Common Caulking Compounds
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| Caulking Compound | Recommended Uses | Clean-up | Shrinkage | Adhesion | Cost | Comments |
| Silicone: Household | Seals joints between bath and kitchen fixtures and tile. Forms adhesive for tiles and metal fixtures. Seals metal joints as in plumbing and gutters. | Dry cloth if immediate; mineral spirits or naphtha. | Little or none. | Good to excellent. | High | Flexible: cured silicone allows stretch of joints up to three times normal width or compression to one-half the width. |
| Silicone: Construction | Seals most dissimilar building materials such as wood and stone, metal flashing, and brick. | Dry cloth if immediate; mineral spirits or naphtha. | Little or none. | Good to excellent. | High | Permits joints to stretch or compress. Silicones will stick to painted surfaces, but paint will not adhere to most cured silicones. |
| Polyurethane, expandable spray foam | Expands when curing; good for larger cracks indoors or outdoors. Use in nonfriction areas, as rubber becomes dry and powdery over time. | Solvent such as lacquer thinner, if immediate. | None; expands quite a bit. | Good to excellent. | Moderate to high. | Spray-foam quickly expands to fit larger, irregular-shaped gaps. Flexible. Can be applied at variable temperatures. Must be painted for exterior use to protect from ultraviolet radiation. Manufacturing process produces greenhouse gases. |
| Water-based foam sealant | Around window and door frames in new construction; smaller cracks. | Water. | None; expands only 25%. | Good to excellent. | High. | Takes 24 hours to cure. Cures to soft consistency. Water-based foam production does not produce greenhouse gases. Will not over-expand to bend windows (new construction). Must be exposed to air to dry. Not useful for larger gaps, as curing becomes difficult. |
| Butyl rubber | Seals most dissimilar materials (glass, metal, plastic, wood, and concrete.) Seals around windows and flashing, bonds loose shingles. | Mineral spirits or naphtha. | From 5% to 30%. | Good. | Moderate to high. | Durable 10 or more years; resilient, not brittle; can be painted after one week curing; variable shrinkage; may require two applications; does not adhere well to painted surfaces. Toxic, follow label precautions. |
| Latex | Seals joints around tub and shower. Fills cracks in tile, plaster, glass, and plastic; fills nail holes. | Water. | From 5% to 10%. | Good to excellent. | Moderate. | Easy to use. Seams can be trimmed or smoothed with moist finger or tool. Water resistant when dry. Can be sanded and painted. Less elastic than above materials. Varied durability, 2 to 10 years; will not adhere to metal; little flexibility once cured; needs to be painted when used on exteriors. |
| Oil or resin-based | Seals exterior seams and joints on building materials. | Mineral spirits or naphtha. | From 10% to 20%. | Good. | Low. | Readily available. Least expensive of the four types. Rope and tube form available. Oils dry out and cause material to harden and fall out. Low durability, 1-4 years; poor adhesion to porous surfaces like masonry; should be painted; can be toxic (check label). Limited temperature range. |
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