How To Replace Cracked Siding

Fill in the nail holes.

How to replace cracked siding.

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. How do you replace vinyl siding. To repair vinyl siding fill in minor imperfections with caulk and then paint it to match the rest of the siding once it cures. 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.

For larger dents cracks or holes start by cutting out the damaged segment of siding and removing it with a zip tool. Subscribe to this old house. Repeat the procedure for the top of the damaged siding. 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.

Ask this old house general contractor tom silva helps a homeowner repair sections of his vinyl siding that have holes. This chapter shows how to repair most types of siding including stucco. Often a major re siding can be delayed by repairing sections of siding. It s as simple as unzipping the damaged piece and snapping in a new one.

Vinyl siding is tough but not indestructible. Use a zip tool image 1 to unlock the siding from the surrounding pieces image 2. Boards shingles and panels usually can be replaced without too much trouble. 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.

Then cut out a vinyl patch that s wider than the segment you removed and attach it to the. Over time the siding can loosen in places or develop horizontal cracks in. Cut out the damaged piece of siding leaving a space 2 inches shorter than the replacement piece. Take the replacement board fit it in place image 2 and nail it in with a hammer using galvanized nails.

These small repairs can add years to the life of the siding. Install the replacement piece over the existing siding and attach with roofing nails. Be sure to nail into the existing holes on the adjacent siding. How to fix cracked siding before painting.

No matter how durable fiber cement siding is though cracks can still occur.