What material will you be applying the exterior or interior paint to? Paint will not stick to silicone caulk.

Thanks! Well the product is called big stretch. I think it's latex but I'm not sure since I saw that it said it was latex on lowes website, but can't be sure. The products website doesn't have any information.

1) You don’t use interior paint on the exterior; it’s called interior paint for a reason. Exterior paint is formulated with different properties so it stands up better to the weather.

2) If you want useful answers, you need to explain better what you are doing.

Well do you guys know of any places I could get sample sizes of exterior aryclic paint? Since I heard acrylic paint will not wear as easy. It's not really a large area I will paint over and prefer not to spend more than I need to if possible. The reason I mentioned the interior paint (behr paint with primer) is because I believe that is what one of the reps at home depot sold me in the sample size, and only see it listed on their website available in that size for interior use.

@cat_ky What kind of primer would I use for caulk, since that is what I will paint over. I will be using the "big stretch" caulk and foam backer rod around my house which has large cracks/gaps around the foundation, where the base of the house meets the concrete flooring in the patio. Is this the way to go about it? Thanks again for all your help!

My Home Depot makes up 8 oz. sample sizes of any interior or exterior paint....

You sure about that, kudzu9? I thought all the 8 oz samples were interior only.

Yup. I can’t speak for all Home Depot stores, but mine made one up for me a few months ago. I can give you their phone number if you want... ;-)

You need exterior primer, and I would recommend looking for one that is made by Zinsser. Do not buy the cheapest primer, buy the very best you can afford.

This current train-of-thought that one has to "Seal" Paint mystifies me!!!

It's a fairly recent "Internet-driven" load of BULL basically.

* I've been in Paint for 20 years now at a very busy Hardware/Decorating store (NOT a big-box), & now manage the Department.

* Yes, most samples are "Interior" Paint. 98% of the difference is that the Binder-Resin of Exterior-Paints doesn't cure as "Rigid" as an INTERIOR Paint. Obviously, exterior paint needs to have some "Flex" to stretch & contract in wide temperature swings.

* Doesn't matter one bit if you have a sample of interior paint on your exterior!! It's NOT gonna fall off just because it's Interior paint!

* Use Foam-Board samples, & paint them to use as large "Paint-Chips". Create loops of painters-tape to hold your large sample-chips in various places on the home.

* Big-Stretch is a good PAINTABLE Caulk, & I often recommend it.

* Correct.....there IS NO SUCH THING as Paint & Primer in 1!! EVERY Paint co. sent out new labels to put around their existing cans.......INCLUDING where I work. So......just by sitting there, the paint magically transformed into P & P in 1....... Amazing! ;-)

* YES....use a good SEPARATE Primer!!! Primer-Resins & PAINT-Resins are two very different things!

* And NO.....priming DOESN'T mean you can skip a Topcoat! :-)

Faron

Thanks guys! Sorry I haven't been here in some time but can I still apply the exterior outdoor acrylic paint and the big stretch sealant during a cold climate? I was thinking of applying it during the day when it is warmer and cold at night. Or should I just wait to do it during the spring time when it's less likely to be cold at all? Would it matter in terms of durability? The big stretch product says it has a skin time of 4 hours and cure time of 1 to 2 weeks. Thanks again!

Read the can of paint. It will tell you what temperatures you can paint in. If you are in a colder climate, then, please wait until the temps warm up towards spring.

Depends on what you're calling a cold climate.

As Cat-ky advised, the paint can should have all the info re application temperatures. If not, then look on-line for the details pertaining to the exact paint that you are planning to use.

With most exterior paint, application temp need to be in the 50's with more instructions on the weather forecast after application.

SW Duration is one paint that is an exception. It can be applied when air temp is in the 30's.

All your other favorite Sherwin-Williams exterior paints are also formulated for low temperature application down to 35° F, including Emerald®, Duration®, SuperPaint®, and A-100®.

Living in Wisconsin, keeping an eye on the thermometer, I've been able to sneak in some small exterior painting chores up into November-December using SW's Duration.

Well I took out the broken pieces of concrete in the cracked area I'm sealing around the foundation of the house, but there is dirt underneath. I take it that is why the back rod is put in place over the dirt so it acts like the concrete surface I fill the gap with caulking in? Or would I have to refill this area with concrete and then apply the backer rod then caulking? I've never done this before, but wouldn't any new concrete added just break again if the house starts to shift? I think my dad did this a few times before to it.

Also there was some rebar that was left in there with the concrete prior, should I just take this out or is better to leave it over like the backer rod when I do the refill? AM I even doing this the right way? And for the caulking, I did a test and applied it whee it is warm/hot in the day and cold and night down to about 40 degrees where the product is rated to work with. I see that after about 3 days it is still not dry and rather mushy but drier than I first applied it. Is this normal? It says cure time is in 1 to 2 weeks. Is that when it should become solid? I added a pic of the area I'm working on that is running the length of the backyard of my house. Thanks again guys!