How to fix vinyl siding

[Ross]

Our home was built in the 1920s and is showing its age. Painting the home every 10 years is out of the question so we decided to have the vinyl siding installed.

After the workers left, the home looked brand-new. But after a few months I noticed the siding was coming loose. I called the contractor and found out the phone number is no longer in service.

Can you advise me on what to do now?

[home improvement guy]

The original wood siding on your home is most likely poplar wood, which has dried over the years and has a tendency to split if a siding nail hit it in the wrong place. Fortunately, each piece of loose vinyl siding can be removed without having to remove the entire wall. If the loose piece is in the middle of a wall, you do not have to start at the top and remove all the siding.

A contractor can use a special inexpensive tool to undo the locking lip at the bottom of each panel to expose the loose areas. Where the wood siding is split, the vinyl can be reinstalled using special fasteners, or the split wood can be repaired and the vinyl siding's fasteners can be relocated away from where the original wood is damaged.



Vinyl siding is very easy to install once all the outside or inside corners, window trim and soffits have been installed. Even if the entire wall is loose and has to be removed it can be repaired in less than an eight-hour day with a crew of two experienced workers. If you have a two-story home it may take a little longer, but the original vinyl can, in most cases, be reused and you would have to pay for labor only.

If you can't locate the original contractor, at least give the company name or the contractor's name to the local Better Business Bureau to protect other unsuspecting homeowners from experiencing poor workmanship.