Vinyl and wood siding are durable but not indestructible. If an accident, time or weather event has damaged a section of your siding, it should be promptly replaced to protect your home’s value and safety. Don’t risk structural damage! Here’s everything you need to know about replacing siding on a house.
SIGNS YOU SHOULD REPLACE THE SIDING ON YOUR HOUSE
If you have been researching how to replace damaged siding on a house, there’s a good chance you have already noticed one or more of these issues. Closely inspect your siding for the following problems:
- Cracking
- Warping
- Holes in the siding
- Soft or rotten pieces of wood siding
- Pieces of siding falling off the house
- Misaligned pieces
- Missing pieces
If any of these issues is present, read the following details about replacing siding on a house – whether you have wood or vinyl.
REPLACING VINYL SIDING
If your home has damaged vinyl siding, make sure you have these supplies on hand: new matching vinyl siding, tin snips, minimum 1” galvanized steel nails with at least a 3/8” head, and a hammer. Here’s how to replace damaged siding on a house in four easy steps:
- Remove all the damaged pieces of siding, as well as the nails used to attach them.
- Use tin snips to trim a piece of new siding to fit the lowest gap. Most vinyl siding should overlap the pieces on either side of it by at least an inch; check the instructions from your siding manufacturer’s installation guide.
- Modern vinyl siding uses interlocking technology to maintain watertight protection. The bottom channel of the new siding will lock into the top channel of the piece below it. Carefully slide the new siding piece into place.
- As you nail the new piece of siding in place, apply gentle upward pressure to ensure the two pieces of siding stay interlocked.
Repeat this process until all the damaged vinyl siding is replaced.
REPLACING PLYWOOD SIDING PANELS
Plywood siding is a durable and low-maintenance siding option. But over time, the bottom edges of plywood sheets tend to become water-damaged and will need to be replaced. Removing and replacing a panel of plywood siding is a simple task for many homeowners. You will need a new sheet of siding, paintable exterior caulk, a hammer, 8D galvanized nails, a tape measure, a utility knife, safety goggles, a jigsaw, and a circular saw. Here are the five steps for replacing plywood siding on your house:
- Carefully remove the damaged siding with a claw hammer and pry bar. Try to preserve the old piece so that you can use it as a template for cutting your new plywood sheet.
- Remove any old nails, paint and caulk from around the siding. A utility knife can be handy for this task.
- Use the old plywood as a guide to measure a new piece of siding and mark any additional cuts that will need to be made. Make sure the grooves on the new panel go in the right direction. Make the edge cuts with a circular saw and a jigsaw to cut out vent, window, and power outlet openings.
- Nail the new piece of siding in place and caulk all the edges.
- Once the caulk is dry, prime and paint the wood. Don’t be stingy with the primer; it will help prevent water damage from occurring in the future.
Repeat this process until all the damaged plywood siding panels are replaced.
REPLACING TONGUE AND GROOVE OR WOOD LAP SIDING
If a small piece of your wood siding is damaged, you may be able to get away with a quick replacement project. You will need new siding, paintable exterior caulk, a hammer, 8D galvanized nails, a utility knife, safety goggles, an oscillating multi-tool and a circular saw. Here are the five steps for replacing siding on your house:
- Even if only a small piece of a slat is damaged, you will want to replace the section of wood between at least two studs. This will allow you to attach the new piece of siding to two studs, which ensures a secure fitting. To remove all the damaged siding, use the oscillating multi-tool to cut the hidden nails, and carefully pry the wood off with a pry bar. If you need to buy new siding, take the old piece with you to the hardware store to make sure you buy matching replacement siding.
- Remove any old nails, paint and caulk from around the siding. A utility knife can be handy for this task.
- Use the old piece of siding to measure the new piece and use a circular saw to cut new siding to fit the gap. Remember: Measure twice, cut once.
- Nail the new piece of siding in place. Caulk all the edges.
- Once the caulk is dry, prime and paint the wood. Plan to apply at least two coats of paint.
NEED HELP REPLACING SIDING ON A HOUSE?
If you need help replacing siding on a house, your local At Home Expert can make the necessary repairs to protect your home’s exterior and make it look like new.
