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Professional Renovations - 30 Years Experience

Is Your Vinyl Siding Talking to You?



Picture of Vinyl SidingIt’s early evening and you are out on your deck enjoying the last sun of the day… almost perfect except for that occasional squeaking and creaking noise in the background – is your vinyl siding trying to tell you something? Maybe that it was not installed properly?

When vinyl siding and trim is not installed correctly it will usually make noise and possibly buckle. The usual culprits are poor nailing (off center in nailing grooves and nailed too tightly), fitting panels and components too tightly, and over stretching panels when locking them into place – in general, it usually comes down to…

Not Allowing for Expansion and Contraction!

Vinyl siding contracts and expands as the outside temperature changes. To avoid structural problems, noise or aesthetic problems associated with this characteristic, take the following steps:

  • Apply nails or other fasteners in the center of the nailing slot and make sure the fastener penetrates a minimum of 3/4″ (19mm) into a framing stud or furring. Make sure installed panels and accessories move freely from side to side.
  • Do not drive the head of the nail tightly against the siding nailing hem. Allow approximately 1/32″ (0.8mm) clearance (about the thickness of a dime) between the fastener head and the siding panel. Drive nails straight.
  • Leave a minimum of ¼” (6.4mm) clearance at all openings and stops. When installing in temperatures below 40 degrees F, increase minimum clearance to 3/8″ (9.5mm).
  • Do not face nail or staple through siding except for one nail needed to finish at the top of a gable.

Vinyl siding is not as easy as you might think to install properly. You must follow proper installation procedures if you are to enjoy your new project for many years to come and problem free. The scope of vinyl siding is too involved to list here so I found two installation guides from Vinylsiding.org (the American Vinyl Siding Institute) that are very good and provide lots of diagrams to help you do it right.

To get going just click on either guide list below: (you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these)

  1. Quick Installation Tips; This is a 2 page guide with quick tips on vinyl siding installation.
  2. Full Installation Manual; A 40 page detailed guide to installing vinyl siding.

Keep in mind these are American guides, some practices may or may not be allowed in Canada, primarily the use of staples to fasten vinyl siding to walls or strapping – check with your local building department to see what is allowed. Otherwise, everything in these manuals and sheets appears to be identical to specifications for vinyl siding installation in Canada.

I highly recommend you download, print and view these guides prior to buying and installing vinyl siding. I also recommend visiting  Vinylsiding.org for additional information and FAQ’s. You will be glad you did and your vinyl siding project will look much better and last much longer – with no noise or buckling!

Reconditioned 234x60
   

April 10, 2010 | Filed Under Do's & Don'ts, Vinyl & Wood Siding 

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