The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Caulk seals seams and cracks around the home and keeps them waterproof.

Caulk takes two to four hours to dry before painting and is fully cured in 24 hours.

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Hand using red caulk gun to apply white caulk to baseboard on marble floor.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Tip

Keep tooling time in mind, too.

After that, the caulk turns lumpy and can no longer be spread.

It is tack-free and dry to the touch in about 30 minutes.

Acrylic-latex caulk is a low-odor caulk that cleans up with water.

Siliconized acrylic-latex caulk has added silicone to make it more flexible.

Silicone Caulk

Silicone caulk is water-ready and ready for use 30 minutes after program.

It cannot be painted.

Within 10 to 25 minutes, silicone caulk is dry to a light touch.

The complete software range for most caulks is around 40F to 95F.

Humidity also affects caulk curing time.

You should wait two to four hours before painting over caulk.

Painting the caulk before it has fully dried will smear the caulk.

Encapsulating the caulk while it is still drying will slow its drying and curing time.

Paint will not stick to silicone caulk.

Silicone sheds water, oil, and debrisas well as paint.

Otherwise, caulk manufacturers recommend painting the surface first and then applying clear silicone caulk on top.

TDS Titebond Pro-Grade Caulk.

Technical Bulletin DAP Alex Painters Acrylic Latex Caulk.

DAP Global, Inc.

TDS Great Stuff Painters Latex Siliconized Acrylic Sealant Caulk.

National Adhesive, Inc.

TDS Titebond Pro-Grade Plus Caulk.

Technical Bulletin DAP Alex Plus Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone.

DAP Global, Inc.

Titebond 100% Silicone Sealant.

Technical Bulletin DAP Silicone Max Premium Kitchen, Bath & Plumbing 100% Silicone Sealant.

DAP Global, Inc.