Cracked or missing caulking (calfeutrage): what it is, how serious, what it costs

Caulking, « calfeutrage » in a French report, is the flexible sealant joint applied where two materials meet: between a window frame and the siding, around doors, vent outlets, exterior light fixtures or the electrical mast. Inside, it is the silicone joint around the shower, the tub and the counter.

It does not last: sun, frost and the movement of the house make it dry out, harden and crack. Reports say “cracked caulking”, “dried out”, “missing” or “sealant to redo”.

Most of the time, no: it is maintenance. In analyses, I usually put it under “Can wait”.

It moves up when water is already getting through: water marks below a window, soft wood around an opening, a shower leaking behind the tiles. At that point the joint is not the expensive part; what the water damaged behind it is.

Redoing the caulking around one window: $250 to $400. Redoing the joints on one side of the house: $450 to $1,000, and all around the house: $1,000 to $2,800. Redoing the joint around a tub or shower: $300 to $500.

If water has damaged the frame or the wall behind, that repair is priced separately, once the wall is open.

These are ballpark figures for Quebec, to be confirmed with quotes.

1. Where is the caulking cracked or missing: windows, doors, vent outlets, shower?
2. Did you see water marks or soft wood at those spots, inside or outside?
3. At the shower, was the wall soft or were tiles coming loose near the joint?

Does your report mention caulking? Upload it: in five minutes, I tell you what comes first, what to have checked and what to ask the seller.

Often, yes. Remove the old joint, clean and let it dry, then apply a sealant made for exterior use or for the bathroom. High up, or when the joint is wide or deep, a contractor is the better choice.

Because an open joint lets water behind the tiles, where it damages the drywall and the wood without showing. It is a small job that prevents a big one.