Don't be penny wise, pound foolish when it comes to caulk. According to experts at the Paint Quality Institute, the money you save by purchasing a lower-quality caulk is inconsequential compared to the time, effort and money you will expend if the caulk fails.

Besides, when you consider the thousands of dollars you would spend renovating your kitchen or bath or having your home repainted, the few dollars you would save by using a lower-quality caulk is insignificant compared to the overall cost of the project.

So, whether you do the work yourself or hire a professional contractor, it pays to spend just a little bit more to use a top quality caulk with good performance characteristics.

Consider these "real--life" examples.

It can take an entire afternoon to re-caulk a bathroom by the time you pull, chip and scrape away the old caulk, scour away grime and mildew, then apply and "tool" the new caulk.

Do you really want to jeopardize all that work? That's exactly what you do when you compromise on the quality of your new caulk.

If you don't apply a top quality caulk with good performance characteristics, the new caulk may pull away from the tile, tub or other surface, crack or grow mildew, yellow and discolor, forcing you to repeat the process all over again. What's worse, an imperfect seal can threaten your home with water damage -- and correcting that can be very expensive.

The same situation holds for exterior caulking projects.

If a lower-quality caulk fails to seal out rain, snow and other moisture, your home can fall victim to all sorts of damage. Water can seep into cracks, gaps and joints, be absorbed by wood and rot out everything from window frames to the studs in the walls. And when temperatures rise, the trapped moisture can attempt to escape through your paint, possibly creating blisters, which can ruin a paint job.

The best way to avoid these problems is to use a top quality water-based all-acrylic or siliconized acrylic caulk. Some top quality all-acrylic and siliconized acrylic sealants are specifically formulated for kitchen and bath or door/window frame applications.

The acrylic polymer in these products enables them to adhere well to most surfaces, so they have excellent durability both inside and outside the home. They also are very flexible, which permits them to tolerate some movement without cracking.

As a result, these top quality caulks maintain their seal indefinitely, protecting your home from the damaging effects of moisture for years to come.

So, don't pinch pennies when it comes to caulk. While higher quality caulks average about 50 cents to a dollar more per tube, you will avoid costly repairs and you won't have to re-caulk as often, which will save you time, effort and expense in the long run.

For help in selecting the right type of caulk, the Paint Quality Institute suggests that you talk with someone at your local home center, hardware store, paint store or decorating center. They'll help you pick out a top quality all-acrylic or siliconized acrylic sealant that best suits your needs.