Installing vinyl siding can help reduce the amount of maintenance you have to do on the exterior of your home. If you decide to install your vinyl siding yourself (without the help of a contractor), it's very important to have everything ready and know what to do during the installation process. Read Step 1 below to get started.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparation and Planning
Step 1. Think about why you want to install vinyl siding
Vinyl siding is a great option for homeowners who like the look of their siding, but don't want to spend a lot of money on expensive fir wood and composite concrete cladding. Vinyl siding is also a great option for homeowners who don't want to bother with repainting the exterior of their home on a regular basis.
- Before you decide to install vinyl siding, visit homes that are already covered in vinyl and look closely to make sure you really like them.
- Ask a real estate agent how vinyl siding affects the price of your home -- although it usually has a positive effect in most locations, if your home is the only home covered in vinyl in a Victorian restoration area, the vinyl can lower prices. your home.
- Decide what type of vinyl you want -- vinyl siding is available in textured or smooth, with high gloss and low gloss finishes. Vinyl siding is also available in a variety of colors, some with a stroke-like pattern that closely resembles real wood.
Step 2. Consider hiring a contractor
While installing your own wallcoverings can save you a lot of money, you should seriously consider hiring a contractor if you've never installed vinyl siding before.
- Installing vinyl siding is a process that requires skill and a long time. In fact, the quality of the installation can have a big effect on the final result, and also determine how long the siding can last. Even the best quality wall cladding will bend and warp if not installed properly.
- If you choose to use a contractor, collect a list of contractors in your area and ask each contractor for an estimate of the cost. Also, take the time to go over their previous work and talk to their previous clients to make sure they are satisfied with the contractors' work.
Step 3. Prepare the equipment and materials needed
If you decide to do this project yourself, you will need quite a lot of equipment and materials. Use the following list as a reference.
- For the tools you will need: a folding ruler, metal elbow, hammer pins, snap-lock punch pliers, zinc shears, chainsaw, chalk, tape measure, spirit level, utility knife, pliers, nail gun, wood saw, hacksaw, ladder, horses, and crowbars.
- For the material, you will need: J channel, zinc, building paper, stainless steel nails, and sufficient amount of vinyl siding to coat your home. You'll also need trim for windows and doors, as well as elbow trim for other surfaces such as soffit and stone lining.
Step 4. Prepare the exterior of your home for installation
Before you begin, you need to properly prepare the exterior of your home for the siding.
- One of the big problems with vinyl siding is that it will mask moisture problems and other structural damage. Therefore, it is very important to repair the existing defects before you install the wall cladding. Tighten loose boards and replace rotten ones with new ones. Scrape old putty from around doors and windows.
- Clean your work area by removing outdoor lights, standpipes, wall carvings, post boxes, house numbers, and anything else that will interfere with your work. Also, tie up plants, trees, or flowers so they don't touch the exterior of the house to give you more space and prevent damage to them.
Step 5. Remove any siding or other exterior finishes that do not match the vinyl siding, and make sure the walls are coated with the material for installing the vinyl siding
Plywood or 1.3 cm thick OSB is a commonly used material, and is usually covered with roofing felt or some other moisture barrier before applying the siding.
Step 6. Understand how to fit and nail
When installing vinyl siding, there are a number of important rules to follow regarding fitting and nailing.
- Vinyl siding expands and contracts as the temperature changes, so it's important to leave extra room for expansion to prevent the siding from warping. Leave an extra gap of about 0.6 cm between the siding and other materials.
- You should also prevent the nails from sticking too tightly, limiting the movement of the panels. You should leave a gap of about 0.2 cm between the nail head and the siding to allow movement and prevent the panels from corrugating.
- In addition, you will need to position each nail exactly in the center of the available slot, making sure that the nail goes straight, not bent. Do not nail vertically (nail through the panels) when installing the siding, as this can cause the panels to warp.
Part 2 of 3: Installing Wall Cladding on the Soffit and Fascia Area
Step 1. Nail the J channel under the fascia
Install the J channel along the inner edge of the fascia. Channel J will cover the edges of the soffit and serve as a water barrier.
- Your nail should be positioned in the center of the channel slot and the nail head should protrude about 0.8 -1.6 mm.
- The box soffit requires a second J channel plate to be attached from the fascia to the edge of the housing.
Step 2. Understand how to work a turning soffit
If your home soffit turns at an angle, you need to deal with this change of direction.
- You can do this by installing two J channels diagonally where the roof and house meet at an angle.
- You will need to cut the soffit vinyl siding and vent at an angle to accommodate the diagonal J channel.
Step 3. Measure and cut the soffit section vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is usually available in lengths of 3.66 m. Therefore, you will need to cut the siding to fit the size of your soffit.
- Keep in mind that the soffit section vinyl siding must be 0.6 cm shorter than the actual soffit length.
- The 0.6 cm gap accommodates vinyl siding expansion in hot weather.
Step 4. Press each panel into the J channel
Once the J channel is installed and the soffit vinyl siding is cut, you will be able to install the siding.
- You can do this by pressing the soffit vinyl siding into the J channel. If necessary, bend the vinyl siding to fit (vinyl siding is quite flexible).
- If you're having trouble pushing the vinyl siding in, you'll need to loosen the lip of the channel with a crowbar or pliers to attach the vinyl siding.
Step 5. Install the fascia vinyl siding
Once the soffit vinyl siding is installed, remove the gutter or standpipe and tuck the fascia vinyl siding under the gutter holder.
- Secure the top edge of the fascia section of the vinyl siding with concrete nails or colored nails every few feet.
- Reinstall the gutter.
Part 3 of 3: Installing Wallcoverings on Walls
Step 1. Measure the wall
Measure the length of the wall from the roof to the bottom of the existing siding. This will help you determine how many siding panels you will need per wall.
- Divide the length of each wall into 20.32 cm (width of one siding panel). If the result is even, you're in luck: you'll be able to install the siding panels without leaving gaps or cutting the panels to a specific size.
- But if the result isn't even, you'll need to cut the last panel of siding (lengthwise) to cover the rest of the space.
- If you have to cut the last row of siding, you will need to use a J channel (not trim) on the top edge of the siding.
- You will also need to nail 12.7 mm, 76.2 mm wide plywood to the channel supporting it.
Step 2. Install the starter strip
Once you've decided where to start laying the siding, nail the nail at your preferred initial height point and use chalk to draw a line around your house as a mark.
- Nail a piece of plywood approximately 89mm thick along the top of the chalk line -- this will hold the bottom of the first row of siding together.
- Attach the starter strip to the plywood, but do not nail it too tightly as this will hinder the movement of the starter strip.
- Remember to leave a 0.6 cm gap between the starter strips to allow room for expansion.
Step 3. Install the corner posts
Attach 12.7 mm foam sheathing strips on both sides of each corner, then attach the corner vinyl siding to the strip.
- Corner posts should be from 1.9 cm below the starter strip to just below the roof, after the soffit vinyl siding is installed.
- Make sure the corner siding is completely straight before installing. Once you're satisfied, nail it to the wall, from top to bottom.
Step 4. Install J channels around windows and doors
The next step is to install the J channels around the four sides of the outer door and window.
Fix the J channel tightly to the frame and nail it to the wall -- remember not to nail it too tight to allow movement
Step 5. Start installing the siding
Attach the necessary insulating material to the wall before you start installing the siding.
- Measure and cut the siding length, so that each panel ends 12.7mm from the vertical trim to allow enough room for expansion. If you are installing the siding in cold conditions, leave a 1 cm gap.
- Slide the bottom row panels in place, making sure you hook the bottom of each panel under the starter strip. Secure the panels with nails every 40.6 cm -- remember to position the nail in the center of the slot and leave the 1.6 mm nail head above the vinyl siding to allow room for movement and expansion.
Step 6. Arrange adjacent panels on top of each other
When joining two siding, stack them about 2.5 cm.
- When deciding which side to ride on, choose the side that is least visible from the front or the most used area of your home.
- For example, if your garage is on the right side of the house, the right side overrides the left side will be less noticeable.
Step 7. Install the siding around the window
When you reach the window, you will need to cut off the part of the panel that is directly above or below the window to make it fit.
- Measure the width of the section you need to cut by holding the length of the siding against the window and marking the ends of the panels with a pencil. Leave 0.6 cm on both sides of each mark.
- Measure the height of the section you need to cut by holding the remaining siding under (and above) the window and marking the required height, leaving 0.6 cm. Transfer this size to the siding to be cut.
- Make a vertical cut in the siding panel with a saw and a horizontal cut with a utility knife, then split the panel.
- Install the siding pieces above and below the window as usual.
Step 8. Install the panels on the top row
When you reach the top row of siding, you will need to measure and cut it to fit.
- To determine how much you need to cut from the top of the panel, measure the distance between the top of the trim below the threshold and the panel below, then subtract 0.6 cm.
- When you cut the top of the siding to the right height you will remove the nail lines. Use snap-lock punch pliers to accentuate the top edge of the panel every 15.2 cm, making sure that the protruding part is facing outward.
- Tuck the bottom of the panel into the panel below it and tuck the top edge under the trim under the sill. The protruding slots you make with snap-lock punch pliers will engage the trim and hold the top siding panel in place -- so there's no need for nails.
