Welcome back to Test Tuesday! Caulk is a water-based flexible filler used for decorative repairs to walls, woodwork etc. Today I'm testing 6 of the most popular UK brands along with a curve-ball to see which one is best. All of the products I'm testing are readily available at your big name stores such as Screwfix, Wickes, Toolstation etc. So DIY-ish level, although these are absolutely fine for professional use too. If you'd like me to do a follow-up review of more pro-level products let me know in the comments. The products tested today (in no particular order) are:
- Nemesis Mighty Decorators Caulk
- SX Siroflex Paintable Caulk
- Unibond Flexible Decorators Filler
- Soudal Decorators Caulk
- Geocel Painters Mate
- Screwfix No Nonsense Decorators Caulk
- Evo-Stik Sticks Like
P.S. As I'm sure you're aware by now, Test Tuesday is never on a Tuesday! :-)
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Now that’s what I call testing and great reviews for customers in the future. Thank you very much. Keep up the good work. 👍
Great stuff Andy. As a DIYer I've always been happy with No Nonsense, good to see I've not been missing out.
Great detailed video, excellent to see all the caulks being reviewed, great job brother.
Extremely helpful, my first time doing DIY, and the result are amazing, I watch your videos and then, follow step by step. Thanks
Handy! Thanks for taking the time to do this. Especially as an impartial party.
I'm a 57 year old self employed since 1984 painter and decorator , and still learning . Thanks for the lesson i learned today . Great info video film .
Fantastic video, very well tested and a really fair test. I have a large room that I'm refurbing and I was racking my brain which caulk to get as I will need a good few tubes. Reading the reviews make matters even worse because some people love a product others hate it and it leaves you wondering if these reviews are even real. Thanks dude.
I’ve been using the Screwfix No Nonsense “Anti-Crack Acrylic” caulk which is more expensive than the standard version but so far the results have been really good
Andy, thank you for the really valuable 'half and half' tip. I have always wondered why filler would draw back out of the hole. Ahhh, now I know! Really liked the music choices and interludes too. Thanks very much for sharing.
Thank you! 👍👊
Very useful vid thanks. I use the Soudal mostly. Will continue to. Nice one.
Thanks for a great test. I have put my current project on hold while I wait for round 2. Wifey hopes it is soon.
My go-to caulks are Soudal and Geocel, so I'm pleased they did well in your tests. I find they offer good finishes for me. Sticks-Like is great on bannisters with small splits.
Great tests ... and such pro video production as ever .. top notch
Great video Andy. Caulk Once by Everbuild is the best i have found, as it doesn't crack for years. It's available from Toolstation. Give it a try Andy.
Interesting insight and good method of using the test pieces
Thank you so much for such an informative and helpful video!
Brilliant video. I saw this when it came out last year and forgot about it and recently bought a bunch of caulks to see if I could find a better caulk than I was using and found the soudal was the best
Awesome review as always! I'd like to watch a test video for adhesives like Gorilla Grab, Unibond No More Nails etc.
I’ve used Soudal a lot and it’s always been fine. Application makes a huge difference don’t smudge any caulk up the wall above skirting (best tool it off the wall) ‘cos when it shrinks over time it pulls the paint off even if you leave it for more than 24 hours
Great tests Andy and I'll take on board your results when I need to caulk some skirting. In my case though, the skirting isn't painted (varnished) so just using a wet finger to smooth things out would create quite a bit of clear up.
Nice video Andy, I think your scores are subjective as always but the results were brilliant for making your own mind up. Big fan of the No Nonsense stuff as its cheap and I end up throwing tubes away as they never get fully used and never last more than a couple of days once open. Thanks for your effort in this, was really useful to see.
Great video. At my job in a DIY store, I often serve middle-aged ladies who have been sent in for decorating supplies. They sheepishly explain what they need; Something about pronouncing 'Caulk' in a Scottish accent doesn't quite work.
Ha ha, yeah - perhaps stick to 'flexible filler' 😂👊
@@GosforthHandyman it's a minefield of innuendo out there 😬😅
As you brought it up i have to say "country mile" is a bit suspect!
@@GosforthHandyman flexible filler sounds even worse
Thanks for review, Everbuild is the best caulk Ive ever used!
As a painter/decorator of 45 years, I carry 2. Soudal for 'light work' as it is not very dense. For bigger gaps I use Geocel contractors which is a lot stiffer.
Great video thanks! Always wondered about this
Cracking no nonsense review, I have an exterior window that needs caulking, so I have a good idea of what I'll be using. Ta very much.
Hi mate great review, personally i used to use a few of the ones you reviewed however my goto caulk now is this xpro flexible caulk i bought off amazon its amazing stuff!
test the XPRO PREMIUM DECORATORS CAULK! only on amazon
Hi Andy good review, personally I tool the caulk as it leaves a much neater joint and removes the excess from the other surfaces then making the painting easier and a better finish too. Keep up the good work. James
Cheers - no harm in tooling if you want. 😀👍
@@GosforthHandyman I have tooled it since watching Charlie DIY doing it. Both techniques have their uses don't they?
what do you mean by tooling please
Interesting video, I'm a painter by trade and use the johnstones own brand. We hate it when the joiners caulk up...you should really prime all surfaces before filling or caulking. That would make it stick better. Over time caulk on bare wood can separate. Great channel. Love the vids Lots of great tips
That was tremendously interesting and confirmed my belief in the No Nonsense brand. I would have liked to see the products painted immediately after application to test the “instantly paintable” claim. Could you do a similar test for bath sealants and silicon sealants generally please?
The Geocel was 'paintable in 1hr' so I used that as the baseline for all of them. I always use Dow 785N silicone so that's an easy one. 😀👍
@@GosforthHandyman 785N is fantastic stuff, a bit pricey but it sticks so well and it works with PVC which is a pain with normal silicone.
Caulk the corners, filler on flats Out of interest, what would score a 0? Giving 5 out of ten to a product that needs to be re-applied due to cracking seems extremely generous, as in my mind the product has failed entirely as a crack is visible and requires additional labour and painting. Also, if you were to do any further testing, I'd be interested to know how each caulk fares when painted in terms of reflectivity. I've found in the past that painted caulk tends to reflect light differently from the rest of a wall or other surface, especially when using matt paint. This continues despite several layers of paint. A caulk that draws the eye would seem to be less valuable in that regard. Love the videos. Thank you for the time and effort you put into making such great content.
You could still use those products on substrates that didn't expand / contract much - e.g. plasterboard cracks etc. and it would probably be fine. So still a useful product. Might do a follow-up on that. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman Yes, you're quite right. Thank you for taking the time to reply to me :)
I think soup gets a 0 if I recall from another video.
@@mikemorton954 That's quite a sweeping statement there Mike. Generalising where soup is concerned is a slippery slope and why experts believe that it is seldom seen in the DIY market today. However there is still a strong presence (both packet and processed) being widely used in the new build sector.
Great video! I have had good success with Everbuild flexible filler so far and it's also about a quid for a tube. I wouldn't be surprised if your tests prove me a fool though! lol. Always wondered about the no nonsense, definitely going to give it a try!
A few folk have mentioned the Everbuild so on the list for the next test. 👍
Love the no nonsense it’s very smooth not sticky must have an higher silicone to acrylic ratio the best/smoothest I’ve ever used
Seems to be a gap/crack in the space time continuum as I'm sure it's Monday? 'Gosforth handyman time traveller' has a good ring to it! 👍
This is an excellent video, thank you! I'd be interested in the follow-up video you mention, using Den Braven and other caulks that weren't tested here. Also, what kind of caulk or sealant would you recommend for the exterior of a house between painted walls and uPVC window frames/door frames, and would this be paintable? Thanks.
Awesome test
Try the no-nonsense plaster in a tube it’s fantastic stuff, i’ve been using it in preference to caulk on skirtings and architrave. A year on no cracking and much easier to tool. Also very light, so it doesn’t get that lumpy. I use a plastic filler spreader to remove the bulk of the material and leave a nice sharp edge. Can also sanded unlike caulk.
Haven't tried it - will pick a tube up! 👍
@@GosforthHandyman I've used it, and agree with Phil, it's a good alternative. I've alse recently used a Wickes paintable sealant that is waterproof, but isn't silicone (it's acrylic). Product code 143006, and I think it's pretty good.
Phils Obsession definitely one that doesn’t get talked about enough. The plaster filler is now my go to for caulk. Prefer it.
Amazing what interests us blokes. Great review.
Hi I’m surprised you didn’t try the Dulux and polyfiller brands. I’ve tried some of the brands you tested and by and large have had similar results. It would’ve interesting to see how you feel about the above mentioned brands. Good video as usual
Thanks Andy, that will save me a bit of money.
No worries! 👊
Thanks for the video, Andy - very interesting. I used caulk to fill gaps which needed to be painted with white emulsion - I used Dulux matt. Can't remember the type of caulk. I waited for over 24 hours before painting. When the paint dried, it had very visible cracks in it. Applied a second coat and then third coat of paint - same problem. Then used Dulux oil based undercoat before applying the emulsion. It worked. Long story to say that some emulsions don't work with some caulks unless you use a suitable primer/undercoat.
@Aba Arm Thanks for all this info - very useful. 👍
Use Zinsser 123
I’ve used the SX caulk a lot, and have never experienced cracking. Even when painted over fairly quickly. The trick to using the SX, and I’d imagine, many of these type of caulks, is to wet the surface area with a sponge, before applying the caulk.
Useful test, thankydoodle
great video there I'm a professional carpenter and once used the nemesis from screwfix to finish a room id divided with a stud wall new skirting and an odd boxing etc, iv always used the caulk from everbuild as you can use it free hand and often don't need to tool it down, you can get it really neat and its just good stuff, currently they market it as one hour caulk but you do need to allow at least 24hr etc, anyway i had used the nemesis stuff because i thought its more pricy so it must be better, i applied it mainly to the transition/gap between drywall and mdd skirting, the skirting was pre primed bonded with and sticks like with absolute minimal gap. i caulked with the nemesis and as you noted its supper light and extremely difficult to apply evenly/imposable you defiantly need to tool it down, it also pressurises in the tube and continualy flows from the nozzle after its been used making a right mess. after 48 hrs the skirting and drywall was painted with zinnser 123 water based primer/sealer as i always do and left for customer to paint, i returned about a month later to do a bathroom in the same property and couldn't believe the finish, every joint had exssive crazing, it looked like cracking but was a crazing effect, looked absolutely awful, the custemer didn't complain but i had to cut every millimetre of it out and replace with everbuild, i was absultly livid, tried to find the manufacture to lodge a complaint and try to get compensated for the day i wasted cutting and sanding there product out of a professional installation, but at the time the product was exclusive to screwfix and i couldn't find out how had produced it, strange that a product with so much aparant brand has no brand behind it,
Interestingly, Nemesis stamped with No Nonsense Ltd. - so essentially Screwfix / Kingsfisher. However a lot of No Nonsense brands would appear to be Siroflex. Siroflex is Den Braven and low and behold on the Den Braven website "we are also the leading supplier of private label.". So that's my guess ...but pure speculation. 😂👍
Excellent! Very useful
awesome test, wish you'd made it before I caulked all my skirting boards!
Ha - cheers bud! 👊
I find the siroflex very good as a professional but i often coat it first with shellac based bin to harden it further and to avoid it cracking 😊
Great video...I think the water based adhesives would have been a better option as opposed to the solvent based, there are plenty on the market. I would like to see a comparison of the more common ones used by decorators, Polycell, Johnstones etc Interesting results...most decorators complain about shrinkage/cracking because they have painted over caulk far to soon...sometimes straight way!!...I always try to leave mine 24 ish hours
Wickes caulk is the best, I use it for all my decorating jobs. Great stuff and very cheap.
Thanks for the info. I would like to add a further point regarding your scoring. It might be worth having a weighting system, rather that every category being out of 10. I would think some are more important than others. As an end user, “finish” deserves a higher weight than, say, “ease of use”. After all, we will be looking at it for far longer than it takes to apply...
Trouble is what's important to one person might be less so to another. If finish was the most important factor then none of the caulks would win. 😀👍
Gosforth Handyman If that is true, why giving 10 points? I agree with the weight factor as the result counts most. Finish and Shrinkage are the most important features as that is what these products are meant for. Only if you don't mind those two, the price and ease of use will be important.
@Ken Vincent To add to Andy's point. If caulk (A) is 3 times the caulk (B) but caulk (A) only marginal out performs caulk (B) than why not go with caulk (B) and save some cash.
@@dhammer5645 Have you seen the difference? In the shown result the most expensive one outperforms the other ones. No visible shrinkage at all, while the rest looks terrible to reasonable. Also the most expensive one has a brilliant paint result compared to all the others. If it would be a visible spot, I would choose the most expensive one, always. If invisible, the cheapest will be suffice.
@@BendeVette as to add to another commentor you really need to prime first any way. Where I'm from painters like to at least prime before they caulk the trims. It helps with adhesion. Either way obviously we all have our preferences and I can't get any of those brands anyway aside from maybe the adhesive (never looked for)
Personally I tend to use Soudal when fitting skirting and always found it to be ok but I'm just a DIYer so not using it all the..... On the subject of fitting skirting perhaps you could do a test Tuesday on "No Nails" glue, I've tended to go for the budget B&Q Gripfil in the green tube but found at times it fails (and it smells) so now steer clear of it, More recently I've used the B&Q Gripfil yellow tube with no after smell and It applies a lot better...It would be intresting to hear your findings on other brands.
Good Reviews! I've been struggling with my DIY and choosing a caulk which is 'flexible' as my caulk keep cracking over and over. Any suggestions?
As a DIYer, I tend to use Screwfix's No Nonsense Anti-Crack acrylic. About £2 A tube.
Great video great info 👍
I would love to see a another video i use geocel contractors caulk as a trademan
Are these products suitable to apply around a UPVC window which has cracked over time? in a small bathroom (beginner DIYer), or should I be looking at a silicone? Cheers (great content by the way)
Hi Andy, new to your channel and loving catching up with all your interesting and helpful videos. Why didnt the No Nonsense get 10/10 for price? Being the cheapest. Would have pipped Soudal to the post.
Really good video, could add the sticks all that freebird interiors uses?
'Professional' caulks test would be interesting. Also, please do a test on adhesives like CT1 and No-nails
Cheers - will do!
As well as shrinkage and cracking, I've experienced really bad colour changes in the paint finish some weeks/months after painting over decorators caulk. It might be worth keeping these samples of yours for 6 months and then reviewing how they've got on?
I just found you and really liking your videos. I'm trying to replace caulk on inside window and realized the is about a 1/2 gap between the sill and window. What should I use if not caulk to fill it in? Thanks
On the nemisis one your wood may of shrunk, Leaving caulk proud
As a professional I often wonder if there's much difference with caulks and tend to use what's available (depending if I'm at Screwfix or Wickes). Based On your testing I'll probably stick with No Nonsense now tho... I already use Sticks like too. Great channel matey!
Would be good to see a test on construction adhesives, grip fill, pink grip, solvent free versions etc
Good test Can you test den braven anti crack , illbruck ld730 and Isomatic-a caulk please Surely your supposed to prime the surface with a thin mix of the caulk your using or primer before caulking.
I'd also like to see you testing various adhesives like "No more nails", "Hard as Nails," Evo-Stick "Sticks Like Sh*t" etc. Stick some metal to some plasterboard, metal to wood and maybe some wood to a brick. It would be interesting to see how many of these live up to their hype, if any.
Nice vid mate . Subbed.👍
Rather than the Sticks like which looks a pain in the rear to use, have you considered Soudal Fix All? I love it and it’s the go to product in my bag.
I would love to see the professional caulks, i did use Soudal and cracked every corner on skirtings and wall corners and ceiling.. i did painted more than 1 hr later on. Just not sure what else to use. Im trying now with paintable silicon. Lets see it in few day.
don't have those brands in the states, but had a nice visit with your desk though! Dap is a big brand here
Fantastic stuff - will see if I can find it over here. 👍
Hi andy , I found that it also depends on how old the tube is or stored in the shop/warehouse, to new fresh caulk from the supplers
Defo - it can go off. 👍
Hi Andy, I generally use the soudall caulk before painting but I keep getting bleed marks through the emulsion. It almost looks like damp. Can you give me any advice mate?
Thanks. Very interesting.
Cheers! 👊
Great video mate. I think your a little generous on scoring though. Normal distribution would suggest if some things are getting 10 then there should be some 1's.
Cheers - it's very subjective but I've tried to imagine future products that could be worse. E.g. the Sticks Like gets 5/10 for ease of use since there are other products I might test in the future that might be much harder to use. But even 'ease of use' is a very subjective term. 👍😀
Another good one.
What a caulking good video!
👍👏😂
Acrylics are so lovely to apply compared to both silicone and construction adhesives, just clean your hands/tools with soap and warm water and you're done.
Does anyone ever prime the substrate first? Mist coat on bare plaster and primer on bare timber gives the product a better chance of sticking (same reason we prime timber before painting). Also, high acrylic content in the caulk and acrylic paint work well together to combat crazing which often happens when you paint over it too soon - I always try to paint over my caulk the next day.
Some years ago the painters that worked for the same building firm as me used frame sealant, especially in bathrooms. They said that it was a waterproof caulk and I still use it now around waste pipes on painted exterior walls. It's not as flexible as silicone but easier to deal with. Frame sealant is water-soluble when it comes out of the tube but waterproof when dry. perhaps you could test this in a test Tuesday
Have to a agree with the frame sealant and NN interior well priced!!
Would you recommend any of these for filling a wide crack between an oak beam and ceiling? I need something that's quite flexible. Thanks
Interesting stuff Andy.... I might be committing a gargantuan faux-pas , but being a fully paid up member of the "Bodgit & Scarper" community I wonder if a test of 'no more nails' type products (indoor & out), might be on the cards in future.. I have on a few occasions got away with using these products and getting a grudging thumbs-up from the better half.. But after a no nails fixed shelf gave way and ruined her £60 hair doo, I'm now reluctant to indulge in fast fixes until I see proof that one of them actually guarantees that I wont end up being taken to the vets along with our tom-cat.
Very interesting test. Thanks for sharing. But, how should I read "UK brands"? I always thought that Soudal is French/Belgian.
Loved the subtle product placement at about a minute in. :)
Barely even noticeable. 😂😂👍
@@GosforthHandyman The best ones always are!
What do you use when you need something to be really flexible? e.g. between the strings and treads on a staircase
Hello, I'm curious about what caulk to use for porches. My porch has wide cracks vertical on the poles. Which should I use paintable or silicone caulk?
'Coving adhesive and Joint filler' by Everbuild could be a good option too. That's water based so easy clean up and less than £3
Thanks for the review. I was actually pretty disappointed with nearly all the finishes except for Stick Like. In most of the other cases the filling in the 3 pocket holes was a pretty poor finish. Not sure if you can sand them and reapply more caulk. Also people might want to put a weighting on the scores. For instance, if you're only doing a few rooms it doesn't really matter if you pay 1 pound or 5 pounds. When you're looking at your cracked, sunken filler you won't be saying "oh well, I only paid 99p". I think most would rather pay more for a superior product.
Try same test on Adhesive and waterproof sealants eg Stxall, Sika etc.
Ive been using the nemesis for quite a while and its been good doesnt shrink just weird how i find have to apply it slowly rather than quickly like other cork
Yeah - I think that's the thing, it's just slower to use but doesn't seem very flexible. 👍
Also do find you do have to wet your finger more as a chalk like texture
Have you done test on silicons? If not, that would be interesting to see once.
I've been using nononsense caulk for everything. A few weeks ago I bought a more expensive brand but it didn't have the workability of the inexpensive nononsense brand, it took a lot of time to smooth it out. With a wet finger, smoothing nononsense is like smoothing butter with a hot knife.
Yeah, always been great for me too. 👍
I think availability should also be considered as Screwfix is the biggest hardware chain by far most of us probably live very close to one. I am lucky that I am just 5 minutes walk from my local SF. I always use the no nonsense stuff because it is cheap and always very happy with the results. I hadn't realised the Sodial stuff was a smaller tube! I am bit fan of the No Nosense brand, never really had any issues with any of their stuff but there are times when I will spend more. B&Q also sell the No Nonsense stuff but it is more expensive at £1.12.
Availability - yup, these are all the 'easily available' ones. All are available from Screwfix (which is part of B&Q etc.) and Toolstation / Wickes (my local Toolstation is inside my local Wickes where I am). 👍👊
Hi. Does caulk stick to upvc window if i run a bead between window and wall? Also, isint evo-stick a glue and not a caulk?
Nice one 👍
great video andy. there seems to be a huge diference betweeen them alli think you missed a very important aspect that should be marked on. thats how long it takes to go from start through multiple coats if needed to ready to paint. a 5 pound tube is expensive to a DIYer but might be the best value to a tradesman due to only aplying it once and not having to go at it again another day. time is money
Cheers! Yeah, I would always assume skirting etc. would need at least 1 coat or primer and minimum 1 top coat anyway. The top coat will cover most crazing but if the cracks are bad it would need more caulk. 👍👊
I use Johnstones own brand 'fat Hog' (dont know who makes it for them) but it perform very well under all circumstances IMO
On the list for round 2. 😀
Hi Andy, using the "wet finger" method of finishing hasn't left the best result when it comes to painting/papering the walls and painting the skirting. There's no defined corner between one and tother. Have a look at Charlie DIYte's video on "how to silicone". He uses a profiling kit from Cramer/FUGI to get near perfect joints. I see no reason why it shouldn't work with decorators caulk. At least it may be better than a wet finger. Just a thought? Plus, I have heard that stuff in saliva can cause jointing compounds to go mouldy.
I can't find any of these things on Amazon in the US, and only about half of the stuff I've looked for on the UK Amazon. Bummer. Is Sticks Like similar to Liquid Nails?
the brewers anti crack one is good only problem is the 5 hour paint time
Coloured caulk is what I am looking for..