How To Replace Cracked Siding

Vinyl siding is tough but not indestructible.

How to replace cracked siding.

Over time the siding can loosen in places or develop horizontal cracks in. Use a zip tool image 1 to unlock the siding from the surrounding pieces image 2. Take the replacement board fit it in place image 2 and nail it in with a hammer using galvanized nails. Fill in the nail holes.

No matter how durable fiber cement siding is though cracks can still occur. Small cracks can be repaired with a special patching compound before they cause breaks saving you the work of removing and replacing a damaged panel. Boards shingles and panels usually can be replaced without too much trouble. Be sure to nail into the existing holes on the adjacent siding.

This chapter shows how to repair most types of siding including stucco. Fiber cement siding is low cost for its rated lifespan and is easy to maintain when compared with other siding choices. Wood and vinyl siding are vulnerable to ground movement and harsh weather. Install the replacement piece over the existing siding and attach with roofing nails.

If a falling branch or a well hit baseball cracked a piece of your siding don t fret you can make it as good as new in about 15 minutes with a zip tool and a replacement piece. Subscribe to this old house. It s as simple as unzipping the damaged piece and snapping in a new one. How to fix cracked siding before painting.

These small repairs can add years to the life of the siding. For larger dents cracks or holes start by cutting out the damaged segment of siding and removing it with a zip tool. To repair vinyl siding fill in minor imperfections with caulk and then paint it to match the rest of the siding once it cures. Often a major re siding can be delayed by repairing sections of siding.

Nail straight down on the replacement board in order to hit studs. Then cut out a vinyl patch that s wider than the segment you removed and attach it to the. Use the snips to cut away about two inches of the top nailing strip and the bottom j profile from both ends of the replacement piece. Start at the bottom of the piece that is being replaced and insert a wooden shim between the pieces of siding as the zip tool slides along the siding.

Cut out the damaged piece of siding leaving a space 2 inches shorter than the replacement piece.