I was kindly sent some samples of Allpro caulk to try by Steve Murphy of London Dec Merchants. I ran a test alongside some regular trade caulks I had lying around — and the results are in!
In the test I compared Fat Hog Premium, Dulux, Allpro Quick 2 Coat, Allpro Pro Stretch, Repair Care Dry Seal MP, and Geocel Contractor’s Caulk. I knocked together a sample board of ply with some timber offcuts and ran a thick bead of each product along the top of the timbers.
The crazing issue with caulk is effectively the same as mud cracking (like in a dried-up river bed), whereby the product forms a skin on the outside (dried paint) while remaining soft underneath. Therefore, it makes sense that the least flexible and most brittle paints are more likely to cause the most problems with cracking. So in the test I overpainted with Armstead Contract Matt, which is not only notoriously inflexible (as a dried-up dog turd) but has also caused me the most issues in the past with the caulk-cracking conundrum.
I left all products to dry for about 4 hours (except one sample of Allpro Q2C, as it says it can be overpainted in 30 minutes), then painted them up with one coat of Armstead CM and left them to dry overnight. Here are my findings.
FAT HOG PREMIUM CAULK REVIEW
Fat Hog Premium is possibly the worst decorator’s caulk I’ve ever used in terms of application. I found it very thin and watery, so make sure you have a damp cloth handy to wipe your hands or it’ll get messy.
It doesn’t tool well, even when wetted, and most tubes seem to have lumps of crap in them. I was actually disappointed that there wasn’t more crazing so I could write it off altogether. However, this wasn’t the case — as you can see from the photo, there was very little crazing over a very thick bead.
So, Fat Hog Premium caulk may be a pain to use, but it performs fairly well once applied.
DULUX DECORATORS CAULK REVIEW
This performed a lot better than Fat Hog caulk in terms of application — thicker and smoother when tooling off. This makes application quicker and less messy.
As expected, there was quite a lot of cracking with Dulux Decorators Caulk, more so than with Fat Hog. I can’t say I was surprised, as Dulux is cheaper than Fat Hog and already has a bit of a bad reputation.
Allpro QUICK 2 COAT REVIEW
My first observation is that it comes in a smaller tube containing less product — not a big deal if the product is a lot better, of course. The cartridges have a fixed nozzle, so if you cut the wrong size you’re stuck with it. Again, not really a big deal, but it’s worth pointing out that you can’t change the nozzle. The product claims 50 years’ durability, which seems a bit optimistic given that its durability will ultimately be determined by the substrate it’s applied to.
In terms of application, I really liked it — thick and easy to tool off to a nice smooth finish.
There was very minimal cracking when painted 4 hours later. I’m sure if the bead had been slightly thinner, or if I’d waited a bit longer, it wouldn’t have cracked at all.
The product also states that it can be brushed over in 30 minutes and sprayed over immediately. I didn’t fancy priming up the sprayer for the test, so I waited 30 minutes and brushed one side. By that time it had formed a skin, and it did crack.
Allpro PRO STRETCH REVIEW
Again, this decorator’s caulk comes in a smaller cartridge with a fixed nozzle. The livery claims lifetime durability, which makes the 50-year Q2C seem paltry — unless, of course, the applicator dies at 40, in which case Q2C wins. It’s slightly thinner than Q2C but thicker than Dulux, tooled well, and was nice to apply. Unfortunately, it did crack — just slightly less than Dulux.
REPAIR CARE DRY SEAL MP REVIEW
Bit of a wildcard here as it’s not a caulk, although I do often use it as a sealant and not just as a putty alternative. At about 10x the cost of a tube of caulk, Repair Care Dry Seal MP not really viable to use all the time. Also, quite tricky to apply and tool being so thick, although I can confirm there is absolutely no crazing whatsoever. This could be a viable alternative to caulk, and a product I’m happy to include in my review.
Repair Care also manufacture a range of external fillers which I love. Click here to see online prices.
GEOCEL CAULK REVIEW
The old classic — I only had some in brown to hand, but it’s the same as the white caulk it’s always been. Fine to apply and tool, so you’ll find this product easy enough to use. But, just like every other time I’ve painted over it with a brittle paint like contract matt, the Geocel crazed like… well, crazy.
This is the worst caulk in the review and one that has failed on me a few times in my career as a professional painter. One to avoid, I’m afraid.
Final Thoughts
The other factor when you experience problems with caulk is often the paint rather than the caulk itself. As mentioned in the first section of my blog, the more flexible the paint, the less likely it is to craze. Contract and vinyl matt emulsions are the most common culprits, whereas soft sheen, eggshell, and trim paints tend to avoid issues altogether.
I hope you found my decorator’s caulk review useful.
For more information on why paint cracks and crazes over caulk, click here.
For a wide variety of online caulks you may want to check out The Decorating Centre Online by clicking here, Or go to The Paint shed by clicking here.
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