Caulk is an important part of both an interior and an exterior paint job. There are many types and brands of caulk but the two I like the most are the Top Gun brand manufactured by Pittsburg Paint and Sonneborn NP1 manufactured by BASF.
These are two completely different products with different applications. We use the Top Gun products on interior work and prefer the Sonneborn on exterior work.
On the interior applications we usually go with the Top Gun 250 which is a fast dry caulk which will allow us to move much faster on a painting project. This same product can be used on exterior applications but we tend to encourage customers to consider the NP1 which is a Urethane product. It is also much more expensive and difficult to work with but it performs extremely well.
It is not common to see Paint Contractors using the NP1 because it requires a 7 to 10 day cure time before it can be painted. That causes a significant delay in the project and can make scheduling projects more challenging. It also requires a solvent for cleanup and can be a pain to work with.
Budgets are always a factor on any home improvement project. We believe in using the best materials possible and like to give options to the customer that make economic sense whether you are selling your home or plan to keep it as your residence. In most cases, using the best materials is the best choice.