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.
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
Install flashing around all of the windows before installing the trim to help seal them and keep them watertight
Start your installation with the trim, cutting the J-channels to fit the windows and nailing them into place
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
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
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.
Subscribe to NV Roofing's Blog