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Caulk or caulking[1] is a material used to seal joints or seams against leakage in various structures and piping.
The oldest form of caulk consisted of fibrous materials driven into the wedge-shaped seams between boards on wooden boats or ships. Cast iron sewerage pipes were formerly caulked in a similar way. Riveted seams in ships and boilers were formerly sealed by hammering the metal.[2]
Modern caulking compounds are flexible sealing compounds used to close up gaps in buildings and other structures against water, air, dust, insects, or as a component in firestopping. In the tunneling industry, caulking is the sealing of joints in segmental precast concrete tunnels, commonly by using concrete.
- ^ "Caulk". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Hutton, Walter S. (1898). Steam-Boiler Construction. p. 230.