Caulking, << KAW kihng, >> also spelled calking, is a technique of sealing seams and joints to make them watertight. Materials used for caulking include asphalt, mastic glazing, and rubbery, polymer-base compounds (see Polymer ).
Asphalt and such mastics as putty are usually applied with a putty knife or with a device known as a caulking gun. Workers frequently use putty to seal joints around windows and doors (see Putty ). The polymer-base compounds, called elastomeric caulking, are used to seal joints that are likely to shrink or swell.
