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Caulk

Question
My painter said that caulking is not necessary when repainting a house. Is that right? I have heard quite often that caulking is needed no matter what. Who’s right?

Answer
Both schools of thought are right, to a degree. It depends on where you caulk, and whether you caulk on the outside or inside. Many years ago, no one suggested caulking because the oil-based caulks did not last very long and did very little good. Then the industry developed caulks that lasted 10 years (good), then 20 years (wow!) and finally a lifetime (amazing!), so they advocated to caulk, caulk, caulk, to keep out cold air or to keep out heat.
People suggested caulking outside around window and door frames, along corner boards, and at junctures of trim and siding (wood clapboards, wood shingles, aluminum and vinyl).
Trouble is, the joints between trim boards and siding are already well sealed. In a properly constructed house, tar paper or other protective covering is placed under trim boards, making an airtight, weather-resistant joint. Some kind of protection, such as Tyvek, underlies siding, increasing the weather tightness of the joint.
The few places that need outside caulking are under window sills, which often are a really neglected joint, and perhaps at the bottom of the siding, where the wall meets the foundation. This joint is usually too big for caulking, so the joint is filled with modern oakum, a rope-type filler good for larger openings.
In very old houses, it might be a good idea to caulk, because the tar paper might have failed or other mishaps might have occurred. This is iffy.
There is another reason for not caulking outdoors. Joints along window and door trim boards are designed to drain water away from the siding. If these joints are caulked, water can be trapped behind the joints, leading to decay.
After all this, are there any other areas good for caulking? There sure are: inside, around door and window frames and other areas where joints may not be very tight. If you caulk carefully, the bead will be virtually invisible, or covered by draperies or curtains, and the indoor designer might not object too much.

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