Caulk Backing | McMaster-Carr

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37 Products

Backer Rods

Image of Attribute. Front orientation. Contains Annotated, Border.

Provide support for sealants in gaps—insert these backer rods into gaps and fill in with sealant.

Closed-Cell Foam—Closed-cell backer rods restrict moisture from being absorbed. Use them with joints that have wide, even spaces.

Open/Closed-Cell Foam—Open/closed backer rods are more compressible than closed-cell ones. They also restrict moisture from being absorbed. Use them with uneven joints where self-leveling is needed.

Open-Cell Foam—Open-cell backer rods are the most compressible and maintain their shape better than open/closed ones. They allow moisture to be absorbed. Although they withstand environments up to 500° F, they shouldn’t be used with hot-pour sealants, which can seep through the large cell size and damage the underlying surface.

Cross-Linked Polyethylene Foam—Cross-linked polyethylene backer rods can be used with tar, asphalt, cement, and other hot-pour sealants.

	Dia.	Lg., yd.	Min. Temp., ° F	Max. Temp., ° F	Color		Each
Closed-Cell Polyethylene Foam



	1/4"	3/8"	33	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000


	1/4"	3/8"	600	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000
	1/2"	5/8"	33	-45	160	Gray	000000000	00000
	1/2"	5/8"	515	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000
	11/16"	7/8"	33	-45	160	Gray	000000000	00000
	11/16"	7/8"	280	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000
	3/4"	1"	16	-45	160	Black	000000000	00000
	3/4"	1"	183	-45	160	Black	000000000	000000
	15/16"	1 1/4"	16	-45	160	Black	000000000	00000
	15/16"	1 1/4"	133	-45	160	Black	000000000	000000
	1 1/8"	1 1/2"	140	-45	160	Black	000000000	000000


	Closed-Cell Cross-Linked Polyethylene Foam



			1/4"	3/8"	700	Not Rated	390	Beige	000000000	00000


			3/8"	1/2"	830	Not Rated	390	Beige	000000000	000000
			1/2"	5/8"	515	Not Rated	390	Beige	000000000	000000
			5/8"	3/4"	365	Not Rated	390	Beige	000000000	000000
			3/4"	7/8"	280	Not Rated	390	Beige	000000000	000000
			7/8"	1"	200	Not Rated	390	Beige	000000000	000000
			1"	1 1/4"	133	Not Rated	390	Beige	000000000	000000
			1 1/4"	1 1/2"	132	Not Rated	390	Beige	000000000	000000


			Open/Closed-Cell Polyethylene Foam



					1/4"	3/8"	33	-45	160	Gray	000000000	00000


					1/2"	5/8"	33	-45	160	Gray	000000000	00000
					11/16"	7/8"	33	-45	160	Gray	000000000	00000
					7/8"	1 1/8"	16	-45	160	Gray	000000000	00000
					7/8"	1 1/8"	167	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000
					1 1/8"	1 1/2"	140	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000
					1 1/2"	2"	84	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000
					1 7/8"	2 1/2"	54	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000
					2 1/4"	3"	34	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000
					3"	4"	18	-45	160	Gray	000000000	000000


					Open-Cell Polyurethane Foam



							1/4"	3/8"	250	-60	500	Black	000000000	00000


							1/2"	5/8"	166	-60	500	Black	000000000	00000
							3/4"	7/8"	175	-60	500	Black	000000000	000000


							Open-Cell Polyethylene Foam



							1/2"	5/8"	167	-45	500	Yellow	000000000	00000


							11/16"	7/8"	117	-45	500	Yellow	000000000	000000
							7/8"	1 1/8"	100	-45	500	Yellow	000000000	000000

Backer Rod Insertion Tools


Insertion Tool with Threaded Handle (Backer Rod Not Included)	Insertion Tool with Backer Rod Holder (Backer Rod Not Included)

Quickly set foam backer rods (not included) in caulk joints at a consistent depth without puncturing them.

Threaded Handle—Tools with a threaded handle are small enough to be kept in your tool kit, making them good for quick jobs with short runs of backer rod. To make them more ergonomic, add a pole handle so you can stand while installing a backer rod on the ground.

Backer Rod Holder—Tools with a backer rod holder are ideal for inserting long runs of backer rod quickly. They keep your backer rod organized and positioned, so you can press it into place with just one pass.

Includes	For Max. Joint Wd.	For Rod Dia.	For Screw Size	Material	Features		Each
1/8" Dia. Insertion Wheel, 1/4" Dia. Insertion Wheel, 3/8" Dia. Insertion Wheel, 1/2" Dia. Insertion Wheel	1/2"	1/8" to 1/2"	3/4"	Plastic	Threaded Handle	0000000	000000
1/8" Dia. Insertion Wheel, 3/8" Dia. Insertion Wheel	1/2"	1/8" to 5/8"	—	Steel	Backer Rod Holder	0000000	00000000