Alternative sealants for poly

This is a forum discussion, not industry news, so there's no policy or program to report on. A homeowner asked what to use instead of acoustical caulk to seal 6 mil poly sheeting to wood, since acoustical caulk is messy to work with. Poly sheeting like this is often used as an air barrier, a layer meant to stop unwanted air leaks in walls, floors, or crawl spaces.

Other forum members suggested several alternatives. One person has used Tremco and Loctite polyurethane sealants on both wood and concrete block with no problems, and specifically likes Tremco's Vulkem Max for being less smelly than standard polyurethane sealants. He later clarified he used Loctite's PL line, which includes several sealant types, including one made not to melt foam board, plus various adhesives. He also noted that store-bought tubes can be old stock that's already hardened inside, so checking the manufacture date on the bottom of the tube is worth doing. Another commenter suggested Contega FH as a common substitute with similar sealing properties but less mess and odor. A third mentioned using GreenGlue Sealant, a water-based product that cleans up easily.

For a homeowner doing this kind of air sealing work themselves, the takeaway is that there are several off-the-shelf alternatives to acoustical caulk, ranging from polyurethane sealants to water-based options, each with different tradeoffs in smell, cleanup, and cost.