DIY Vinyl Siding Installation

Today, more and more people are interested in using vinyl siding as a material for the purpose of home improvement. This is because it is a great way to give a smart look to the exterior of the house without spending much money. DIY vinyl siding installation can be done with ease because the siding material is not very heavy. Another advantage of vinyl siding is that it can be installed on almost any type of house. There are many types of vinyl siding available in such a wide variety of colors, that you do not even have to apply paint to it to make it look beautiful. One should take note, however, that on prolonged exposure to cold, vinyl siding becomes brittle and is prone to develop cracks. In such a scenario, DIY vinyl siding repair or replacement can be done, which again, is not a very cumbersome task.

How to Install Vinyl Siding?

Almost all the materials that are required to install vinyl siding are supplied by the manufacturers along with the instruction manual. Usually it consist of vinyls siding panels, starter strips, trim strips and corner posts. Here are a few tips on installing vinyl siding:

Step#1: Installing Starter Strips
First, the starter strips are installed at the base of the exterior walls. For this, mark the lowest part of all the exterior walls with the help of a snap line and line level. Then, place the starter strips at the bottom of the walls and fix with nails. This is installed to seal up the ends of the lowermost siding panels.

Step#2: Installing Corner Caps
Corner caps are put up at the corners where two walls meet. They are of two types - inside corner caps and outside corner caps. They serve as a vertical channel, and vertical joints of the siding panels get hidden under them. This makes the siding look aesthetically pleasing. Placing the corner caps is a slightly tricky task because it needs to be positioned vertically. While installing, care should be taken that there is a gap of one-fourth inch at the top, and that the lower part should extend up to three-fourths of an inch under starter strip.

Step#3: Installing Trim Strips
The utility trim strips or J- strips are installed in the areas surrounding the doors, windows, and utility openings. They are used to conceal the edges of the siding that are adjacent to these openings. They are installed in such a manner that they can provide a channel for the rainwater to run down the surface of the siding without it seeping below, through the gaps in the siding of these areas. Cut a J- strip of the same measure as the bottom of the window frame and fix it up with the help of nails. When you are putting the next strip for the side of the window, that strip should overlap with the first strip that you have affixed. Follow the same procedure to fix up the J-strips all along the doors, windows and other openings.

Step#4: Installing Vinyl Siding
Finally, when the wall is ready, the vinyl siding needs to be installed. The installation should start from the bottom of the wall and move upwards. Take the first siding panel and place it along its length and lock one side of the panel into the starter strip and then nail it up to the remaining sides of the wall. It is advisable to use corrosion resistance nails on vinyl siding. Keep a slight gap in between the fastener and the siding panel so that the panels can slide along horizontally. However, there should not be any vertical movement. This will ensure some space for contraction and expansion of the siding in hot or cold weather. When you install the next siding panel, make sure it overlaps at least two inches with the previously installed panel. Each and every panel of vinyl siding should be installed this way. When you cover all the walls of your house, you may find a gap at the end where there is not enough space to install a whole siding panel. In that case, you have to cut a panel according to the size of the gap. One end of this piece of panel attaches to the siding panel while the other end should be locked with the utility trims that have been installed earlier.

If you follow the guidelines of DIY vinyl siding installation thoroughly, you will not find any difficulty in carrying out the task. With just a little effort, and some spare time on your hands, you can improve the exterior looks of your house by a great deal.