If you have been thinking of getting new vinyl siding for your home and you have also decided to do the installation all by yourself, here are a few DIY siding installation tips to help you. Vinyl siding panels come with lots of benefits that include not only durability, resistance, attractive appearance and affordability, but quick and easy installation as well, so with these tips, you will be able to put up your new siding very quickly.
What You Will Need for the Installation
Most Lansing vinyl siding systems include almost everything you need for the installation. The tools that you will have to use during the installation include a level, tape measure, snips and nails, a claw hammer, pliers, a utility knife, a nail slot punch, various types of saws, such as a carpenter’s saw and a hacksaw and a pry bar. You will also need a good and very stable ladder to climb on and some work protections clothes, such as a good helmet, work gloves and non-slip work shoes. To make your work easier, invite a friend to help you with the siding installation process – case in which you will need a second ladder and a second set of protective garment.
How to Apply the Vinyl Siding
The best way to make sure your new siding panels are fixed properly and are stable is to remove the old siding down to the sheathing, then to apply house wrap and foil on the sheathing and to install the new vinyl panels only when the wall is prepped.
Start the installation at the soffit and the fascia. Remove the gutters, then cut the siding panels to size to fit into place and nail the J-channel panels in with 4d nails.
When the soffit and the fascia are done, you can move on to apply the siding on the walls. Remove all obstacles, such as lamps or address plates and also install any insulation that you need underneath the siding, then measure the width of the wall and divide the result by 8 to find out how many panels you need in one line. Install the siding panels as recommended by the instruction manual that accompanies the siding system. Install the starter strip first, then continue with the corner posts. Pay special attention to the areas around the windows, the doors and around the deck that is most probably suspended from one of the walls. Wherever you have adjoining panels, make sure the panels overlap by about an inch.
Final Thoughts
Once you read the detailed instruction manual and you get started, you will surely get the hang of the whole installation process. However, if you still feel that the job is too daunting for you, you should not waste time and energy trying to do it alone or with your friend – don’t hesitate to call a professional siding installation technician or to ask for help if you get stuck with a procedure. We have put together these DIY siding installation tips to help you get the work done faster and more efficiently, but siding installation involves a lot of climbing on ladders – if you are not comfortable using ladders, it is a good idea to leave the project to professionals.
