Paint or Caulk; which comes first??

[redsailinghood]

We have re-caulked our teak deck with TDS SIS440....except for the seam around the cabin side. The mahogany cabin sides have been wooded and sanded. So, the choices are....

1. Caulk the last seam (to maintain raw wood which is supposed to adhere better to the caulk), then varnish the cabin side?

2. Varnish the cabin side below the seam to protect the wood (even though we know no water will ever reach there) then caulk??

To make my head spin even faster.......according to the tube instructions, NOTHING sticks to the TDS caulk.

3. Should we switch products for this seam, using 3M 5200 (Black) which according to the tube CAN BE painted (varnished)???

Then back to which comes first the paint or the caulk???!!!!

My nightmare ~ Imagine a H2O molecule sliding down the cabin side. Will it ride on varnish and upon encountering caulk, spill off onto the deck....or will it slip behind the seam, remaining trapped there for some indeterminate time doing who knows what terrible things to the wood......?????

AAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH
:confused::eek::confused:

[mike hanyi]

well answer the question youself

if you varnish the seam before you fill it with seam compound which has more viscosity and will penatrate the wood protecting it better?the thick compound or varnish.
do you have any varnish in your home protected from light?how long do you think it will last? when water eventually gets into the seam what is preventing it from penetrating the wood?or will it go unnoticed untill the wood is soaked and damaged?

red lead will keep it from rotting IF it gets wet, but if you can prevent it from getting wet in the first place???

normally sikaflex on a teak deck will come out NOT because of the sikaflex, but due to the moisture between the compound and the wood causing the wood to rot slighty

this is my opinion, I hope sombody can give reason the other way.