The kind of caulk a company uses on its window products is very important, but frequently overlooked by customers.  Most customers don’t know enough to ask, and most companies use cheaper products when they can.

The main types are:

Latex
Paintable, good adhesion to numerous materials, low flexibility, short lifespan, low cost

Silicon
Not Paintable, excellent adhesion, high flexibility, long lifespan, low cost

Siliconized Latex
Paintable, good adhesion, medium flexibility, medium lifespan, medium cost

Polyurethane
Paintable, excellent adhesion, high flexibility, long lifespan, high cost

Latex sealants were used in new home construction in the 80’s because they were paintable and cheap.  The home guarantee would last for 1 year, and the sealants would not last much longer before they split, cracked, and fell off of the house.

Silicon will yellow and attract dirt over time.  It also cures chemically which can smell bad for days afterward.

Polyurethane cures in a few hours, and has very low Volatile Organic Compounds compared to all of the other sealants, and does not smell.  This makes it a better choice for a number of reasons.  It is also the most eco-friendly of choices.      

Most ‘other’ companies use silicon due to its low cost.  However, this will add to your expenses when you have your house painted.  Check with your local house painter how much extra you could pay to deal with silicon caulk on the interior and exterior of your windows. 

Colorado Window & Siding, Inc. only uses polyurethane sealants on its installations. Xtrabond 9500 has extensive color selections to match all of the exterior colors available.  For more detailed information, go to www.xtrabond.com.  

Since caulking is a maintenance item, it needs to be inspected to make sure it is still sealing well.  The need to inspect the caulk increases as the quality of the product used decreases.

The most likely thing to fail on any installation job is the caulking.  Wouldn’t you want the best available caulk used on your job?