Vinyl Siding Question

[phylodog]

For those who might know, how difficult would it be for half a moron like myself to pull off the horizontal vinyl siding and replace it with vertical board and batten style siding? I know nothing about the stuff but all of the openings are the same so the J channel can stay (Same color new siding, I think). There's nothing wrong with the 3 year old siding we have now but the wife wants vertical and if I've got it right, it shouldn't be too difficult or expensive.

Any advice from experience?

 

[littletommy]

You’ll have to remove the starter strip at the bottom. You can’t use it for vertical siding. I would suggest putting a 1x4 or 1x6 across the the bottom of the wall, making sure it’s nice and level, then cover it with aluminum trim coil, making sure to leave several inches extending up the wall to keep water out, then you can just lay the j channel on it and start nailing the vertical on.

 

[littletommy]

Also, it’s not very difficult, vertical is as easy as horizontal, usually easier. If you take your time with it, you’ll be fine.

 

[WilsonMD]

What is your wall sheathing? if it’s other than plywood, you won’t have solid nailing. If you choose to do the above mentioned bottom J and flashing, you’ll want to leave a 1/4 inch space between the bottom of the J and the flashing. Drill small weep holes in the j to allow water to drain. Check your siding manufacturer to see the lengths they offer, some vertical is only available in 10’ lengths. Depending on your layout, that could present some additional work.

 

[phylodog]

I'm not sure what the wall sheathing is now but it's got three year old vinyl on it so I'd expect it to be up to standard.

I appreciate the info

 

[WilsonMD]

It could be foam sheeting, no issue with that itself. When the new vertical nailing strip on the siding lands between studs, you won’t have a solid substrate to nail to if sheathing isn’t plywood. Make sense? You could likely tell if you have plywood by tapping firmly on the wall/siding now.

 

[WilsonMD]

Something else I forgot, lay out your wall so you have equidistant pieces at each end. Be careful using a level with siding. If your house is perfectly level, than it’s fine. If not, the siding could look crooked. Measure two points from a fixed plane(a corner for vertical siding) and snap a line to start your first piece.

 

[phylodog]

That you for the advice, great info!

 

[SwikLS]

watch a youtube video on the subject. they are great for half a morons.

 

[ultra...good]

Expensive? Depends on how much you are planning on doing. Whole house, yes it will cost you a bit. All building materials have gone up quite a bit lately and now with oil going up and vinyl being made from oil, I would bet that is going up more now too. If you want to re-do the whole house, maybe try to re-use some of the existing on gables, or smaller sections if possible. Get a bit creative, those little details make a project stand out. Sometimes not for the good though, so be careful. If nothing else, be careful removing it and sell it. Somebody will buy it.

As far as it being difficult, well, what you want to do will not be easy. Every piece you put up will be a lot of up and down on the ladder. Expect that to wear on you. Vinyl siding is easy to work with, just do not nail it tight and make sure each piece is able to move when you are done nailing it. If you do not, you will see why you should have once it is exposed to the hot summer sun. Do all the math and lay outs before you start. Snap a few lines to make sure it looks good. The last piece should have a dab of caulk every two feet or so on the lock channel (normal install it is the bottom edge) so it stays in place since you will not be able to nail it.

You might also want to install another layer of tyvek or some kind of moisture barrier. The existing has a bunch of holes in it and if those are not sealed you take the chance of water infiltration when there are wind driven rains. If nothing else, at least seal them with tape. Again, if you do not, you will understand why you should have when you get some wind driven rain.

 

[Rookie]

Personally, I would go with Hardie plank. It costs more, but it is a LOT better than vinyl.

 

[TheJeff]

Search for a youtube video on the subject. It's not very difficult, vertical is as easy as horizontal, if not easier. If you take your time and pay close attention to the video, you should be able to figure it out.

 

[dudley0]

If you follow thru I can break the aluminum for you to cover the 1x4 starter. 10' 6" brake. Get it all measured out and we can do it all at once, then you can install as you go.

Unless you can find someone closer to save you the trip.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Don't be surprised if you find out the windows and doors are not flashed properly when you strip the old siding off. Make sure you can get aluminum and have access to a break if it's needed