Gaulks & Sealants more uses = tftofiB sales

fT'S common lnowledge that a little caulk in rhe right lplaces can help shield a home against moisture damage and add to its energy efficiency. But even sawy homeowners may not realized how many uses there are for household caulks and sealants. Become familiar with the products' many uses and you'll be able to suggest them to aid in more repair and remodeling situations.

According to the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute, there are four broad categories of caulk projects around the home:

INTERIOR'T'INISHING''

Painting contractors lnow that caulk is a great substitute for drywall compound or spackling when sealing cracks and holes in sheetrock and plaster. Not only is caulk easier [o use than either of those products, but it can cut surface preparation time in half since it eliminates the need for sanding.

Moreover, in virtually any room, caulk can be used to fill gaps or joints in and around mitered joints, baseboards, chair rails or crown moulding to improve the appearance of woodwork.

If a quality siliconized acrylic or water-based acrylic caulk is used for an interior finishing project, the surface can be painted within 30 to 60 minutes if a top quality paint is used, or aftur 12 hours when an economy-grade paint is aplied.

Kitciien And Bath

Quality caulk products can be used to form a watertight seal in many are:$ within kitchens and baths, while creating an attractive appearance. Common kitchen uses are behind splash boards and where sinks meet the countertop.

In baths, caulks are used around sinks, shower stalls and bath tubs. They also can be used to seal gaps benreen ceramic tile and wallbmrd, as grout replacement and as a sealant where toilets meet the floor.

Exterior Sealing

Caulk products can be applied to both sides of exterior walls. Here, they belp seal out moisure and ouside air while keeping costly heat and air cmditioning indoors.

Common applications include the use of carrlk to seal interior and exterior window and door perimeters, and to close gaps around electrical outlets. Certain caulks qm even be used to glaze glass to frames on the inside and ouside of doas,, windows and skylights.

Other places that caulk cen be used fc exterior sealing include:

O wbere wood palrels meet window and doq frames, especially where tbe vertical fremes contact the sill plates.

O wbere siding abuts window and door firn, masonry or brick walls.

O where wood, vinyl or aluminum siding fams @rn€r joints.

O around vent ducts, air conditioning units and openings for plumbing, wiring or cable.

Miscellaneous Crack Filling

Caulk cen also be used to fill all sorts of cracks in and around the house:

O in many roofing applications, such as sealing around fl ashing, lap joints, guuer joina and vent pipes.

O to seal cracks and joins in foundations" driveways, patios, sidewalks and decks.

O to fi|l gaps and cracks in other masonry sufaces. A sales staff s ability to share tbe many uses of quality caulls is the first step towards boosting orrerall caulk sales.

Story at a Glance

Caulks and sealants' varied appllcatlons provide Increased sales oppoilunlties ... four major use categories.

f ATTICE is big business. The l/estimated 33 million panels sold each year in North America have created nearly $500 million in sales. Unfortunately, independent dealers feel like they're gecing priced out of the market.

"Lattice has become a commodity item. The price has fallen virtually every year I've been in the business," said lS-year industry veteran Marlin Lewis, MLD Manufacturing, Forney, Tx. "The big home center chains can buy 300 truckloads at a time so they priced the cheap lattice so low, few retailers can compete. But it's opened an increasingly high end niche. Smaller guys can compet€ on quality rather than price."

Manufacturers are introducing stronger, sturdier and more stylish panels to help retailers create their own niche in the lanice business. The predominant type of lattice is made of wood laths stapled together, typically treated whitewood or, in the South, treated southern yellow pine. Some are cedar or redwood. For added value, thicker whitewood panels can be kiln dried and then pre-painted, usually white, or stained.

But questions of quality have been the major concern for wood lattice. Consumen handle the panels roughly or lift them by their corners, popping the staples and separating the laths.

To add holding power, some producers glue the laths before stapling them. Still, the glue may crack after it dries. Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, Mi., and Ryan Forest Products, Winnipeg, Canada, offer uniquely stapled products. The heavy duty staples are driven all the way through the panel and then their ends are turned back into the lattice.

"The rap on lattice has always been that it falls apart," explained Lewis. "What typically happens is consumers go through the lattice and put the rejects off to the side. I've been in stores where the reject pile is higher than the stack of fresh lattice. The new stapling technique virtually