Vinyl siding installation is a fairly straightforward process. The planks are designed to snap together with one another to help make the final installation watertight, which is one of the benefits of using the material. The key to installing vinyl siding is to make sure that the right tools are used to help facilitate the process.

How to Install Vinyl Siding

Best practices in vinyl siding installation involves making sure that you have the right tools for the job, as well as the right type of siding for where it is being put up.

Materials and Tools

  • Zip tool for removing old vinyl siding

  • Snap-lock punch for installing vinyl siding in new areas

  • Building paper

  • Siding

  • J-channel trim

  • Utility knife for cutting the panels and trim

  • Hammer

Instructions

Vinyl siding is fairly easy to install. The key is to ensure a few things during the installation that will make it last:

  • Leave a 1/4 –inch gap at all ends of the installation to allow the vinyl to expand and contract with the temperatures

  • Locking each panel into the one below it before gently snugging the top into place and nailing it in the designated nailing slots

  • Leaving 1/16 to 1/8-inch of each nail shank exposed after driving them in to give the vinyl room to expand and contract without pulling the nails free

The following tips are designed to show you how the vinyl siding goes up on your home. It takes roughly 13 hours to cover the average house in vinyl siding start to finish.

  1. Cover the entire exterior of the house with building paper, and tape any seams, holes or tears in the paper with house wrap to ensure it is tight

  2. Install flashing around all of the windows before installing the trim to help seal them and keep them watertight

  3. Start your installation with the trim, cutting the J-channels to fit the windows and nailing them into place

  4. Use the guide lines on the building paper to help plan out your installation. You don’t want all of your ends lining up with one another; they need to overlap one another in varying places around the home to keep out moisture

  5. Begin installing the planks at the bottom of the installation and working your way up. You can bend the long planks to insert the ends just under the trim, and then pull them down slightly to snap the bottom edge of the panel into the snap-lock of the one below before nailing the top into place

  6. Overlap all of your butt joints by 1-inch to ensure good coverage and a finished look on the home

 Consider Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding installation is actually much faster and easier than the installation of other siding types like metal or wood. With the snap-lock system, the planks help keep out moisture just in the way they are attached to the home. If it’s time to have new siding installed on your home, consider vinyl for ease of installation, beauty, and durability.