As a rule of thumb, caulk is best for corners and joints while spackling compound is a filler for small holes, dents and cracks -- but it isn't unusual for painters to adapt these materials for special needs.
What's the difference between spackle vs caulk? To sum up the difference between spackle vs caulk, caulk is to be used to fill in corners and gaps between two materials, whereas spackle should be used to fill nail holes and other damage on flat surfaces (walls and/or trim).
When thinking about joint compound or spackle for cracks, the rule of thumb is to use spackle on small cracks or nail holes. However, if you get larger cracks or holes in the wall, you will need drywall compound and drywall tape to patch the hole.
Drywall cracks that are less than a 1/8 inch wide (“hairline cracks”) can often be repaired with spackling, drywall joint compound (drywall mud) or drywall tape.
Sheetrock® Brand Durabond® Setting-Type Joint Compounds and Sheetrock® Brand Easy Sand™ Lightweight Setting-Type Joint Compounds are the best products to use for repairing cracks. If you want to use a ready-mixed joint compound, Sheetrock® Brand All Purpose Joint Compound works well.
Sometimes known as acrylic latex caulk, this type is best for use with drywall, wood and masonry. It's often called "painter's caulk." This caulk is inexpensive, easy to use, seals well without odors and cleans up easily with water.
Joint compound is most often used when hanging new drywall.
With a little bit of finish work, the joint compound helps create a smooth surface with undetectable seams. Spackle isn't suited for this purpose because its quick-drying nature gives you less working time, which makes determining when to use spackle vs.
Certain places on the exterior of the home should not be caulked, since they'll cut off openings needed for air circulation or drainage. Elegant Painting says these spaces include the gap created when trim boards sit atop the siding, any wood to metal joints, weep holes on windows, and garage door panels.
Most home improvement shortcuts lead to trouble. But here's one that makes drywall finishing faster without regrets later: In closets and other low-priority areas, don't tape and mud inside corners. Instead, caulk them.
Durability: Caulk is not as durable as drywall mud, which means it is more likely to crack or shrink over time. This can result in an unattractive finish that will require additional repairs in the future. Adhesion: Drywall mud is designed to adhere to drywall and create a smooth, even finish.
Joint compound is extremely durable and suitable for drywall installations. It is also versatile and is highly useful for conducting minor repairs. Joint compound does take a while to dry, up to 24 hours in some cases. Spackle is the preferred choice for small repair jobs, as it dries in 30 minutes.
Setting-type compound (the bagged kind you mix vs. the drying-type you buy premixed in a bucket) will easily fill a 1/2" gap without cracking. Make sure you load up the gap well before applying your tape, then finish it as you would any other joint.
Toothpaste makes for an excellent spackling alternative, and you probably already have some in your bathroom drawer. Southern Living recommends only using toothpaste for holes smaller than 1/4 inch, making it a budget-friendly choice for filling in small nail holes where art or wall hooks may have hung.
If you have to paint a wall presenting a crack, a solution would be to apply an elastic and over-paintable material inside the crack. Then, apply the paint. Since paints are very thin layers, the material will follow the movements of the crack and will not highlight the problem.
If wall preparation is included in the estimate of the painting job, most painters will fill small nail holes, patch imperfections, and fill cracks.
Alex Plus White Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone
The all purpose caulk is effective for hairline stucco cracks and to seal gaps around doors and windows, baseboards, trims and moldings. It is not recommended to water submersion applications, but it is waterproof and has a durability of forty years.
That means Loctite PL Concrete Non-Sag Polyurethane Sealant is the right choice: it's a concrete caulk that is suitable for repairing cracks in vertical and horizontal surfaces and bonds to concrete, brick, stucco, metal, wood, vinyl, fiberglass, and other substrates.
If the compound is truly 100 percent silicone, you cannot spackle or paint over it. Test the compound by applying a latex paint to the surface. A silicone surface will cause brushed-on paint to bead up and skip across the surface. The best way to remove silicone is to apply plain old elbow grease.
If you use mesh tape, setting compound (“Quick Set”) is the best drywall mud – actually, the only mud – to use. If you use paper tape and need lots of time to work, or you anticipate needing to do plenty of sanding (like beginners), pre-mixed mud is your best drywall mud.