Caulking the Caulk: The Gap around the Fireplace

One of the items on our audit to-do list was to caulk around the fireplace and the sliding glass door. The day of the audit and on a few cold days since, my hand felt a steady stream of cold air along the edges of both. The molding around the brick face of the fireplace fit well and I did not want to mess up the look.

I bought a tube of nontoxic caulk: Geocel Quick Shield VOC-Free Sealant. I had someone with experience remove the trim around the brick to avoid damaging the wallboard. The gap along both sides was MUCH bigger than I thought it would be: almost half an inch wide. The gap revealed a cavity a few inches wide with NO insulation. So I bought a small bag of fiber glass insulation and we used it all in those spaces, then stuffed in foam backer rod (gray foam tubing) called Frost King Poly Foam Caulk Saver (1/2" diameter) and applied the caulk.

We put the molding back and it looks fine. We caulked a new white edge along the sliding glass door, too, and that looks much neater than it did. The caulk worked great with no smell and the tube said it will last 50 years. I now notice a remarkable stillness in those places.