expand and contract. I would think it would be less noticeable next time, and if they keep up with routine maintenance could be done again down the road.

Caution: over-filling the joint may cause it to bulge out visibly, at times when the wood expands, or worse, to cause slight buckling in the T+G.

If it were me I would caulk and paint one more time, and then be on my way.

 

[finishesbykevyn]

You could always talk them into painting the ceiling black.

 

[Gymschu]

Looking at the pics again, I see a heating vent. Is it possible that the duct work for that vent runs behind the bead board in such a way that it is heating up the wood just enough and then it cools down just enough to produce movement that is causing the cracking of the caulk? Just something to think about. I say this because the cracking is more pronounced near and perpendicular to the vent.