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Why does nobody talk about using foam backer rod for caulking gaps
I was sealing some gaps around my windows last month on a 1950s bungalow near Whyte Avenue. The spaces were way too big for just caulk alone, and I wasted a whole tube trying to fill them. A buddy who does commercial glazing told me to shove foam backer rod in first before applying the caulk. It saved me about 40 bucks on caulk and the finish looks way cleaner now. Has anyone else tried this trick for big gaps in older Edmonton homes?
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miles7985h ago
Oh man, backer rod is a game changer. Did you find it helped with frost forming on the inside of the window in winter too?
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jennifer_west521h ago
The backer rod cost me $12 at Home Depot and saved three tubes of caulk on my 1950s house near the River Valley. I used the 3/4 inch stuff for the big gaps around my drafty old windows. The frost buildup is way less now because the rod stops cold air from sneaking through the gap behind the caulk. It also keeps the caulk from sagging or cracking when it gets really cold outside like last February. Honestly, it's the cheapest fix I've done and it works better than any fancy spray foam I've tried.
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