Caulking is a process used in the sealing of the seams in wooden boats and making them watertight. A traditional method of doing this was by using oakum which consisted of pieces of untwisted rope that had been soaked in tar. Double wound cotton stands may also be used to achieve the same effect when put into gaps using a caulking mallet and a caulking iron which is a chisel-like device.
The caulking sustance may be referred to as caulk or calk and both spellings are interchangeable as a noun, when referring to the substance and as a verb meaning to apply it, when referring to other products and uses where the intent is to seal a gap against water and/or air. Examples include a specific method of joining glass to frames and a sealant that may be used in the gaps between bathroom floors and walls.
Caulking is a process used to seal the seams in wooden boats, in order to make them watertight, or to close up crevices in buildings against water, air, dust or insects.
An old term for caulk in a maritime context is paye, and the longest joint on a ship was referred to as “the devil”.
Unlike construction caulk, which is applied where no building movement is expected, a sealant is made of elastomeric materials that typically allow movement of 25% to 50% of the width of the joint.
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