Best caulking for Windows

Hey guys, Sean with American Window Concepts with you and today let's talk a little bit about the different styles of caulking that we use to install our windows and doors and then we'll get into some of the caulking that you probably shouldn't use when installing windows and doors. So let's start from the left here. This is a polyurethane hybrid. And the thing about polyurethane, this is a oil-based product. When you are applying this to the metal frames and you're going to put in your new frame, you can feel this thing actually grab. When you put the window in, you can actually walk away from it and it will not just drop out on you. I don't recommend doing that. There have been times where I've had to reach down real fast and grab some other parts to get the window in and it just doesn't move an inch. This stuff is fantastic. It's not something that you would use like a, like you've maybe seen some of our videos in the past where we use a water sponge and we tool the windows, make them, you know, caulk them in on the outside, on the interior. You would not want to use water with this because it's oil-based and it's just, you're going to destroy some sponges that way. This is OSI Max, Quad Max. This stuff here also, just like the EcoFlex 9500, is a polyurethane. Very very strong, very durable. You know, the skin time is like 17 minutes, cure time is a day. This stuff is really really great as well. Super super strong. If you're installing windows and you're looking for a really great sealant, Quad Max is going to be a really really great product as well. So either one of these are very very strong, very great. They're going to last a lifetime. Now this one here, this is something that we like to use on the interiors of our windows and also secondaries on the exterior. So when we're basically doing around the retro flange, after we've used something like this, we can use something like this. It's a water-based. The reason why we like to use the water-based is because when we put the tape down around the perimeter of the frame and we're putting this on the outside, this is basically what they call a secondary or a beauty bead. And this is to make it look like it's finished against the stucco wall or what have you. It doesn't leave any gaps. Now this here is liquid nails. You've probably seen this many times whenever you're walking down Lowe's or Home Depot and this is what we use under a door. So when we've pulled out the old door and we have the concrete there, you're going to want to use something like this, if not this for sure, under. And what this does is it basically, after you shimmed, you put this over the top of all of that and when the door goes down on top of it, this is extremely strong. Like they say, it will last longer than the job actually will and they're absolutely right. This stuff is so, so strong. Really, really great, especially under a door. It's going to hold that sucker there. Any kind of water that gets introduced, it's just not going to split. Try taking a door out with this underneath. It's a bear. Okay, I wouldn't use this on a window because if I'm trying to pull a window out in the future, you're pulling off stucco and everything else and it's just a bad, bad deal. Lastly, this is called NovaGuard. This is what we use for glazing. So if we're taking glass out of a vinyl window and putting brand new dual pane glass units into a frame, it's going to be this. This is specific. This is clear. You can get it in white and you can get it in tan. You can get it in different colors, but this is going to be the stuff that you use for glass to vinyl adhesion. Very, very good stuff. Now, there's times that you could use window tape and door tape. You can get like eighth inch and three sixteenths little door tapes and they stick on. We just don't use that. This is what we would use here. And I would suggest, you know, any glazers out there, if they're not using this or vinyl to glass, this is the stuff right here. Fantastic. It'll last a lifetime. Some of the stuff that I would suggest to stay away from is anything that doesn't say window and door on it, right? So there's been some places that will say, hey, you know, $1.97, I can get some of this other caulking and you're looking at the caulking. It's like, hey, this should just work. A month later, all of a sudden you start to see some yellowing or it's splitting. Anything that hardens is a no-no for windows. The reason why is vinyl in itself, as it heats up, will expand a little bit. And as it cools down, it will contract a little bit. If you have a caulking that is hardening, the first wave of heat, you're going to get cracks all throughout your exterior caulking. What does that do? Well, it creates cavities for rainwater, bugs, dirt, debris, everything to get in past that supposed to be watertight seal. You will have issues time and time again. This stuff here is going to be beneficial. Well, guys, hopefully this helps you get an idea as to what we use and kind of what not to use for a window application. If you have any questions, leave them down below in the comment section. I'll try to get to them as soon as I possibly can. Thank you so much. Hey, guys, if you live in the Ventura or Long Beach area and are interested in a free in-home estimate, go to our website, americanwindowconcepts.com, and we'll reach back out to you as soon as possible. If you guys find this information valuable and you want to continue to learn more about windows and doors, subscribe to our channel. Thank you so much.