Vinyl siding is typically installed by a licensed professional but sometimes Minneapolis homeowners will save costs by doing it themselves. If this is you, it’s important that you’re aware of the many factors that are involved.
One of the bigger difficulties of self-installing vinyl siding is that it can easily contract or expand as little as half an inch, or more, throughout a year’s time. This includes temperature changes throughout the year. While the contracting or expanding is quite normal, it stresses the importance of having a professional install it, correctly. When you install vinyl siding without thinking of these different factors, you could actually undergo disasters that may potentially void the manufacturer’s warranty and cause problems with your home including mildew, infestation, mold and many other unfortunate events.
Adjacent vinyl siding panels will lock together along the bottom but they shouldn’t be stretched; this is very important. The lock should be fastened and tight. The following are some factors a siding professional will adhere to when installing vinyl siding on your own home:
- The panels and any accessories will move freely, side to side, when correctly installed.
- The opening and stop clearances should be no less than a quarter inch. This can be increased when the temperatures are below 40 degrees, which is common in Minneapolis.
- The actual type of siding and wind-load testing will play a role in how much space should be between fasteners.
- Nails are to be placed directly in the center of the nail slot. This ensures maximum stability which is essential. It’s important that you not only make sure the nail fits, but that it is appropriately centered to avoid future issues.
- Fasteners used for installing vinyl siding, including nails, staples and others, make the most difference in your siding’s performance. Using the wrong nail on your siding could cause it to rip or have other detrimental impacts on your home’s exterior.
- Siding should only be installed on your home if you have prepared the walls first. Ensuring that a water-resistant barrier is in place before installation will protect your home from mildew and mold and is highly important.
While installing the siding itself isn’t necessarily difficult, the essential tasks are those that take place before and during installation. The J channel that is installed around the doors and windows takes a lot of skill. The biggest reason you should have a professional install your siding is that if done wrong, you could easily void your warranty. This means if something were to happen later down the road that was due to improper installation, the replacements or repairs could come out of your own pocket.
When it comes to professional siding contractors, trust Iron River Construction. We are a Minneapolis siding company with over 15 years experience, and have helped homeowners all over Minnesota fall in love with their home all over again, with beautiful replacement siding.
