How To Staple Vinyl Siding

Nail down loose boards of existing siding and replace any rotten ones fig.

How to staple vinyl siding.

Between nail head and vinyl. To install vinyl siding to the soffit and fascia area on your home nail lengths of j channel along the inner edge of the fascia leaving the nail heads out about 1 32 to 1 16 of an inch. Next measure and cut the siding to fit the measurements of your soffit and push each panel into the j channel. Nails versus staples is an age old question in the vernacular of construction work.

This gives staples applied with a vinyl siding staple gun a good quality and holding capability. Center nails in slots. Vinyl siding that s nailed on too tight doesn t leave room for the materials to expand and contract and that causes ripples to form come summertime. Between nail head and vinyl.

Installing vinyl siding with nails vs. For the best results leave at least 1 16 inch between the nail head and the siding to give it some room to grow. Allow approximately 1 16 in. This will permit expansion and contraction as well as prevent dimpling which causes waves in siding.

As already said popping around 500 for the correct gun probably won t pay for itself on that one job. Staples and nails must be resistant to corrosion such as cadmium coated galvanized steel or aluminum varieties. Simply go outside grab the lower edges of a siding course and try to slide it back and forth photo 1. Do not install vinyl siding over rotting wood.

Choose the right nails allow approximately 1 16 in. When installing in freezing weather below 4 c. Do not nail to the extreme right or left of nail slot in siding panel. Vinyl siding should be installed in accordance with the installation instructions supplied by the siding manufacturer.

Vinyl siding must be nailed so expansion and contraction are not restricted. For this reason manufacturers design it to hang loosely on the nails rather than to be tightly nailed like wood siding. Remove all protrusions such as gutters down spouts and light fixtures. Vinyl siding tends to expand and contract considerably with temperature changes.

The problem should be easy to diagnose. Scrape off loose caulk and re caulk around windows doors and other areas to protect from moisture penetration. Siding must be cut in lengths to provide for expansion. When applying vinyl siding staples must penetrate the backing wood by inch yet leave a gap of about 1 32 inch between fastener and siding.

If you staple conventional vinyl siding without using the special siding stapler which leaves the staples proud to allow movement it ll buckle all overthe first time the weather changes. A staples wider head allows the siding to flex more. Allow a 1 4 inch gap for expansion wherever siding butts accessories.