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Basement Waterproofing Specialist

Vinyl Siding

This is an excerpt from the Book called “Roofs & Siding” by Des Moines, Iowa. Continue reading to learn more about Vinyl Siding, thanks to the author.

Vinyl siding cuts easily, goes up quickly, produces uniform reveals almost automatically, and needs minimal caulking and no painting.  But don’t take the job lightly:  The walls must be well prepared and the pieces installed correctly to prevent leaks and siding failure. 

With vinyl siding some moisture will seep behind the siding and must be allowed to escape at the bottom around weep holes, much like those in a brick wall. Seepage won’t be a problem if you correctly install building wrap and flashings or if the underlying siding is in sound condition.

The higher the vinyl gauge-that is, the thicker it is—the better it will perform. Vinyl that is 0.048 inch thick is significantly stronger than 0.040-inch-thick vinyl.  Vinyl siding does not need to be painted. 

The basic rule is “hang loose.” Because vinyl expands and contracts with changes in the weather, nails should not be driven fully tight, and pieces should be cut so there are ¼-inch gaps between panels and trims. 

Measuring
Measuring

Prestart Checklist 

  • Time 

With a helper, 600 square feet per day.

  • Tools 

Hammer, mitersaw or circular saw, tape measure, clamps, chalkline,  drill, pry bar, square, level, story pole, caulking gun, utility knife, t-bevel, tin snips, staple gun, snap-lock punch tool.

  • Skills 

Measuring, laying out a job, cutting.

  • Prep 

Apply building wrap, trim, and flashings. 

  • Materials 

Siding, trim to match (inside and outside corner posts, J-channel, starter strip, window and door starters), flashing, stainless-steel or galvanized nails, caulk.

Tools
Tools
Cutting vinyl siding and trim
Cutting vinyl siding and trim
  1. Apply building wrap and prepare the walls as shown on.  Apply self-stick flashing to corners and around windows and doors and apply flashings as needed.  If you live in a damp climate, consider using the rain-screen.  You may choose to install strips of felt at the studs as shown on.  Snap chalk lines indicating the centres of all the studs.  Use a story pole to determine where to start at the bottom; adjust the layout up or down as needed to avoid narrow slivers above or below windows and doors.  (There is no need to mark for the courses; they are automatically determined when you snap the siding pieces together.)  Mark the bottom of the layout all around all around the house if needed.

The total ensemble 

Show a detailed drawing of your home’s exterior to your supplier, who should help you make a list of all the parts you will need.  There are trim posts for outside corners and inside corners.  Around windows and doors you may choose to keep existing wood trim and install narrow J-channel or install wide vinyl trim.  A starter strip is needed at the bottom of the wall.  You may also buy vinyl fascia boards. 

  1. Chalk a level line indicating the top of the starter strip.  Align a strip about 3 inches short of the corners and drive nails into the enters of the slots.  Drive the nails loosely see Step 14.  Where two strips out leave a 1/4-inch gap.
  1. Cut an outside corner post to run from ½ inch below the bottom of the starter strip to the eave or gable underhand.  Hold the post ¼ inch below the underhand (so it will be ¾ inch below the starter strip) and loosely drive a nail at the top of the top slot. Slip the post flanges behind the starter strip flanges.  Drive the other nails loosely (see step 14, into the centers of slots.
  2. If the corner is not long enough, cut the lower piece 1 ½ inches longer than the distance to the bottom of the starter strip and make a splice:  Cut 1 inch from the flanges of the lower piece and slide the lower piece under the upper piece by ¾ inch.  (This will leave a ¼-inch gap in the flanges, and the post will hang ¾ inch below the starter strip.)

Cutting vinyl siding and trim 

Siding can be cut with a sharp utility knife, there are easier ways.  Install a circular saw backwards so the teeth are reversed, cut using a large layout square as a guide (above).  Or cu with a mitersaw or radial-arm saw with a reversed blade. 

To cut flanges and make small notches, simply use tin snips (above right).  If you need to add a nailing slot to a siding piece that has had the nailing flange removed, drill two 3/16-inch holes about an inch apart and cut out the material between them. 

  1. Install inside corner posts in a similar way, with a ¼-inch gap at the top and hanging ¾ inch below the starter strip.
  2. Install J-channels around a window with trim.) If the window has no trim, you may want to install wider casing.)  Cut each sidepiece to the height of the window plus the width of the top and bottom channels.  Cut the flange and back even with the trim.
  3. At the bottom end of each sidepiece, make a miter cut in the face of the channel.  Nail the channels in place.
  4. Cut the top piece to the width of the window plus the side channels.  Snip and bend the tabs to fit down into the sidepieces (next step) and miter-cut the faces at the corner.
  5. Install the top trim piece by slipping the bent tabs down into the side channels to provide a downward path for moisture.  At each end the miter-cut face of the top piece fits over the face of the sidepiece.
  6. 10. Cut the bottom piece as shown so the sidepiece’s tab can slip down into it.  Install the bottom piece so its face is under the miter-cut face of the sidepiece.
  7. Install J-channels along the underside of a gable.  Miter-cut only one of the faces and then slip it over the face of the other piece.
  1. To flash along a roof, snap a chalkline and install J-channel 1 inch above the shingles.
  2. Once all the trim pieces are in place, the siding panels can go up.  Cut the panels to fit loosely, with ¼-inch gaps at the trim pieces.  Slip a panel into position, and then push up firmly at the bottom until it snaps onto the lower piece’s flange (or the starter strip).  Keep pressing and slide your hand along the bottom to ensure that the joint is secure all along its length.
  3. Always take care to have a 1/32-to1/8-inch gap (about the thickness of a dime) between the nailhead and the vinyl.  You should be able to slide the strip side to side a bit.
The total ensemble 
The total ensemble
  1. t a seam overlap the panels by 1 inch.  Cut back the flange of one piece if necessary to maintain at least a ¼-inch gap between flanges.
  2. Shut off the water and remove a spigot.  Use a drill with a whole saw or a utility knife to cut a hole that is ¼ inch away from the pipe at all points.  Caulk around the pipe and reinstall the spigot.
  3. Where you cannot remove an obstacle, use wraparound boxes.  Install the box, cut a hole in the siding and attach it, and snap on the trim.  Or make a seam joint at the obstruction and cut notches in the ends of each piece.
  4. Trim light fixtures and receptacles using Snap-On utility boxes or custom pieces of J-channel or other trim to fit.
  5. 19. When marking for cutting around a window, allow a 1/4 –inch gap between the panel and the J-channel or other trim.  Holding the panel in place, mark the two sides, then measure for the depth of the cut out by determining how far the panel needs to come up so it can snap into place.
  6. Cut the notch and use a snap-lock punch tool to make a series of indentations.  The indented flange can now snap into a channel, eliminating the need for nails.  Install the flange (inset).
  7. Slip the siding into the flange until the indentations along the notch are captured.
  8. Use a straight board or a siding panel to mark for cutting an angle along a roofline.  You may have to cut a rough angle first for the panel to set close enough to the roof to mark the angle.  Make the angle cut.
  9. Check the angle cut before cutting the panel to length.  When you are satisfied with the cuts, snap the panel into the flange and side it into the J-channel.
  10. To capture the angle for a gable, hold a board against a scrap piece as in and scribe the angle.  Measure for the of the bottom edge of the panel and act ½ inch. You may need a helper to the panel into place.
  11. At the very top of a gable, you may need to drive one nail.  Cover the nail with exterior caulk and paint the caulk to match the siding.
  12. Apply caulk only to the joints between channels and wood trim; do not seal the joints between the panels and vinyl trim.

You choose decorative trim? 

Most vinyl siding manufacturers offer a variety of decorative trims for windows and doors.  Some include a corner block, which is installed after the top and sidepieces.  A “crown’ assembly attaches over the sidepieces and includes a return piece.  All of these parts come with specific installation instructions to ensure that water will flow down and away from the house. 

Vinyl Siding​
(925) 398-3117