Although vinyl siding is extremely tough, it’s not indestructible. If your siding is hit with a fast baseball or a falling branch, you can easily have a cracked a piece of vinyl siding on your home. However, it’s not the end of the world, and it’s relatively easy to replace one or two pieces of siding.
All you need is about 15 minutes, the replacement vinyl, and a zip tool, which is available at any Home Depot or another home improvement store for approximately $5.00. The process of removing vinyl siding is as easy as unzipping the piece that is damaged and snapping a new piece back in place.
Continue reading for three easy steps for removing vinyl siding and tips for handling larger jobs.
Step One: Removing Vinyl Siding
Begin at one end of the damaged piece of vinyl siding. Proceed as instructed below:
- First, use the end of the zip tool to wedge underneath the vinyl siding until you feel the tool hook under the bottom lip.
- Then, pull the tool down to attempt to unlatch the bottom lip. Slide the piece along the edge and pull the vinyl out as you move along.
- Next, unzip all of the pieces located above the damaged vinyl.
- Finally, gently move the pieces out of the way with your elbow as you remove the nails out that are holding the damaged piece in place.
Step Two: Placing the Replacement Vinyl Siding
Now that you have removed the damaged siding, simply slide the replacement piece of siding up into the proper position. While you are doing so, make sure to push up until the bottom lip slips into place.
With it in position, nail a ΒΌ” roofing nail directly through the flange. You should space it near the nail holes, which should be about every 16 inches.
Make sure you place the nail in the center of the nailing slot with approximately 1/32″ of space between the vinyl siding and the nail head. This space is necessary so the vinyl can freely move. Avoid nailing the head too tightly because it will cause the vinyl to buckle when it heats up.
Step Three: Securing the Vinyl Siding
Once you have the new piece nailed in, use the same zip tool you used to remove the vinyl to lock the new piece in place.
First, lock the upper piece down. Begin at one end of the vinyl and pull the lip down, while twisting the zip tool gently to move the leading edge down.
Continue sliding the tool on the vinyl, while using your hand to push the vinyl down behind the tool so it will snap in place.
Bonus Tips for Removing Vinyl Siding
The best practice is to remove and repair vinyl siding in warm weather. When temperatures get below freezing, your tile may crack because it becomes less flexible.
One of the downsides of replacing older vinyl siding is that is can be extremely difficult matching color and style. Worst of all, most vinyl siding doesn’t come with identifying marks.
Removing More Than a Single Piece of Vinyl Siding
While it may be easy to replace one or two pieces of tile, replacing more than one piece or a whole house is a totally different. However, replacing old, damaged, outdated, or unappealing siding can give your home an instant facelift and result in a more attractive curb appeal. At the same time, it can increase the overall energy efficiency of your home.
According to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs Value Report, replacing vinyl siding has consistently been one of the most dramatic home improvement projects you can make. This project adds value to your home and is one of the few projects that will show a direct return on your investment.
Removing vinyl siding or replacing vinyl siding for your entire home can be an overwhelming project to take on yourself. You must remove the old vinyl siding on the hold house, gather the proper permits, purchase the right building materials, and much more!
While installing Smart Tile or painting the rear deck may be a great weekend D-I-Y project, it’s best to leave removing and installing vinyl siding to the pros.
Let GAMCO do the hard work for you
With almost four decades of experience, GAMCO Remodeling is Long Island’s leader in replacing and removing vinyl siding – serving all of Eastern Nassau and Western Suffolk. Instead of overwhelming yourself, contact the experts at GAMCO Remodeling today for a free vinyl siding removal consultation.
