Although they are seldom very noticeable, caulking sealant, adhesive caulk, caulking glue, and other caulks, sealants, and adhesives play a crucial role in keeping insects, rain, and cold air out of homes (and other interior spaces). These products can also block noise and even fire. They bind things together, too.
Caulk vs. Sealant vs. Adhesive
What’s the difference between a caulk, a sealant, and an adhesive? Here are some simple definitions to get us started:
Caulk
Caulking compounds are flexible sealing compounds specified for indoor or outdoor use for filling and smoothing gaps in wood, concrete, stone, glass, or metal. These compounds protect against intrusion of water, air, dust, sound, insects, or fire. Specialty caulks, referred to as caulking sealants or adhesive caulk, have additional characteristics that make them more like sealants or adhesives.
Sealant
Specified for indoor or outdoor use, sealants block the passage of fluids through cracks or gaps. Most sealants have all the same properties of caulk but are often more flexible or resistant to the elements than simple caulks. Specialty sealants called sound-deadening sealants or adhesive sealants exhibit the additional advantages suggested by their names compared to regular sealants.
Adhesive
Adhesives hold two surfaces together. These products typically are made for indoor or outdoor use, but rarely both. Like caulks, most adhesives will seal and fill in gaps, but they may not have caulk’s flexibility or resistance to moisture.
Because they play such an important part in protecting your home, you want the best caulks, sealants, and glues you can find. Green Building Supply has spent the past 31 years researching and testing many types of caulks, sealants, and adhesives to find the safest products for you and your family. Most of these products have virtually no odor once they dry in 24 hours. Your nose will thank you.
Contractors love our products because they apply and perform as good or better than their toxic counterparts. Our construction caulking, adhesives, and sealants are designed for just about every aspect of construction, from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. Some of these are specialty items designed specifically for wood, concrete, or drywall as well as, metal, PVC, and just about any surface inside or outside of your building.
A Healthier Alternative
We carry caulks, sealants, and adhesives in traditional tubes you can use with a caulking gun for professional-level results. You can also find buckets of adhesive here for working with countertops, tile, flooring, and other applications as well as spackle for patching walls.
This page was written by Joel Hirshberg
