Types of Caulking

Caulking Compound	Cost	Elasticity	Adhesion	Comments
Acrylic	Low	Very good	Most surfaces	Hard to apply and clean, exterior use only due to noxious odor
Acrylic Latex	Moderate	Fair to good	Excellent except metal	Easy to apply, interior/exterior, paintable
Butyl Rubber	Moderate	Fair	Most surfaces, excellent for metal and masonry	Slightly difficult to apply, paintable after one week, interior/exterior, high moisture resistance, high shrinkage
Copolymers	Moderate to high	Very good	Good except to plastic	Fairly easy to apply, durable, interior/exterior and shaded
Latex	Low to moderate	Poor	Good except to metal	Easy to apply, may shrink, interior use, not for long-term caulking
Oil or Resin Based	Low	Poor	Most surfaces	May be messy to apply, may shrink, for interior use, not for long-term caulking
Polysulfide	High	Good	Needs primer to bond to most surfaces	Difficult to apply, dries quickly, requires primer, toxic until "cured"
Polyurethane	Moderate to high	Very good	Most surfaces may need primer	Easy to apply, solvent cleanup, paintable unpleasant odor, interior/exterior
Polyurethane Foam	Moderate to high	Poor	Good	Easy to apply, interior/exterior, rigid, deteriorates in sun, vent
Silicone	High	Excellent	Almost all surfaces	Easy to apply, interior/exterior, most cannot be painted, high moisture resistance, durable

Source: U.S Department of Energy

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