Do it Yourself Vinyl Siding
- 1). Use a tape measure to measure up from the top of the foundation 1 inch at either end of your wall. Stretch a chalk line between these two points and snap a line. Position a starter strip against the wall with its bottom edge on top of this line. Screw the strip in place with 1 5/8-inch treated deck screws, one every 12 inches into the fastener strip along the top of the starter.
- 2). Measure the height of your wall from the top of the foundation to the bottom of the eaves at each corner of the wall. Cut corner trim to fit these corners using tin snips. Fit the corner trim in place and attach it to the wall with 1 5/8-inch treated deck screws, one every 8 to 10 inches along both long edges of the trim.
- 3). Cut end trim to fit the top edge of your wall. Position this trim so that the fastener strip points down, with the open channel along the trim's bottom edge to accept the edge of the last row of siding once you cut and install it. Screw it in place as you did the starter strip.
- 4). Measure the sides and tops of all doors and windows in your wall. Cut J trim to fit. Install it with the flat edge against the door or window trim and the open channel facing out; attach it with the same techniques used for the other trim. Measure the bottom edge of each window and cut undersill trim to fit. Install it with the open channel down.
- 5). Snap your first piece of siding into place by fitting its bottom edge over the bottom edge of your starter strip and lifting up sharply. Slide the siding over to the corner and fit its end into the channel of the corner trim. Fit the next piece end to end with the first, allowing it to overlap by 2 inches. Continue adding full pieces as far as you can. Measure and cut the last piece to overlap the last full piece and fit into the channel of the corner trim at the far wall.
- 6). Screw the first row of siding to the wall with one screw every 12 inches through the holes in the fastener strip along its top edge. Look at the top edge and take note of the snap bead located along its length just below the screw strip. Fit the next row onto this bead as you did with the starter strip, lifting up to snap it into place. Slide the first piece over to fit into the corner trim. Complete the row as for the first, fitting and screwing the pieces into place.
- 7). Continue with adding rows and cutting pieces to fit around doors and windows with the tin snips or a utility knife. Add full height rows as far as you can. Measure from the bottom of the snap bead on the last full row to the bottom edge of the wall top trim and add 3/4 inch. Cut enough pieces of vinyl to this height to fill the last row. Snap it into place as before, tucking the top cut edge into the wall top trim.
