Painter's caulk is cheap, water-cleanup acrylic latex sold in tubes for filling gaps at trim, drywall and casings before painting. It shrinks, cracks under movement and has poor weather resistance, so on an exterior joint it is a giveaway that the wrong trade sealed it. Siliconized versions improve flexibility a little but are still not elastomeric sealants.
Somebody ran painter's caulk on the storefront perimeter, it's cracked open all the way down.
Also heard as
- acrylic latex caulk
- latex caulk
Related terms
Caulk
Everyday word for any gun-applied gap filler; in the trade, a lower-movement material than a true sealant.
Sealant
A material that fills a joint or gap to stop water and air, while accommodating movement.
Movement capability
How far a sealant can stretch and compress, as a percentage of joint width, while keeping its seal.
R&R
Remove and replace: cutting out old sealant completely and installing new sealant in the cleaned joint.