# Caulking Windows of a home with vinyl siding



## BabyFace (Jun 11, 2012)

I live in a manufactured home about 5 years but the home is cold. I had an energy audit done & found out none of the windows have caulkin/sealant around them. The house has vinyl siding. I want to know if there is a special way to caulk/seal them. I am trying not to get "burnt" any further.

Thanks.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

What did the energy audit show specifically?

If the windows are new construction vinyl with a drywall return, caulking the outside will do little to seal leaks around the window opening.

Will it help with some of the cumulative air loss/gain through the wall...yes, but not nearly as much as you think.

If they are wood windows with wood interiors, better course of action would be to spray foam them once you remove the interior trim.


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## HomeSealed (Jan 3, 2008)

+1. Simply caulking the siding to the window/trim could be ineffective and actually screw up the water management system in some cases. If there is trim to remove on the interior, take that off and foam the gaps... Didn't your auditor give you a specific course of action?... He should have.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Regardless of whether the home is manufactured or stick-built, IF it has vinyl siding there should be "J" channel installed all around the window for the siding to be placed into. Due to the fact that vinyl siding expands and contracts with weather changes, there is no need to add any type of sealant where the siding inserts into the "J" trim, or the corner pieces. As stated: You would want some ventilation behind the vinyl siding so that moisture will not accumulate due to high humidity weather conditions.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Thurman said:


> Regardless of whether the home is manufactured or stick-built, IF it has vinyl siding there should be "J" channel installed all around the window for the siding to be placed into. Due to the fact that vinyl siding expands and contracts with weather changes, there is no need to add any type of sealant where the siding inserts into the "J" trim, or the corner pieces. As stated: You would want some ventilation behind the vinyl siding so that moisture will not accumulate due to high humidity weather conditions.


+1

Don't forget the newer windows with integrated J-channel too.


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