How to Install Vinyl Siding – Tips on Vinyl Siding …

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While vinyl siding is not for everyone, millions of American homeowners have decided that it's exactly right for them. And if the substantial cost could be reduced, legions of others would surely follow. The truth is, the price of a vinyl siding installation can be cut nearly in half if you're willing to do the work yourself. Vinyl siding is sold by most home centers and comes with fairly complete instructions. The tool requirements are also modest.

While vinyl can be a great alternative to regular house paint, and it does a good job of dressing up problem walls, there is a tradeoff. Although it looks like conventional siding from a distance, the illusion falters at corners, windows, doors and wall-mounted utility equipment.

Part of the design dilemma is that vinyl expands and contracts a good deal with changes in temperature. A standard 12-ft. length can be 1/2 to 5/8 in. shorter on a very cold day as compared to a very hot day. For this reason, vinyl must be cut short and nailed loose. In fact, you should be able to slide every full length side to side at least 1/2 in. after it's installed. The trimpieces made to conceal the ends accommodate these variations quite well, but not without some compromise in appearance.

Materials and tools

While you can expect differences among manufacturers, siding systems generally include 12-ft. lengths of siding, window/door trim channel, J-channel, utility channel, corner moldings and metal starter strips. In addition, vented and unvented soffits, as well as fascia covers, are available.

The siding must be installed over a flat surface, so unless you're siding a new home, or have removed the old lap siding, you'll need to line the wall with sheets of rigid-foam board, usually 1/2 in. thick. While rigid foam offers some insulation, its primary function is to provide a flat nailing surface. Both the rigid foam and siding can be nailed in place with galvanized shingle nails.

Vinyl siding comes in several styles and in a variety of colors. We chose a Dutch lap style, which has the look of tongue-and-groove car siding, because of its distinctive profile.

All vinyl siding and vinyl soffit and fascia can be cut with tin snips, a circular saw with a plywood blade or by scoring it with a knife and breaking it.

Starting with the soffit, nail lengths of J-channel against the inner edge of the fascia board. This channel conceals the cut edges of the soffit lengths as they meet the fascia. All siding and soffit pieces have nail slots. Nail at the slot centers to allow for expansion and hold the heads out 1/32 to 1/16 in. Don't nail anything tight.

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How to Install Vinyl Siding - Tips on Vinyl Siding ...