Leaking Roof, bathtub, cracks in your trim?  This is probably because the wrong caulking was used in your house.  It is very common to see a latex painters caulk used in one’s bathtub or tile job.   Latex painters caulk is certainly not the right caulk for this job.   I will list a some of the proper caulkings for several different jobs and try to list some of my favorites.
1) If you are painting on the exterior or interior of your house and you need a caulking for trim, windows, and doors it is best to use a latex based caulking. This caulking is water clean up and is very easy to smooth. It is also paintable and comes in many different colors (if you are using a dark paint, use a dark caulking). I tend to choose an acrylic latex w/silicon, it is still water clean up and usually comes with a good durability guarantee (Dap Alex Plus 35yr for example).
2) If you are sealing a tub, tile or anywhere there will be constant water you need to use a silicon based caulking (solvent clean-up). This caulking does not paint well, but remains more flexible and watertight than latex. I like to use the GE Silicon II because it seems to last well and also has an anti mildew/mold agent included in it. This caulk comes with a lifetime guarantee. Using silicon can be messy be sure to use the tape trick in the last post and be sure to smooth your caulking.
3) If you are sealing something that may move like a crack or unreasonably flexible trim use an elastomeric caulking. You can paint this caulk usually and it generally cleans up like a latex. I don’t usually use this caulk because of the finish look, but it is a good alternative if you have something semi-flexible that needs to be painted.
4) If you are sealing a expansion joint, skylight, roof leak or otherwise difficult exterior water problem I would recommend a urethane caulking. This seems to be the most durable and flexible caulking out there. It is a pain to put on and clean up. The good outweighs the bad when this is used on a pesky exterior leak. I usually lean to NP1 when I am using a urethane caulking. It comes in many colors and is generally the best known brand urethane in my area.
***If you are unlucky enough to end up on your roof trying to patch a leak on the rain use Leak Stopper by Gardener. It is a rubberized black goo that seals in water (I know this from experience).

This list should get you started. There are many kinds of caulking and certainly more projects than I can put in this post. If you have a question or need some other caulking advice, stay in tune or email me at lukspencer@popssurvivalguide.com

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