Vinyl siding does more for your house than just beautifying it.
Vinyl siding makes your home watertight, and they are popular and quite easy to install.
Vinyl is easy to maintain, and the thought of never having to paint your home can be quite enticing.
After all, vinyl siding does not chip or peel, and it will never require scraping. Unlike cedar or pine boards, vinyl siding will never rot.
Vinyl siding was created in the 1950s as a perfect replacement for the aluminum ones. During the early years, they had a very bad reputation. However, their quality has improved over the last few decades.
But, there are numerous issues with this siding that are not as well-known as its benefits. So, if you want to learn more about the problems with vinyl siding and how they can be fixed, please read on.
Vinyl Siding Problems
1. Warping and Buckling Vinyl Siding Problem
Warping or buckling is a rare problem that only occurs if the vinyl siding isn’t installed correctly. Vinyl siding contracts in cold weather and expands when it is warm outside. Therefore, they have oval-shaped nailing slots that allow them to move side-to-side.
When installing them, you should drive the nail loosely at the center of the slot. If installed correctly, each siding should be able to move from side-to-side about half an inch. The small wiggle room is what allows the siding to contract and expand.
Unfortunately, a buckled vinyl siding is as good as gone, and the only solution recommended by Inspire, Design, and Create is replacing it. A buckled siding can allow moisture and insects to enter your wall, which can damage the wall. However, before replacing it, you must find out the cause of the problem. As mentioned above, one of the leading causes of this problem is the lack of a wiggling room.
2. Cracking Problem
Just like all the other PVC materials, the vinyl siding can crack. Cracking of the siding because of a certain kind of impact after a terrible storm is quite common. Another cause of this problem is sunlight.
With time, direct sunlight can cause the siding to fade and finally crack. Some cracks can be too small to be noticed, while others are too large and can be seen from a distance. A cracked vinyl siding must be replaced.
How to Replace a Cracked, Warped or Buckled Vinyl Siding
Tools
- Circular saw
- Zip tool for siding
- Hammer
- Pry bar
Repairing a broken or buckled vinyl siding is tough, but not impossible. The first thing you need to do is get a piece of vinyl siding from the local dealer that matches with the ones in your home. Then cut it using a circular saw as per the dimensions of the broken vinyl siding. Circular saw is the best for cutting vinyl siding. So, here are some powerful circular saw choices for you, if you don’t have one.
Insert the zip removal tool under the vinyl siding until it hooks onto the lower part of the broken siding. Pull the device down and outwards to unhook the lower lip of the siding and then slide the tool along to unhook the lower part completely.
Unzip the other piece on top of the damaged siding. You can finally remove the nails holding the damaged siding using a pry bar and get rid of the spoilt siding. Slide the new section of siding into place until the lower part locks in and then drive the nails at the center of the nailing slots. Make sure the replacement siding is not tight, before securing the upper part in place.
3. Noisy Vinyl Siding Problem
When it is installed correctly, vinyl siding doesn’t make noise, so if it is making noise, then there is a huge probability that the siding was not installed correctly. If it was nailed loosely, then you will hear a rattling noise every time the wind blows. And if it was fastened tightly, you will hear a popping or cracking sound.
To solve this problem, you can go to the part of the wall where the noise is coming from and move the siding panels side-to-side.
If some panels are not moving, then your problem is the siding was nailed tightly. And in the process, look and see if any of them is buckled. The only solution to this problem is removing the siding and installing them correctly.
4. Melting Problem
Even though it might seem rare, vinyl siding does melt from time-to-time. Melting of the vinyl siding is the main reason this type of siding is not common in places with a hot climate. Melting is not caused by direct sunlight; it is caused by very strong reflected light.
How to Repair Melted Vinyl Siding
Tools
- Zip tool for siding
- Combination square
- Circular saw
- Hammer
Start by disengaging the first melted vinyl siding using the zip tool and then remove the nail using a hammer. Repeat this process for all damaged siding. Once the melted siding boards are all removed, you can measure and cut all the new siding using a circular saw.
Start by snapping the lowest siding along the bottom part of the wall and then secure it using nails. The nails should be about 16 inches apart. Drive the nail in, leaving the head protruding about 0.0625 inches. Repeat the above process for all the siding.
5. Moisture Problems
Like all PVC products, vinyl siding is water-resistant, however, they are designed to be flexible, which creates room for contraction and expansion. Therefore to keep water out, you must add a waterproof barrier to the siding. But, if moisture gets behind the siding, it can cause severe damages.
The only solution to this problem is replacing the siding, but before you do that. Inspect the siding and find out where the leak is coming from.
Once you find out the exact position of the leakage, investigate further, and try to determine the cause of the problem and the extent of the damage. Remove the siding and then repair your wall before finally reinstalling the vinyl siding correctly, making sure that it is waterproof.
