What’s the very best caulk / sealant / adhesive

[mccpe]

I follow a guy on Twitter (X) Gary Burton. He's a professional painter and decorator but in a different class to most (light blue touch paper). He often posts tips about paints, sealants, caulking materials etc. His restoration of Victorian plaster cornices and roses is fascinating. https://twitter.com/TheOfficialGRB

Same recommendation from me.

 

[allan2426]

Happy New Year, I’ve now got a major project of painting and decorating to start 2024 and I just love painting….not! Anyway, this is for our forever home, so I want to prep for paint using the best longest lasting products I can find. Ive got skirting, architrave, windows etc to prep. I’ve also bits in the bathrooms to seal up.
I don’t want it to crack, I want it to be paintable, for the bathrooms I would like it to be mould resistant

What’s the best products to use. I’ve been looking at CT1 and BT1, any good? Anything better? What would you use? I’m not after budget, I’m after the best of the best (any MiB fans?) (UK purchase)

I’ve been using PU18for a couple of years now, both inside and out, refurbing silicone which has shrunk and cracked. It is a bit stiff to use in cold weather, (warm it up indoors before going outside). Paintable and seen no deterioration so far

 

[scholar]

I think that the key thing with these sealants is to finish the filling off properly - which I find is best if the amount of sealant left exposed is minimised. Thus in a wall to skirting gap, for example, the sealant just fills the gap and does not form a film up the wall and over the top face of the skirting. (I really dislike messy caulking).

For years I have used a Fugi silicone tool like these Cramer Fugi Profiling Tool Set
In practice, I only use the square-edged corners. (No place for wet finger smoothing!)

Cheers

 

[Agent_zed]

For skirting I've taken a different approach. I cannot stand the join where gloss paint meets the wall paint, along with all the runs you get with gloss that's been recoated over many years. So instead I've now taken to screwing my skirting on. If I paint the wall or the skirting I'll remove it. The skirting can then be properly cleaned and sanded and repainted before being re-fit.

Granted only really works if you have nice flat walls, but seeing as I replastered all of mine it isn't a problem.

In the bathroom it doesn't seem to matter. I've tried expensive and cheap sealants and still end up replacing them on a bi-annual basis.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you choose to screw them (I do) chances are you don't need many. I've just replaced two, one about four metres and the other about three, there are two screws in each. Just find any hollows in the wall and place your screws there.

 

[Ollie78]

I agree that stixall is a very good product, but as a caulk it can be a bit sticky. The ct1 and eb25 etc pretty similar to stixall but twice the price.

My current best one is Soudal acryrub which I get from Eurocell, its cheap and good.

I have a tip on doing skirting gaps and any gap larger than a couple of mm.
Don't use caulk on them.
Get some Tout pret tx110 quick drying powder filler. You can make up small amounts. Overfill slightly and sand it back once dry.
This filler is a really useful decorating product and I always have some on my van. Can be used to build up shapes on damaged mouldings or just for nail holes.

Ollie

 

[MikeJhn]

Stain the skirting/architrave and use brass screws and cup washers, various size's available.

 

[BearTricks]

Half my kitchen is held together by the Everbuild stuff in the white tub.

I echo the points about not overfilling. Sanding filler is a pain in the backside and takes hours if you’re feathering out large patches on wobbly walls like I was. Underfill, let it dry, then fill and smooth with a clean straight edged tool. Minimal sanding for your sanity.

 

[deema]

Thanks everyone. Next question what’s the best fine surface filler? Preferably quick drying but very easy to sand. Again, not interested in price, just the best for the job.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Toupret fine surface filler. I've found the £2 a tub stuff (151?) from Poundland excellent. If you've loads to do, a bag of dry lining filler.

 

[Doug B]

Gyproc easifill, clue in the title, best & easiest I've used sands so well & they do a rapid set version but I've not used that

https://www.toolstation.com/gyproc-easifill-60-filler/p59920

 

[Ollie78]

Thanks everyone. Next question what’s the best fine surface filler? Preferably quick drying but very easy to sand. Again, not interested in price, just the best for the job.

Still tout pret tx110. Its the best.

Ollie