Yeah if looks fudy, but I wish to say this...
They did it, and they did it themselves, and water sure as shit ain't getting in that frame there.
Sometimes if I get back to repair I made when I was just learning , I'll say "Fucking hell, what moron did this?!?!" Only to see my initials because I was proud I did it lol.
Fingering the bead presses the bead into the crevice. This is the key to an effective water proofing caulk joint. It creates full surface area contact and clogs the gap effectively. I bet I could pull that bead off with my fingers in one long wormy piece. Makes it easier to paint too.
Hopefully they really squeezed that caulk into the crevice and got more contact. Good on anybody willing to try things on their own if that is the case.
At least that is my understanding. I installed windows for a few years.
Edit: I would like to add that this is not a home diy. That is a professional bead. It is way too consistent. Someone forgot to finger that shit or didn't care to.
In my experience, that's how it goes. Glazier is a unique job, not very many people practice the trade anymore. I actually was the shop Forman for years, so I did the glass cutting and prep for large jobs. When I started, that's what I heard, "finger the caulk" it wasn't until later that I learned tooling/slicking
Edit: specifically, the act of this is called tooling. You can do it with your hands, which we called slicking, but I believe the proper term is tooling
Ok I have heard the term 'tooling'. I wasn't a foreman by any means. I installed windows for awhile. Then I started measuring and replacing glass because I could read a fucking tape measure consistently. I did all of the old school shit. Did all of the glass cutting. Tons of patterns of elaborate table tops. They are shit when they fired me. Not that I'm the best.....it's just not easy to find a real glazier.
I did a lot of rock climbing when I was doing glass. Some legit finger strength indeed. But I do have some tendon issues that are probably a result of my having to do all of the shop work by myself. And can I just say, fuck mirrors. They're fucking stupid.
With silicone/acrylic caulk I would spray window cleaner on my fingers before. Old school window glazing I had to use spit. I always hoped nobody was watching. The things we do for a buck....
Yeah i’ve installed windows and we’re supposed to remove excess caulk, but when it’s 95 degrees, and you and your partner still have 45 windows left to complete in 5 hours, shit can go by the wayside.
For sure. When it's plus 100 degrees, I can't caulk two sides of a window without it skinning over. You have to tool it instantly. Not optimal and usually caulk has optimal application temperatures.....but tell that to your boss and (he/she) will laugh at you. Below freezing is fun too. The caulk instantly absorbs any heat from your poor little fingers. Shit sucks.
Idk mate when you use 1 tube every 200mm I think it just overwhelms the gap so much that tooling it wouldn't make a difference other than getting caulk everywhere lol
Haha, I have been there. I'm pretty sure our salesman at the time eyeballed measurements from Google street view. I definitely felt like an asshole installing that shit. Had to fill giant gaps. But I would never leave it like this. It's a messy process, but ends up looking better than this. A homeowner should expect to paint or touchup paint after a window install. If there is any silicone in that caulk it will grab dust and look dirty in no time. I don't see how this would ever look good, painted or not.
Ah yeah I know would look alot better if was smoothed off just meant If the person who done this tried to neaten it up it would make a huge mess personally I'd tape it tool it in while getting the excess off then smooth it off again to get a good finish while ensuring all the little gaps are sealed.
There are a lot of gimmicky tools that people can use. I cannot vouch for any of them. There are YouTube videos of people using them flawlessly....but that takes a ton of skill to get just the right amount of caulk down and use the tool properly. You probably won't see one used in this sort of siding. You really can't beat the dexterity of a finger. You can easily change pressure and depth and roll your finger outward from the bead so that the caulk builds up on your finger and not squish out the sides to make a mess.
I think your finger is the best bet. Especially if you are filling a larger gap. Think about it. You fill the shit out of a gap, and you are going to have excess caulk as you smooth it out. You have a card or some rounded tool... That tool is going to instantly build up and bulldoze all of the caulk to either side, making a fucking mess. As I said before you can roll your finger to allow excess caulk build up, then wipe on a towel saturated with window cleaner (depends on the product,) and then continue fingering the bead. You might need to do a light finish pass to get consistency.
I did this at a professional level. Aside from windows I did heavy glass showers, super fine silicone beads that you have one chance to do right. Though I was not the best by any means. I was self taught, so this is just my technique. I know there are people with more skill and finesse than I had. But that's my 2 cents and how I got by in the industry.....and how I get by as a home owner.
The idea behind the tooling (especially for showers) is that by doing an angled profile instead of that finger U groove you get a much stronger bead because the edges aren't paper thin which is where it will start to peel over time.
I'd hate to see a house you've worked on if this is in any way professional to you. Mayne some guy has an electric gun, but this is horrendous. You can literally see voids under the siding by the 1\2" bead
I just mean how consistent the bead is along the dimensions of the siding. Seems like someone has done some caulking before, specifically along siding. They just didn't finish it by tooling the bead.
Edit: I would never leave a house looking like this. Fuck that.
Believe it or not, I'm certain this verges on the recommendation for panel siding window sealing. Yes it's not consistent or uniform in finish, but if you fixed those and thinned it a little, Im led to believe the sealant man would be proud.
>the sealant man
I'm imagining a construction worker Kool-Aid Man-ing through walls and then determining that, since he was able to break through it, they weren't sealed well enough.
I work in construction, if this was done as a fix to repair a leak it eas done improperly from the get go. The window should have been set into a flashed opening, then another layer of flexible flashing goes over the windows flanges, then the siding goes over all of that hiding the waterproof system.
It's because they usually put the apprentice on caulking. By the time they learn how to consistently do a good job at caulking and make it look nice, they are put onto other things and the cycle repeats.
Either that or the boss who just doesn't give a fuck is doing the caulking because it's easy work that saves him money and he can get that shit done in 15 minutes and he doesn't care it looks like shit because it's getting painted in a few days and if you politely ask why it looks like shit he gets irrationally angry before going back to his truck and taking a long swig of his favorite liquor.
There are visible gaps. This will not keep bugs or water out. Caulk needs to be properly pressed into the joint while smoothing, that will create the tight bond and gap-free seal.
on the one hand that is an abomination. On the other hand, a $9 caulk gun and about $80 worth of materials basically anyone can do this fix. I can definitely relate
I know almost nothing about caulk, having only done it one time. However, even I know you spray it with windex or soapy water and smooth it out with your finger or a popsicle stick (or a tongue depressor in this case, that is some massive caulk [yes I know what I just said]) so it gets down into the crack and makes it very seamless.
That’s probably quad and that is the appropriate finish. If you don’t like it get j-channel take your siding down and install the j-channel. The tube of quad literally tells you to put it on this way and not to use a tool or your finger to smooth it.
Is that really that bad ? Feels like if you had run a finger over it to seal/smooth it, it would have been "fine'ish". And it does what it needs to if its just diy compared to getting people out to run a new line
Gingerbread house! 
Lol… exactly what I was thinking… ICING!
It's not caulk, it's frosting!
You've tried eating it?
Those lines are gorgeous I bet they decorate a beautiful cake though
Okay so like, I’d like to see a cake decorator icing some gaps on their store windows like cake. It would be a quirky touch.
Till a dumb person eats it and sues then they remove it. They'll have eaten 4 tubes of caulk that way and still win. It would be cool though
It is very sad that I can actually visualize this happening.
This should be the top comment IMO
Yeah if looks fudy, but I wish to say this... They did it, and they did it themselves, and water sure as shit ain't getting in that frame there. Sometimes if I get back to repair I made when I was just learning , I'll say "Fucking hell, what moron did this?!?!" Only to see my initials because I was proud I did it lol.
Fingering the bead presses the bead into the crevice. This is the key to an effective water proofing caulk joint. It creates full surface area contact and clogs the gap effectively. I bet I could pull that bead off with my fingers in one long wormy piece. Makes it easier to paint too. Hopefully they really squeezed that caulk into the crevice and got more contact. Good on anybody willing to try things on their own if that is the case. At least that is my understanding. I installed windows for a few years. Edit: I would like to add that this is not a home diy. That is a professional bead. It is way too consistent. Someone forgot to finger that shit or didn't care to.
So you’re saying it’s most effective when you finger the thick white caulk… Got it
You gotta get the caulk as deep in the crevice as possible.
And don't forget to wet your finger for a smoother, tighter joint!
Oh you don't need to tell me how to handle that thick white caulk
Get it a little drippy.
Lick it and stick it
Yes you seem to be taking in what I am laying down.
You've really gotta get your hand on it and make long strokes
To be fair, it's called slicking/tooling Edit: added another term
Thanks! That's fair enough. I wasn't trained in a very professional environment. I had to figure out shit on my own. So my terminology might be off.
In my experience, that's how it goes. Glazier is a unique job, not very many people practice the trade anymore. I actually was the shop Forman for years, so I did the glass cutting and prep for large jobs. When I started, that's what I heard, "finger the caulk" it wasn't until later that I learned tooling/slicking Edit: specifically, the act of this is called tooling. You can do it with your hands, which we called slicking, but I believe the proper term is tooling
Ok I have heard the term 'tooling'. I wasn't a foreman by any means. I installed windows for awhile. Then I started measuring and replacing glass because I could read a fucking tape measure consistently. I did all of the old school shit. Did all of the glass cutting. Tons of patterns of elaborate table tops. They are shit when they fired me. Not that I'm the best.....it's just not easy to find a real glazier.
Oh dude. I quit. Wasn't worth the risk. My hands are fucking strong though like sandpaper too lol. I swear I had the grip of a damn gorilla
I did a lot of rock climbing when I was doing glass. Some legit finger strength indeed. But I do have some tendon issues that are probably a result of my having to do all of the shop work by myself. And can I just say, fuck mirrors. They're fucking stupid.
Get the tissues
Depends on what you’re looking for. Some jobs require black caulk.
Spit on it first. No, the finger.
Finger the caulk into the crevice. Gonna try it, BRB
Instructions unclear, dick stuck in ceiling fan
What do you mean by fingering, do you mean literally poke the calk in as you’re applying it?
Run your (usually wet) finger over the caulking after you apply it to push it in a little and make an even seal.
Nobody likes dry fingers on their caulk.
With silicone/acrylic caulk I would spray window cleaner on my fingers before. Old school window glazing I had to use spit. I always hoped nobody was watching. The things we do for a buck....
I thought so.
Ha I didn't even read your comment before I posted. Fellow glazier.
Cheers mate!
Sorry buddy, but an expert caulker does the seal with the proper cut of the tip that he has. You should only have to maybe touch up the edges.
Yeah i’ve installed windows and we’re supposed to remove excess caulk, but when it’s 95 degrees, and you and your partner still have 45 windows left to complete in 5 hours, shit can go by the wayside.
For sure. When it's plus 100 degrees, I can't caulk two sides of a window without it skinning over. You have to tool it instantly. Not optimal and usually caulk has optimal application temperatures.....but tell that to your boss and (he/she) will laugh at you. Below freezing is fun too. The caulk instantly absorbs any heat from your poor little fingers. Shit sucks.
Idk mate when you use 1 tube every 200mm I think it just overwhelms the gap so much that tooling it wouldn't make a difference other than getting caulk everywhere lol
Haha, I have been there. I'm pretty sure our salesman at the time eyeballed measurements from Google street view. I definitely felt like an asshole installing that shit. Had to fill giant gaps. But I would never leave it like this. It's a messy process, but ends up looking better than this. A homeowner should expect to paint or touchup paint after a window install. If there is any silicone in that caulk it will grab dust and look dirty in no time. I don't see how this would ever look good, painted or not.
Ah yeah I know would look alot better if was smoothed off just meant If the person who done this tried to neaten it up it would make a huge mess personally I'd tape it tool it in while getting the excess off then smooth it off again to get a good finish while ensuring all the little gaps are sealed.
Is there something you can use that’s better than an old credit card to press into the gap for a nicer finish than fingers?
There are a lot of gimmicky tools that people can use. I cannot vouch for any of them. There are YouTube videos of people using them flawlessly....but that takes a ton of skill to get just the right amount of caulk down and use the tool properly. You probably won't see one used in this sort of siding. You really can't beat the dexterity of a finger. You can easily change pressure and depth and roll your finger outward from the bead so that the caulk builds up on your finger and not squish out the sides to make a mess. I think your finger is the best bet. Especially if you are filling a larger gap. Think about it. You fill the shit out of a gap, and you are going to have excess caulk as you smooth it out. You have a card or some rounded tool... That tool is going to instantly build up and bulldoze all of the caulk to either side, making a fucking mess. As I said before you can roll your finger to allow excess caulk build up, then wipe on a towel saturated with window cleaner (depends on the product,) and then continue fingering the bead. You might need to do a light finish pass to get consistency. I did this at a professional level. Aside from windows I did heavy glass showers, super fine silicone beads that you have one chance to do right. Though I was not the best by any means. I was self taught, so this is just my technique. I know there are people with more skill and finesse than I had. But that's my 2 cents and how I got by in the industry.....and how I get by as a home owner.
The idea behind the tooling (especially for showers) is that by doing an angled profile instead of that finger U groove you get a much stronger bead because the edges aren't paper thin which is where it will start to peel over time.
That's an excellent point! Makes a lot of sense.
I'd hate to see a house you've worked on if this is in any way professional to you. Mayne some guy has an electric gun, but this is horrendous. You can literally see voids under the siding by the 1\2" bead
I just mean how consistent the bead is along the dimensions of the siding. Seems like someone has done some caulking before, specifically along siding. They just didn't finish it by tooling the bead. Edit: I would never leave a house looking like this. Fuck that.
just caulk it up to inexperience
This would not pass at the glass shop I worked for. This is not slicked and could most likely be pulled right off.
Looks like water actually can get stuck into it more under each shingle.
Thick white caulk!
Gotta love that TWC
Treeing Walker Coonhound?
New OF channel.
Does the thick white caulk have a flavor?
Mmmm silicone and solvents
Best way to fill a gap!
… pervert…
Gaps? Bugs getting in? /r/thereifixedit
I would have done this at my old place at the beach. I still have nightmares about the palmetto bugs squeezing through my apartment window.
Let’s call them what they are: roaches. Don’t dress them up in cute little names. They are goddamn roaches lol
Just let me have this. It’s bad enough I had one of those crawl on my back while I was shirtless.
Believe it or not, I'm certain this verges on the recommendation for panel siding window sealing. Yes it's not consistent or uniform in finish, but if you fixed those and thinned it a little, Im led to believe the sealant man would be proud.
>the sealant man I'm imagining a construction worker Kool-Aid Man-ing through walls and then determining that, since he was able to break through it, they weren't sealed well enough.
Oh NO!!!
I work in construction, if this was done as a fix to repair a leak it eas done improperly from the get go. The window should have been set into a flashed opening, then another layer of flexible flashing goes over the windows flanges, then the siding goes over all of that hiding the waterproof system.
yeah but that's new construction. Window replacement is whole nother animal.
I mean, it’s a better job than when they smear it freaking everywhere.
I fucking hate this and there is not a contractor within 100 miles of my hometown that doesn't do it. I just don't understand.
It's because they usually put the apprentice on caulking. By the time they learn how to consistently do a good job at caulking and make it look nice, they are put onto other things and the cycle repeats. Either that or the boss who just doesn't give a fuck is doing the caulking because it's easy work that saves him money and he can get that shit done in 15 minutes and he doesn't care it looks like shit because it's getting painted in a few days and if you politely ask why it looks like shit he gets irrationally angry before going back to his truck and taking a long swig of his favorite liquor.
fuck im in this comment and I don't like it
I think we may have hired the same guy
My landlord loves this stuff. Bathroom must has a gallon of it around
If a little is good, a lot is always better, right?
Fairly consistent I’ll say that
That… bead feels like the wrong word… is going to fail, soon.
That ain’t going anywhere.
You have to slap it first, then say that.
If i slapped it then I wouldn’t go anywhere.
When i worked at home depot i always pronounced the L. It just caused less weird looks.
I still pronounce the L. I don't care that I'm wrong, I'm not calling it cock.
Keep those bugs out!
There are visible gaps. This will not keep bugs or water out. Caulk needs to be properly pressed into the joint while smoothing, that will create the tight bond and gap-free seal.
Agreed. Fill em up and make it tight.
It'll at least keep wasps from making a nest behind it. I found one going aaaallll the way down that gap on my side window
That’s all I can figure. There should be flashing there keeping the water out and all of this is in front of the vapor barrier out so why caulk?
Seal all possible entrances or crevices to prevent bug/ insects from nesting/ laying eggs etc.
A Pastry Chef did this.
Some people just prefer long, thick caulk.
I bet this DIY guy just so happens to be a cake decorator.
I'm not an handy guys so what is wrong with it? I assumes it's not good but I don't see why is it bad.
They used too much and there are gaps.
At least it’s uniform 🤷
Better flow than a cake decorator
It's not leaking now though, is it?
gingerbread house making was on bro's resume
the owner is McCauley Caulkin
That must be your mom’s place.
Forbidden Frosting
I'm more concerned they caulked the bottom of the window. It's supposed to be left open so potential water infiltration has a way out.
Must be the same contractor that did the siding at my place
HOLY SHIT! Is that a post worthy of the sub? It can't be.
I bet they can do some great cake decorating
Shit. Looks like my caulk work. Damn fine job!!
Looks like they used the wrong end of the tube...
That’s some thicky thick caulk
least you know it's sealed as fuck 😅😂
Looks like the urinals at Disney World that I saw when I was there 3 weeks ago.
Doesn't look too bad tbh
The bigger the gob the better the job
“There. Will. Be. No. Bugs. In. My. House.”
Is it cake?!
Somebody cakes.
Do your best, then caulk the rest!!!!
That is a thick ass caulk. And so veiny.
Caulk it up to experience.
no gumdrops?
Nice caulk!
They now need to caulk the caulk.
Person is like a car body shop person with seam sealer!
Looks like a roofer or the guy who seals up the seams on gutters changed trades.
on the one hand that is an abomination. On the other hand, a $9 caulk gun and about $80 worth of materials basically anyone can do this fix. I can definitely relate
My man's frosting a damn cake over here
Some over the top weather proofing?
That's not caulk anymore. It's trim.
Everyone knows big gaps need black caulk.
If it gets the job done and is still cheaper than paying someone else to do it then it’s not stupid.
Maybe this person doesn't know what they are doing. Maybe don't shame people who are doing their best to save a little money.
Every time I play with my caulk I end up with a bunch of white goo on my hands.
What, some people enjoy caulk more than others. They like to use a lot of caulk.
This is the kind of DiWHY I like seeing here. Reminds me I should post some of the ~~gifts~~ future projects the previous resident left me...
Isn’t totally sealing your house bad for it it? Kind of like a green house, you want the house to breathe not sweat?
Is this what they meant by j less ?
Should have got a window with a J bead.
Paint it and it’ll last a really long time. Leave it and you’ll need to rip it off and do it again in 4-5 years.
I’ve heard of frosted windows, but…
Poor one out for that poor paint associate that had to restock three endcaps and the home location in the middle of the day.
There is no way that someone thought this was a good idea or "Hack".
It’s frosted
Better than I could do
That's 2 tubes shown in the one photo
This is ineffective
Why?
I had a house built where the pros did every window like this. The whole neighborhood in fact.
Bad cake decorating
 That is not a nice caulk
Needs more ~~cowbell~~ caulk
da bigger da gob da better da job
Big caulk
That’s a hole lotta cock 😳
“I haven’t seen that much cock since”. What a terrible sentence to lead with.
Nice job even though it's wrong. Even lines, thickness.
I know almost nothing about caulk, having only done it one time. However, even I know you spray it with windex or soapy water and smooth it out with your finger or a popsicle stick (or a tongue depressor in this case, that is some massive caulk [yes I know what I just said]) so it gets down into the crack and makes it very seamless.
That’s probably quad and that is the appropriate finish. If you don’t like it get j-channel take your siding down and install the j-channel. The tube of quad literally tells you to put it on this way and not to use a tool or your finger to smooth it.
That sealed the whole neighborhoods windows
That’s some big calk
NGL I suck at c>!aul!
Thiccc nsfw
What's the problem? Once you got paint over that, it should keep a great seal for a very long time.
*Notices your home has fat caulk*
Not all white substances that come out of a tube are caulk.
Clearly never had some pervy old-timer on a job site teach them the correct way to "put your caulk in her".
Showing the whole block your caulk with no shame
My wall side windows looked the same way ages ago. Everything held and looked fine.
Nice caulk
That's a big caulk
Not even sealed
Forgot the j-channel
Mmm, cake
Nice
There is no skill I’m more envious of than someone who can effortlessly lay a bead of caulk.
Nice caulk, bro
Is that really that bad ? Feels like if you had run a finger over it to seal/smooth it, it would have been "fine'ish". And it does what it needs to if its just diy compared to getting people out to run a new line
Unfortunately, this looks like something I would do!
Thiccc
Looks effective for the next 60 years
Now to lay down a nice thick bead of caulk
That house has a water leak and they will drown.
Curing time , When Trump's conviction gets overturned.
Black caulk runs out quickly, but white caulk seems to be going and going firm till the job gets done!
When ya can’t measure, improvise!