Commercial buildings are constantly moving — not dramatically, but enough that improperly installed caulking will eventually crack, separate, or fail. Temperature changes, material expansion and contraction, and structural settling all place stress on sealant joints around windows, doors, and masonry connections.
In this on-site video, our team at Costa Caulking walks through a large commercial property where extensive caulking failure was affecting multiple building elements. After being called in to assess the condition of the existing sealant, it became clear that a comprehensive approach was required — addressing not just visible cracks, but the underlying causes of premature failure.
We explain why old caulking must be fully removed, how joint depth and flexibility directly impact long-term performance, and why techniques such as backer rod installation are critical in commercial applications. These details are often overlooked, yet they play a major role in how well a building envelope performs over time.
👉 If you’re responsible for maintaining a commercial property, this is exactly the type of process professional commercial caulking services are designed to address.
Transcript
Speaker: David Costa, Owner Costa Caulking
Good morning, guys.
We’re actually headed to a really big property today, and it’s pretty cool. The client called us in because they’re having issues with their caulking — a lot of it is failing.
They asked us to assess the property and have a look around, and it turns out that all of the windows, doors, and brick joints need to be sealed. So that’s exactly what we’re doing here.
We’ve been on site for about four weeks now, and we’re going to show you what that work looks like. If you don’t fully understand what I’m talking about yet, you’re going to understand very soon.
[Music]
Alright, guys — you can see here how flexible this material is. Over time, old caulking starts to deteriorate. It cracks, separates, and fails.
What we do is completely remove the old caulking, cutting it right down to the brick. If there’s a gap, we install a backer rod. The reason for that is simple: if you imagine an elastic band, you don’t want to fill the joint completely with caulking, because then it won’t have any stretch.
We need the correct depth so the sealant can move properly. After that, we apply a clean, professional bead that looks good and performs properly.
This way, when the building shifts — and when the windows shift with it — the caulking moves as well, preventing future cracks and failures.
If you own a commercial property, or you’re a project manager looking to have all the windows and doors addressed due to failed caulking, give us a call. We’ll take care of you.
