FAQ
Commercial caulking questions, answered plainly
What owners and managers ask Buckley Joint Sealants before a survey. Numbers come from the cost guide.
When a building needs recaulking
How do I know if the caulking on my building has failed?
Look for three things. A bead that has pulled away from one side of the joint so you can slide a putty knife behind it. A bead split down its own middle. A surface that has chalked, crazed or gone hard like a pencil eraser left in the sun. Any one of them on a sun exposed elevation means the rest of the building is close behind.
How long does exterior sealant last in Colorado?
Roughly 10 to 15 years for polyurethane and 15 to 20 for a good silicone when the joint is built with backer rod at the right depth. Altitude UV, hail and daily temperature swings shorten the mild climate figures manufacturers publish.
Water shows up inside after storms but the joints near it look fine. What is happening?
Water enters at a failed joint higher on the wall, travels inside the wall or behind the panel, and shows at the first horizontal it meets. We trace the entry point at the survey, sometimes with a hose test, before quoting so you are not resealing the wrong joint.
Should I recaulk before selling or refinancing?
Inspectors flag failed exterior sealant on nearly every commercial inspection and it becomes a credit request or a lender condition. A documented reseal with a written warranty in the data room usually costs less than the credit.
Materials and method
Silicone or polyurethane?
Silicone bonds to glass and aluminum, stays flexible in cold and lasts longest under UV, so it is our default for curtain wall, windows and wet seals. Polyurethane is paintable, tough and cheaper installed, so it is common on precast, masonry and tilt-up. EIFS needs a low modulus product from the wall manufacturer’s approved list. We name the product on every quote.
What is backer rod and why do you insist on it?
A closed cell foam rope set in the joint before sealant. It controls the depth so the bead cures in an hourglass shape that stretches instead of tearing, and it stops the sealant from bonding to the back of the joint. Sealant without backer rod, or at the wrong depth, fails early no matter how good the cartridge.
Can you just caulk over the old sealant?
No. New sealant does not bond to weathered sealant, and it hides the gap where water is entering. Removal to clean substrate is about half the labor in our price and it is the half that makes the other half last.
What standards do you follow?
Joint design and sealant selection per ASTM C1193, sealants rated to ASTM C920 movement classes, and where a spec calls for it, products validated by the Sealant, Waterproofing and Restoration Institute. Adhesion is tested on the actual substrate before we quote a whole building.
Scheduling, weather and access
Can you caulk in winter?
Sealant needs a dry joint and a substrate above about 40 degrees to cure. Denver often gives us that on sunny winter afternoons but not reliably, so we survey and quote year round, put temporary seals on active leaks, and book permanent work from March through November.
How do you reach upper floors?
Lift reach covers most buildings to about four stories. Above that is swing stage or rope access, priced per drop so you can see the access cost separately from the per foot sealant cost.
Will tenants, patients or shoppers be disrupted?
Exterior sealant work does not require entering suites. We sequence by storefront, elevation or garage lane, keep entrances and fire lanes open, and work early hours or closed days where the property manager asks.
How long does a typical job take?
A strip center or a three story office is usually one to two weeks. A full tilt-up warehouse reseal is one to two weeks per crew. Towers and large communities are phased by elevation or building over a season or two.
Pricing, warranty and paperwork
How much does commercial caulking cost?
Most panel and masonry joints run $4 to $9 per linear foot at ground reach and $9 to $18 from a lift. EIFS joints $5 to $12, window perimeters $6 to $14, garage expansion joint systems $30 to $90. The cost guide publishes the full table with worked examples.
Is the survey really free?
Yes, anywhere in our service area. You get a written quote in linear feet whether or not you hire us.
What warranty do you provide?
A two year written workmanship warranty from us covering adhesion and workmanship failures, plus the manufacturer’s material warranty, typically 10 to 20 years on quality silicone. Both are in the closeout package with the photo log and product data.
Are you licensed and insured?
Colorado has no state license category for caulking and sealant contractors, so no company in this trade can show you a state sealant license. Ask instead for a certificate of insurance, which we provide with every quote, and for the warranty terms in writing.
Is a permit required?
Sealant replacement on an existing building is maintenance and does not normally need a permit in Aurora or the surrounding cities. Structural concrete repair and some parking structure expansion joint systems can, and we confirm with the local building division before those jobs start.
Ask about your building
Free survey, written quote. Or call (720) 699-9924.