|
|
|
Installing Vinyl Siding
Reduce Exterior Home
Maintenance and Upkeep by Simply Installing Vinyl Siding
By Mark J. Donovan
|
|
Installing vinyl siding can dramatically improve the
exterior appearance of your home. It also means no more scraping and
painting of wood house siding. With vinyl house siding installation
maintenance is minimal. A good cleaning once a year is typically all that is
required with vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is also fairly inexpensive to
install compared to any other type of house siding.
When it comes to installing vinyl siding, most homeowners choose to have a
professional install it.
|
However, with a few basic tools and sufficient time, along with carefully
following the installation directions, the moderately skilled do it yourself
homeowner can install vinyl siding on their own home. In the process, they can
save themselves thousands of dollars in labor costs.
In regards to the tools that are required for installing vinyl siding, you’ll
need a hammer, chalk line, circular saw, tin snips, level, square, pencils, tape
measure, and an assortment of screwdrivers.
In regards to materials required for installing vinyl siding you’ll first need
to install a sheathing over the exterior wall studs to create a smooth and flat
surface for fastening the new vinyl siding. Alternatively to sheathing, when
fastening siding over an already sided home, you may be able to use a contoured
foam underlay over the existing house siding. To ensure you’re using the right
type of sheathing for fastening the vinyl siding to your home check with your
local building inspector first.
|
|
After attaching the sheathing to the home,
next comes a weather resistant barrier. Vinyl siding should
always be attached to the home over a weather resistant
barrier. The weather resistant barrier should be attached
over the sheathing in a continuous and shingle installation
like manner to ensure water cannot penetrate behind the
barrier. Standard house wraps or a felt roofing material can
typically be used, however follow the vinyl siding
manufacturer’s recommendations.
Flashing should next be installed around all doors, windows, corners, and other
openings. The flashing is usually an integrated member of the weather resistant
barrier, and should be applied to the inside and outside corners. |
It should also be attached to the intersection of walls and roof lines.
Again, follow the vinyl siding manufacturer’s installation recommendations for
properly installing the right flashing material.
Now begins the real work of installing the vinyl siding. Start by installing a
starter strip along the base of an exterior wall. It should be fastened directly
to the wall sheathing. It is used to fasten the first course of vinyl siding to
the house. It is critical that this starter strip be level. Use a level and
chalk line to ensure that this is indeed the case. Always use corrosion
resistant nails when fastening the vinyl siding to the home.
Now begin cutting and installing lengths of vinyl siding to the home as
required. Again, it is important to read the specific vinyl siding installation
instructions from the manufacturer to ensure you install it correctly. Use your
skill saw and tin snips to cut and trim the vinyl siding pieces accordingly.
When installing the vinyl siding to the home make sure to leave about a dime
width’s gap between the head of the nail and the vinyl siding nailing tab. This
will allow the vinyl siding to move freely due to normal expansion and
contraction. Every 4 to 6 courses of vinyl siding, check to make sure that the
courses are still level. You may want to run multiple parallel chalk lines up
the length of the wall of the home for continuous reference points. Continue
installing the vinyl siding in this process along all sides of the home.
It may take you several days to complete the process of installing the vinyl
siding, however the cost savings and the personal satisfaction are well worth
the time and effort. Again, if you have questions during the installation
process, read the vinyl siding installation instructions again and/or call the
manufacturer directly.
For more help on new home construction, see
HomeAdditionPlus.com’s
Home Construction Contractor Bid Sheets.
Home
Construction Contractor Bid Sheets
will
help ensure that you find and hire the right home building contractor
for your next home improvement, remodeling, or building project. In addition,
they will help to ensure that your home improvement project is completed on time and on budget.
How to Finance your Home Siding Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related Home Siding Information
|
|
|
