How to Remove and Replace a Section of Vinyl Siding
With a few simple tools and the right technique, you can replace a vinyl siding panel in minutes.
All it takes is a few minutes and a few simple tools to get access for repairs or modifications to a wall covered with this popular cladding. Watch this Building Skills video to see the entire process.
Here are the basic steps:
- Look for a horizontal seam between two courses of vinyl siding.
- Insert the siding-removal tool where the panels overlap and pull down and out.
- Use a cat’s paw or other small pry bar to pull the nails from the course you need to remove.
- Pull the piece of vinyl siding downward to disengage it from the course below it.
- If either end of the siding is captured by a door or window channel, gently bend the siding to clear the channel as you remove it.
- Repeat steps 3-5 for any additional courses of siding that you need to remove.
When it’s time to put the siding back on the wall, just reverse the process: slide and snap the pieces of siding onto the courses below and replace the nails you removed. You may want to drive the nails in new locations to ensure that they have good purchase. It can be a little tricky to snap the last piece into the groove of the piece above that wasn’t removed, but a little care, patience, and perseverance will get the job done.
For more information, read the companion Building Skills article: Removing Vinyl Siding
More on Siding
How to Install a Ventilated Rain Screen – Letting some air behind siding keeps the moisture out.
Making Common Siding Repairs – Whether you’re replacing wood, fiber cement, or vinyl, choose the right tools and minimize the collateral damage.
Siding to Last a Lifetime – Rainscreen details that improve the durability of any lap-siding installation.
Doing Siding Right — Whatever your feelings about vinyl siding, changes are you’ll be working with it sooner or later. Here’s a guide on installing it correctly.
Seamless Vinyl Siding – Those vertical seams between panels are a dead giveaway that a house is sided with vinyl. Long panels can eliminate the problem.
View Comments
Very informative and helpful post! I had many doubts about drywall insulation and the way of doing it. This was of great help! Thanks a bunch.
This is a very helpful article to me. I was planning an exterior renovation for past few months. Started with replacing windows with vinyl windows, windowchoice, toronto, ontario, windowchoice.ca/window-tips/why-vinyl-windows-are-simply-better . Had some energy efficiency issues with old wooden windows. Rear door had slight cracks here and there. Called professionals to deal with that. Had few damaged sections of sidings which needed to be replaced. Was thinking of how to do it more easily. And I got it. Thank you. Need to do a little work with interior as well. But not going to think about that before finishing this.
If I knew that replacing vinyl siding could be done in all of six steps I would've done it at least six times by now. Every summer the siding on my home gets damaged at least one or twice. I'll have to try and replace some of those that have already taken place. It's nice to see that once done, you can just repeat steps 3-5 to remove any additional siding. Thanks for the information. http://cornerstonewindowskc.com/kansas-city-vinyl-siding/