Vinyl siding is one of the easiest ways to liven up the appearance of your home. It looks easy to install, too, but if you want to know how to install vinyl siding, ask a professional contractor. Don’t try to do it yourself. Proper technique is just as important as what type and color you choose.
Easy to Install
Siding comes in lightweight panels that can be hollow or insulated. Either way, it is easy to install compared with wood or fiber cement. It makes a strong rain screen for your home’s walls. Water can’t get in because the panels come in two-tier configurations that interlock at the top and bottom.
Removing Damaged Shingles in 5 Easy Steps
Most people want to know how to install vinyl siding when impact has dented sections or individual panels. It is important to do these repairs right away to guard against water intrusion.
First, your contractor will cut out damaged areas using a tin cutter or a special utility knife.
A specialty zip tool gently pries off the damaged panels from the sections directly above and below.
Nails are then pried from the wall sheathing. This takes a great deal of experience and skill to do properly – a top reason it’s recommended that you hire a professional.
New sections that closely match the shape, color and thickness of the old sections are precisely trimmed and then snapped into place. Care is taken not to create obvious seams.
This snap-locking is followed by nailing hems to the sheathing at proper intervals.
While vinyl holds up well to wind, hail, rain and snow, a stray flying branch can dent or crack it. Also, extremely high heat, such as a fire or an unattended barbecue grill too close to the house, can cause melting. Fortunately, this type of siding is much easier to remove and replace than wood or fiber cement. Very little work has to be done to the replacement panels themselves.
New Installations
When you apply fresh siding, you have more leeway. New colors, textures and features are being added all the time, including those that are scalloped like wood and rough-edged like shake. In very little time, you can cover old walls or new construction. You can also combine areas of siding with masonry for a unique look. A good contactor will ensure that your house wrap or furring is dry, tight and in good shape before doing further preparations and adding the vinyl layer.
How to Install Vinyl Siding – Avoid This Mistake
One of the biggest errors do-it-yourselfers and inexperienced contractors make is nailing the siding’s hems to the wall too tightly. All building materials contract when it’s cold outside and expand in the heat, and a fit that is too tight will not allow this to happen. It leads to stress, buckling and cracking – and premature replacement. Leave a dime’s width between the hem and wall.
Finding the Perfect Match
When it’s time to think about vinyl siding installation, there is no longer a need to worry about finding a match for damaged pieces:
Vinyl siding replacements just snap together for a seamless look.
Color is integrated into the material itself and is highly resistant to fading.
Products are available in 1,000 colors and profiles, so it is easy to find a match for your existing installation.
Of course, it is always recommended that you keep extra panels when you side your house for the first time in case any become damaged by harsh weather or accidental burning. It makes replacement go faster. If that is not possible, there are plenty of panels available through contractors who know how to install vinyl siding.
Vinyl – A Smart Choice
You have seen the basics on how to install vinyl siding – but learning the reasons why is even more important: Unlike wood and fiber cement, vinyl cladding will not chip. It needs no priming, painting or special finishes. Even decades later, it needs no sanding or repainting. It is also easy to clean vinyl siding.
Replacements just snap into place. It’s an easy care solution that gives you the best of both worlds: wood-like beauty without the high maintenance.
Want to know more about how to install vinyl siding? Call us in Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Hoover, AL.