Easy Steps on How to Repair Vinyl Siding

It’s common for households to use vinyl sidings for their house’ exterior walls. This is the case for a lot of homes, especially in the United States. Besides the sleek aesthetic design that you get, vinyl sidings are also known to be a solid material.

However, even though what you have is a strong siding, it’s still bound to get damaged. An active hurricane that can whip tree branches on your house is enough to damage it. Thus, it’s good to know how to repair vinyl siding in the case of any emergency.

This article gets content advice from Design Principle.

Fixing a dented or damaged siding is quite an easy thing to do. Moreover, you don’t need a lot of materials to get the job done. However, it’s a different story already if we’re talking about an extremely damaged siding. If that’s the case, then you might be better off replacing it instead.

For this article, we’ll discuss how to replace a vinyl siding as well. This is to ensure that you’re fully prepared for different degrees of damage. To get you prepared, here are the materials and tools that will come handy in repairing or changing a vinyl siding.

Materials

The Process

Method 1: Patching up the siding

Step 1: Cut the vinyl siding that you’ll use to patch the damaged area

If your vinyl siding has a small dent only, patching it up instead of replacing is ideal. This prevents you from any additional work, and it’ll still look good as new. To begin, you’d need to get your extra siding.

Cut the siding to your desired width. The width should be enough to cover the damaged area. Use a sharp box cutter to do this. If you notice, the siding will have two different edges. One end is slightly bent, while the other has a sort of hem running through it.

Get your box cutter again and cut the hemmed edge. Cut it just enough to remove the hem. For the bent edge, cut where the fold happens. Try to position the folded area on a sturdy edge so you can cut it easily with a box knife. By cutting the extra edges, you’ll be able to slide the vinyl a lot easier and a lot more natural.

Step 2: Patching the new siding

fit in naturally, and you can test this by inserting it. Although it might seem that it’s already installed, you’d still need to secure it. Remember, inclement weather can displace the siding.

To finish it off, get a rivet drill. The best place to secure it at the bottom. Drill the bottom edge of the vinyl siding about an inch from the edge of the new siding. Once you’ve riveted both ends, check if it’s in place.

Your siding should look good as new. However, you’ll notice that two vertical lines indicate you’ve patched it up. Although it’s a small detail, you might get a little frustrated with it. If you’re not happy with this result, then we’ll discuss overall replacement below.

Method 2: Replacing the vinyl siding

Step 1: Locate the closest seam and zip it out

If you have a heavily damaged siding, then it’s vital to replace it. The first step is to run your fingers below the damaged siding. You’ll feel the gaps where the sidings interlock. Once you feel a wider gap, tug it out using the zipping tool.

Once you’ve tagged one portion, the rest of the row should zip out quickly as you run the tool throughout. Repeat this step on the top part of the damaged row. Once you zip out the top of the row, the damaged plank will be sticking out.

Step 2: Mark the length of where you’ll cut

With your replacement siding ready, just simply overlap it onto the damaged one. Using a pencil, mark the damaged siding to where you’ll cut it out. Make sure that your marking is parallel to the length of the siding that you will use as a replacement.

Once you’ve marked it, mark another line inwards from the original mark. The reason for this is you don’t want to cut the siding to the exact measurement of the replacement. This is because we want it to overlap. Mark in inwards about half an inch. This will serve as your cutting guide.

Step 3: Cut and replace

Finally, get your shears and simply cut the siding until it’s removed. Once removed, use the zipper tool to zip any loose siding that surrounds the damaged portion. Afterward, simply lay the siding on the bald area and press it using your hands.

To finish it off, use the zipping tool to zip the new siding in place. Depending on your siding, you might need a hammer and a few nails to secure it further.

In a Nutshell

Overall, the difficulty of replacing siding is moderate. Any homeowner can do these steps by themselves. With the help of that trusty zipping tool, your fingernails won’t have to endure a lot of pain too.

Just remember to keep the measurement correctly, and everything will be fine. If you found this article informative, let us know below and share it with your fellow neighbors! Good luck!