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Keeping your home in estimable precondition requires a range of regular repair and maintenance tasks . One such chore is scrutinize andrepairing vinyl siding . keep up with vinyl siding repair is a guaranteed way to prolong its length of service and ensure that dirt ball and rodent ca n’t use damaged panels as a level of entree . Siding maintenance also help oneself keep moisture from seeping into the home and causing hidden ( or not - so - hidden ) piddle wrong . Beyond that , patching or replacing a patch of discredited siding can restore the appearing of your abode ’s outside — so you do n’t have to deal with unsightly dent , divots , holes , or shot .
experient and beginner DIYers are subject of take on vinyl siding repair , so use this guide to take the air you through the process . If you have the time and tools , you’re able to avoid paying a professional to repair the damage .
Credit:Getty Images/Kat72
Before You Begin
Vinyl siding panelsare ordinarily used to protect the exterior of the home from pelting , wind , methamphetamine hydrochloride , and snow . If the siding gets damage , then it ’s important to piece or put back the damage jury as presently as possible to avoid any next yield . However , if at all potential , it ’s recommended to piece or repair any vinyl group siding hole during the spring or fall months , when the weather is n’t too hot or too cold .
Additionally , when you are working on the vinyl siding patch , it ’s a good idea to wear protective glove and safety glasses . This will help ensure that your helping hand , fingerbreadth , and eyes are protect while you make with potentially dangerous tool , like tin snips , utility knife , pounding , pry bars , or recitation .
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
Materials
Instructions
How to Patch Siding with Minor Damage
Clean the Damaged Area
If the damage is relatively limited , you may generally fill the fix or fix a small patch to vivify the vinyl . However , the caulk requires a clean surface for optimal adhesion . Clean the damaged area with warm soapy water and a microfiber material toremove any dirt and debris .
Apply Caulk to Small Divots
For small divots and gob less than an column inch in sizing , you’re able to typically make out the repair in a topic of minutes . Load a caulking heavy weapon with waterproof calk and go for a small bead of caulk to fill the hole . If necessary , smooth the caulk with a putty knife and hold back for it to dry out . Once it ’s dry , sand the caulk smooth and enforce paint that matches the siding .
Cut Out Damaged Siding
If the damage is larger than an inch , but still relatively small , you may repair the siding with a patch . Start by remove the damaged siding . Use a utility knife to disregard out the damaged siding , then use a slide fastener creature to take out the cutout . Cut carefully so you do not damage the building paper underneath . With the zip tool , tear down and out to unhook the bottom back talk , then slide the pecker along the edge and pull out the damaged piece of railroad siding .
Prepare a Patch
Use your tape measure to take exact measurements of the damage area . trim back a replacement patch from a fresh spell of turnout , control that the replacement mend offer about two inches on each side over the damage piece of sidetrack . assure to verify that the eyepatch fits the hope location before proceedings .
Color Matching Tip : Even if you find an accurate transposition , the siding on your walls may have fade , so that the new piece will be noticeably darker . If the repair is on a extremely seeable portion of the house , you may want to take away a piece from a less - seeable part of the theatre ( perhaps in the back or behind a bush ) and use that as the patch — then deploy the lately purchased while in the less - seeable localisation .
Install the Patch
Apply a bead of caulk around the siding cutout , then slide the replacement piece up into lieu , push up until the bottom lip locks into the piece of siding below it . bet on the size of it of the patch , you may desire to secure the top of the patch with nails or screws , though small spot typically do n’t require this additional measure .
If you are not using nails or screws , look at using duct tape or some other eccentric of irregular pair to hold the while in plaza until thecaulk has time to dry .
Sand and Paint the Caulk
Finish the job by trimming , sanding , and painting any visible caulking to intermingle the patch with the existing vinyl siding .
How To Replace Damaged Siding Panels
Separate the Broken Panel
In some caseful , the damage to the turnout is too extensive for a wide-eyed patch . When this occurs , you will require to remove and interchange the damage vinyl side panel . Start this procedure by using the zip tool to deplumate down and out to unhook the bottom rim , then slide the cock along the edge as you pull the siding out to separate the broken panel .
Buckling Siding Panels : If many of the piece are coming aside or buckling , they may have been installed with nails driven too tightly . Nails should be light , so the material can expand and contract . If that ’s the case , you may want to take the railroad siding from an area and reinstall it .
Remove Nails or Screws
The top of the dialog box is likely secured with nail or screws . If the panel is secured with nail , habituate a hammer or prybar to slay the nails and detach the control panel . If the panel is secured with screws , utilize a drill to remove the screwing and detach the broken panel . Keep in mind , you ’ll have to lift up the panel above it to see the course of nail or turnkey .
Prepare the New Piece of Siding
Measure and cut a fresh slice of vinyl railroad siding to substitute the broken firearm . ensure that the new piece of siding is about four inches wide than the original bit , so that two column inch will overlap on each end to prevent water from ooze through to the wood .
Install the New Vinyl Panel
slip the replacement panel into place , agitate up on the panel to interlock the bottom rim in place . move up the instrument panel above and expend nail or screws to fix the top of the vinyl gore . If potential , it ’s recommended to have a second soul hold the board above , so you’re able to rivet on the drive nails or bind the board with screws .
Secure the Siding Together
The last step of the appendage is to fasten thevinyl siding panelstogether . Align the bottom lip of the above panel with the top back talk of the replacement panel and take out up on the above control panel until it locks into post . If necessary , use the zip tool to assist gazump the panels together to complete the repair .
Frequently Asked Questions
With right sustainment , vinyl siding can last well over 20 eld — and sometimes as long as 60 days .
If you do n’t quickly address holes , quip , or miss piece in vinyl radical siding , wet can seep into the sheathing and cause pest plague , disintegration , buncombe , mold , and geomorphological price . Faulty railroad siding can also cause your heating and cool down costs to climb — particularly if the damage extends to the insulation . If left untreated , the damage can spread to the interior of your home and cause paint to peel and wallpaper to bubble or come open .
Check your garage , caducous , or basement to see whether the installer left extra opus for stamping ground but keep in psyche that the original railroad siding may have melt over time . If you have no replacement trash , take a sample to a siding supplier and look for a skinny match . You could also take the broken piece of siding to a paint fund to ask for a colour match . Apply a pelage of acrylic priming to a inert - colored panel and follow with acrylic house paint in the matching people of colour .
