I have a 2 year old house in south georgia, usa. A friend says I should caulk the joint between the bottom of the exterior siding and the concrete slab to prevent insects from nesting in the wall. Makes sense but I am reluctant because I thought the joint should be open to allow moisture to escape.
Should i caulk up this joint? Also is it better to use caulk or foam?
Thanks Scott
We caulked ours to stop the bugs. You could caulk from the inside though it won't stop the bugs as well.. Latex paint passes moisture so that should help get the moisture out. Every 10 feet you could use caulk go lock some screen material in place. That will give moisture a weep hole if you are concerned and keep the bugs out.
Scott,
Bugs can easily walk up to the gap in the next course of siding so your bug idea seems silly to me. Do not caulk.
Dave M.
Depends on the gap. I've seen a lot of houses where the foundation was too small for the siding and there is a good quarter inch or more gap under the last piece of siding that just invites bugs in for dinner.
I think the caulk on the bottom is bad idea also, but my question is, what gaps in the next course up? There are certainly no gaps with my siding, nor my neighbors. Seems like it would be crappy siding if there are open spaces that bugs could crawl into.
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