Vinyl siding is one of the most popular siding options and makes for a great alternative to painted wood that can chip and weather in a short amount of time. Vinyl siding does a great job of dressing up problem walls but there are certain issues specific to vinyl that you need to prepare for. One of these issues is that vinyl expands and contracts when there are changes in temperature. It is important to cut your material short and nail loosely to accommodate this dilemma. Follow the steps below to ensure that your vinyl siding is installed to perfection.
Start with Inner Channel
Begin with the soffits by nailing pieces of J-Channel to inside of your fascia boards through the nail slots. If your home has a hip roof or box soffit, nail a second row of J-Channel where the house meets the edge of the soffit. If the soffit wraps around a corner, you’ll need to accommodate this change in direction. This will likely require some custom cutting for each piece meeting in the corner.
Once you have completed the soffit install you can slide your fascia coves under the gutter apron. Every few feet, nail the covers into the upper part of the fascia boards. When joining the fascia cover pieces together at the corners, make sure to run them past the eave so they butt into the intersecting gable.
Siding Your Walls
First, remove all obstacles on your home, including porch lights, address numbers, etc. After measuring from the eave to the bottom of your existing siding, determine the best height for your metal starter strip and mark this line in chalk around your entire home. Once you have established this line, nail a half inch strip of plywood right above it to hold the bottom of your first row of siding. Then nail the starter strip to your plywood.
Next, nail half inch strips of foam sheathing around the corners of your home and nail corner trim over them. Continue by nailing trim around any exterior doors and windows. Now you are ready to begin siding your walls. Snap each piece of siding in place, hooking the bottom lip over the starter strip. Slide it all the way to your corner and begin nailing every 16 inches. To accommodate contraction and expansion, be sure to nail your nails directly in the center of the nail slots. As you join two pieces of siding, make sure to overlap them by about an inch.
Complications and Obstructions
Every house is different and dealing with obstructions can mean anything from working around a faucet to trimming your siding to fit above a deck. Be prepared to make custom cuts and measurements based on the challenges your home provides. Non-traditional fascia boards with decorative trim may also pose complications and are often best left to a professional contractor.
If you are ready to give your home a whole new look and prolong the integrity of your siding and trim but are not comfortable taking on the job alone, call us today for a free estimate. Our siding installation and repair experts have many years of experience with vinyl trim, trim wraps, and soffit installation.