About Siding (e.g., vinyl, Wood, aluminum) installation

Re-siding your home may seem like a daunting task, but vinyl siding is easy to work with and install. This document covers general instructions for installing vinyl siding. Inside you will find: Vinyl Siding Estimating Vinyl Siding Installing Vinyl Siding

  • Keep in mind that there may be variations in both the product and the installation procedures from one manufacturer to another. Wherever these instructions differ from the manufacturer's, always follow the manufacturer's procedures.
  • Vinyl siding is made of PVC or polyvinyl chloride, similar to the same vinyl used in windows and gutter materials. Its primary advantage is that it needs very little maintenance.
  • Unlike wood sidings, vinyl siding is "pre-colored" during manufacture, so it requires no painting. Unlike steel and aluminum siding, the color is solid throughout, so scratches won't show.
  • Vinyl siding comes in horizontal panels that are embossed to look like wood lap siding and in vertical panels. Various trim pieces and accessories make installation simple:
  • Siding panels come in 12'-6" lengths, with a nailing flange along the top and a J-shaped interlocking flange at the bottom. The nailing flange has a lip so the bottom of each panel can be hooked into the top of the panel below it.
  • J-channel is used to trim out the ends of siding panels where they meet a door or window and to cover cut edges of panels around windows and under the eaves. It comes in 10' lengths.
  • Under-sill or utility trim forms a tight loop (as opposed to J-channel, which is open). It is used wherever the nailing flange has been cut off a panel, usually under windows and eaves. The upper edge of the panel is dimpled with a special snap-lock punch, so the panel can be snapped into the utility trim.
  • Inside and outside corner posts are used to cover the ends of the panels at corners.
  • Special tools you'll need are 1) a nail hole punch, for punching slots in cut panels; 2) a snap-lock punch, for dimpling panels where they will be pressed into the utility trim and 3) an unlocking tool, for separating panels.
  • The only tricky aspect of installing vinyl siding is that PVC expands and contracts more than other building materials. As a result, there are five rules that you must follow:
  1. When you nail panels or accessories, nail in the center of the slot to allow the piece to move in both directions.
  2. Never nail any piece tightly. Drive nails straight and leave about 1/16" space between the head of the nail and the panel. You should be able to slide the panels or accessories back and forth when nailed.
  3. Never nail through the vinyl itself. In situations where the slot has been removed and an under-sill trim can't be used, use a special nail hole punch to create a slot.
  4. Leave 1/4" clearance at the ends of panels where they butt into J-channels or corner posts and at the ends of corner posts where they butt up against the eaves. Leave 3/8" if you're installing when the temperature is below freezing.
  5. Don't pull the siding panels up tight when you're installing them. Once they are locked, they should be allowed to hang loose.


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All contents of this page are taken from http://www.doityourself.com/stry/h2installvinylsiding