Best Caulk in 2023 - Caulk Reviews and Ratings

I’m sure you’ll agree that the best caulk will come from a reputable company and offer simple application, great coverage, and easy cleanup.

These were also our top criteria for selecting the best caulk.

If you want to get to your project right away, DAP, scored high in all of these criteria and was selected as “Best Overall” by our editorial team.

Caulk Reviews

Caulk has many uses around the house, from sealing around your tub, to keeping out cold and wind by sealing around windows and doors. A good quality caulk can prevent problems like mold and rot from developing inside your walls and it can help reduce your power bills too. Another benefit to caulk is that it can make your home look finished and extend the life of your paint jobs.

Caulk is used by professionals as well as DIY-ers to fill in cracks and spaces around windows and doors, along the baseboards of your home, and to fill in ceiling trim before the room is painted. It provides you with a very clean and professional look wherever you use it, providing you have taken the time to do the job properly and carefully.

There are a few things that are important to consider when you are searching for the right caulk for the jobs and projects you have at home or at work. This guide will help you learn what these considerations are and how to sort through the different types and brands of caulk on the market and choose the one that is perfect for your needs.

1. DAP Inc.

Best Overall Caulk

DAP INC 18152 10.1oz White Alex Plus Acrylic Latex Caulk with Silicone

5/5 Product Rating

This high quality caulk from DAP is the perfect choice for all your caulking projects. It can be used for indoor as well as outdoor projects and it provides the user with exceptional adhesion to a multitude of surfaces including ceramic, glass, wood, and many others.

DAP acrylic latex caulk is mildew and moisture resistant making it the perfect choice for bathroom and kitchen caulking, or anywhere else where you are dealing with a high-moisture area.

There are 11 ounces of caulk in this tube. It goes on white and dries white as well. The caulk is very durable and flexible too. It cleans up easily with water and can be painted over.

DAP acrylic latex caulk exceeds ASTM specification C, so users can be assured they are purchasing a quality product. It even comes with a 35-year durability guarantee.

– Sarah Lytle

2. Lexel

Best All Weather Caulk

Lexel Weatherproofing Caulk – 2 Pack

4.7/5 Product Rating

If you’re looking for a high-quality, strong, long-lasting caulk for your repairs and caulking needs, look no further than Lexel weatherproofing caulk.

Lexel has been referred to as the duct tape of all caulks due to its exceptional adhesion and incredible elasticity. You can paint over this caulk and, if left alone, it will not yellow or cloud up.

Lexel caulk can be used to caulk around counter tops, sinks, door frames, window frames shower stalls, tubs and much more. It is resistant to routine cleaning and scrubbing even with abrasive cleansers.

This product will adhere to many different surfaces including steel, silver, vinyl, Plexiglas, polycarbonate, PVC, aluminum, fiberglass and much more.

One of the best features of this product is that you don’t have to wait once it has been applied. If you are caulking around your shower you can use the shower immediately after caulking and it will still remain intact and strong. It will not tear, crack or pull away and provides a permanent, lasting seal anywhere you use it.

– Sarah Lytle

3. General Electric

Best Tub & Tile Caulk

GE 100% Silicone Rubber Kitchen and Bath Sealant 2.8 FL Oz (Pack of 2)

4.6/5 Product Rating

GE provides this quality caulk that is permanently waterproof. It doesn’t crack, crumble, or shrink like acrylic can. It meets all federal specifications making it a great choice for professional applications as well.

GE silicone caulk is made from 100% silicone which is chemically cured once it is applied and provides a permanent solution to whatever projects you use it for.

It is the perfect product to use when caulking kitchens, bathrooms and other plumbing jobs and will keep water out of the areas it doesn’t belong.

No worries about mold or mildew problems when you use this caulk. It is very flexible, won’t freeze and doesn’t pull away after application even when exposed to extreme heat or the sun’s UV rays.

Professionals and DIY-ers will love the quality and permanence of this product when they use it to prevent water from seeping in where it shouldn’t be. It outperforms acrylic caulk in almost every way. Buyers will get two tubes of this exceptional caulk with every order. This caulk will go a long way towards sealing up a multitude of areas.

– Sarah Lytle

Summary of Our Top Picks
There are many sealing jobs that require a good-quality caulk. Using substandard caulk can result in mold and mildew growth if water gets past your caulk (such as around the tub or shower) and it can cause heat to be lost around windows and doors. These are just a few of the things that a bad caulk job can contribute to.

Because a good seal is so important, you need to use a high-quality caulk that will get the job done. And, more importantly, KEEP the job done. The three choices we have reviewed above are known for their superior quality and longevity. You won’t have to redo those sealing jobs once you have used any one of the above caulks.

There are many styles of caulk on the market to choose from. Some are better suited to certain projects than others. In this buyer’s guide we will help you understand which caulks are better-suited to which projects so you can narrow your choices down to exactly what you need.

Many DIY-ers have a few different types of caulk on hand for various jobs. However, there are many caulks that will work for a multitude of tasks which makes purchasing several tubes of caulk unnecessary. Once you have read this guide you will be ready to choose the perfect caulk for your needs.

4. Sashco

5. Kwik Seal

6. Loctite

7. GE II

8. Red Devil

9. GE Supreme

10. Dow Corning

Caulk Buying Guide

Factors to Consider

There are several factors that you need to look at to determine what kind of caulk you need. It may vary from job to job, but overall if you ask yourself these questions regarding your project before you buy, you will not purchase the wrong kind of caulk.

What materials are you caulking? – Certain caulks will adhere better to certain surfaces than others, so make sure you take that into consideration when you are looking at different caulks.
Moisture – Are you caulking an area that is wet or moist more than it is dry – such as around a rub or sink? Make sure you get a caulk that is waterproof and highly resistant to mildew, mold and water.
Temperature – Are you caulking an area that is exposed to extreme heat or cold? Look for caulk that can be used in all temperatures, especially if you are caulking outside and the caulk will be exposed to changing and extreme temperatures.
Location – The area you are caulking is also an important factor to consider. If you are caulking outdoors, choose a caulk that can hold up to the elements and handle movement in the joints of whatever it is you have caulked.
Paintable – Some caulks cannot be painted over so if you need the caulk to be paintable, make sure you have determined this before purchase. Most caulks can be painted over but it is always best to check ahead of time.
Application/ Ease of Use – Some caulks can be cleaned up easily with water but there are others that will require the use of chemical solvents. You also want to take into consideration any odor the caulk might have while curing. Some may release noxious fumes and require that no one is in the area while it is curing. All these things are important to look at when choosing a caulk. Knowing as much about your project and needs as you can before you purchase will prevent you from wasting money on caulk that you can’t use or that won’t be appropriate for your job.

Selecting the Right Caulk

Knowing the kind of caulk you need for the job you are doing saves money, time and improves your results. There are several different kinds of caulks available to choose from. We have listed the different types of caulk below along with the jobs they are best suited for. We have also provided some information about the characteristics and benefits of the different caulks as well.

Latex – Latex caulk also goes by the name of vinyl sealant, vinyl caulk and acrylic caulk. This water based caulk is the least expensive of the different caulks available and is the easiest to use as well. It can handle the largest range of applications and doesn’t contain any volatile chemicals.

This means that you can get it on your hands and clean up with soap and water without any problems. Latex caulk can be painted and they are also available in a variety of pre-tinted varieties as well. There are two sub categories that latex caulk falls into: inexpensive acrylic caulk and siliconized latex.

If you are working on an area that won’t be exposed to a lot of temperature changes or high moisture levels, this is the caulk that will work fine for the job. This could include sealing interior trim, doors and windows. Siliconized latex has a small amount of silicone-based product in it to improve the adhesion rate. It is not the same as pure silicone caulk and doesn’t perform as well either.
Silicone – Silicone caulks remain flexible regardless of what the temperature does and they are 100% waterproof as well. They are highly resistant to mildew growth and bond well to almost every surface imaginable. Because of their resistance to mold and mildew growth, silicone caulks are most often used in kitchens, bathrooms and other high moisture areas.

There are two types of silicone caulks: acid cure and neutral cure. If you are working with nonporous surfaces like glazed tile or glass, you would want to choose an acid cure silicone caulk. You do need to watch it though because acid cured caulks can corrode metal and leave etchings in some plastic surfaces.

If you are working with metal and wood, neutral cure silicone caulk is a good choice. Silicone caulks are very strong but they are not without some drawbacks. With a few exceptions, you cannot paint over them. And, if you don’t do a good job the first time and need to re-caulk, the old residue is nearly impossible to remove. They are also not the easiest to smooth out.
Polyurethane – This type of caulk is best-suited for outdoor projects. Benefits to polyurethane caulk are that it is tear resistant, will stick to almost any surface, and is non-corrosive as well. This is a good choice for sealing joints made of two different materials such as metal to concrete or wood to concrete. Poly caulk is not resistant to UV rays so be sure to paint or protect exterior joints where it has been used.

Tooling the joints is easier with poly caulk than it is with silicone but it does not beat the ease of use that latex caulk affords. Polyurethane caulk is the most expensive of all the different caulks. Wherever you need superior strength, weatherproofing and durability is where you should use this type of caulk.

Specialty Caulks

There are many different specialty caulks available for specific jobs in addition to the regular latex and silicone caulks. All purpose caulk works well for most situations, but if you are doing a specific project, you may want to invest in a caulk that has been designed with that particular project in mind. This will always reap the best results. Some examples of specialty caulks may include:

Blacktop asphalt sealant
Caulk specifically for windows and doors
Mortar caulk that is designed to handle high heat

Kitchen and bath caulk that contains mildew and mold fighting properties
Roof sealant to stop gaps that is highly waterproof
Caulk that contains a special additive that has the rating that it can block fire

Conclusion

Caulk is not a difficult product to purchase when you understand a little bit about how it works and what the differences are. There are many jobs that can come up that require the use of caulk, so knowing how to purchase the right product will save you money and headache in the future.

The information in this buyer’s guide was designed to help you understand the different types of caulk and how to choose which one you want to purchase for your caulking projects. It is always better to take the extra time to research and not end up with a product you are unhappy with.

Being prepared with the right information that will help you take care of the different caulking jobs around your home will make the whole purchase much easier. You will know exactly what to look for.