Sealant tape is one item you shouldn’t be without in your home. This multipurpose tape is a useful sealant for various home repairs and projects. Caulk is also very useful when you have to seal cracks, gaps and joints. It is a very strong adhesive material that has proved useful in construction and home improvement projects. Given the similar functions of sealing tape and caulk, you may be wondering which is better. A comparison of the two sealants is given below.
Although not as durable as caulking, sealant tape can help reduce household energy consumption. It is one of the most inexpensive methods available if you need to prevent duct leakages in the home. When applied to joints in the duct system, the tape can help prevent energy loss. The tape can be used to prevent cold drafts and build-up of frost. This improves energy efficiency and reduces your heating costs. You can also use the tape to give you some reprieve from leaks in the home. It can be used to bond glazing onto windows and skylights. This prevents infiltration of water. Should your metal roof develop cracks at some point, the tape can be used together with metal sealant to prevent leakage.
The tape isn’t as durable as caulk, especially when it comes to water resistance. This may limit usage in places like the bathroom or kitchen due to the high moisture availability. Due to its limited efficacy, in some cases you've got to use the tape together with another product to boost efficiency. This pushes your maintenance costs upwards. If you have to use the tape in confined areas, this will not be without some difficulty. Also, where applications require just a minor portion of sealant, it is trickier to achieve this with tape than caulk.
A wide variety of caulks are available on the market, each for specific uses. This increases the functionality of caulk whether used at home or elsewhere. Acrylic caulks are effective for most household purposes. Silicone caulks are very useful for exterior applications. Fire caulks are especially made to resist heat and fire. Gutter caulks are used to prevent leakage in gutters. Caulk is a highly effective sealant that gives more protection against water than sealant tape. This makes it more suitable for jobs in the bathroom and kitchen. The high water resistant properties of caulk also make it more effective as a household sealant. Once applied to cracks and gaps, it effectively keeps out air and moisture which helps improve energy efficiency in the home. It is easier to use caulk when you have to work on a small area or in confined spaces. The caulking gun or easy-to-use squeeze tube makes caulk dispensation easier.
More work is involved if you have to re-caulk items. You need to soften the previous caulk or scrape it with a sharp knife. You must then clean the surface in readiness for new caulk to be applied. However with tape, not much effort is required when you re-tape. If you apply the caulk hurriedly or fail to control the flow properly, you’ll spoil the work surface. Squiggles or blobs will form which require more work to correct.
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