Your Siding Installation Guide
Please read below for our Siding Installation guide, and let us know if you’d like a free siding quote.
Your home is generally your pride and joy. This is where you not only live but also where you celebrate important holidays and create cherished memories. Therefore, when wear and tear make your home look worn down, you do everything to restore its aesthetic appeal. One of the most important ways to make your home look beautiful is its siding through siding installation.
In addition to improving appearance, siding installation enhances energy efficiency structural integrity and increases resale value.
Vinyl siding is an affordable way of improving your home’s look without painting. Many builders and home builders choose it mainly because it is inexpensive, durable, and easy to install.
How do you apply vinyl siding?
Vinyl is available in various colors, grains, and thicknesses, making it a popular choice. Whether you are installing vinyl siding for the first time or replacing it, here’s how you should get the job done:
- Allow for vinyl expansion and contraction: Leave a ¼-inch gap whenever vinyl siding butts accessories.
- Choose the right nails: Use aluminum roofing nails or stainless steel nails with a head diameter of about 3/8 inch. The nails should be at least an inch in length.
- Center the nails: Avoid nailing the extreme left or right slots in the vinyl siding panels.
- Keep nail levels straight: Crooked nails may distort the panels and cause them to buckle.
- Avoid face-nailing to allow horizontal movement and prevent buckling.
- Avoid pulling the siding taut: Pulling the siding tight when nailing stretches the panels out of shape and may cause undesirable lap joints.
- Space the nails properly: panels should be nailed 12 to 16 inches on center.
What do you put under vinyl siding?
You can install vinyl siding over wood sheathings such as OSB (oriented strand board), plywood, etc., materials like foam plastic insulating sheathings. A water-resistive barrier (WRB) or underlayment is installed between the sheathing and the siding.
Can you install siding on your own?
Before jumping into complex home improvement projects such as siding installation, it is essential to understand the pros and cons of hiring a professional vs. DIY siding. Here are some factors you should take into consideration to help you decide whether you should hire a professional or take on the project yourself:
Experience
If you have experience installing new siding or replacing old siding, then you may have enough skill and experience to take on the siding installation by yourself. However, it’s important to remember that siding installation is complex, and poor installation may put your home at risk of damage and leaks.
Available Manpower
Making a few repairs to your home’s siding may be easy enough for you or one experienced professional to take on. However, if you are replacing the entirety of your home’s siding, you may have to reach out to some people for help.
Budget
Although a DIY project usually saves you money, it may take significantly more time, and you could end up making expensive mistakes if you’re not experienced. Hiring a professional may cost a little more, but the time you save and the risks you avoid may be well worth it.
How much does it cost to put siding around the house?
Installing siding on an average house costs $12 per sq ft. For budget-friendly siding options, the cost can be reduced to about $2 per sq ft. However, more expensive options can cost up to $50 per sq ft. It is important to note that the labor shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented increase in the cost of labor and material.
