Replacing Cracked Siding

Cut out the damaged piece of siding leaving a space 2 inches shorter than the replacement piece.

Replacing cracked siding.

For larger dents cracks or holes start by cutting out the damaged segment of siding and removing it with a zip tool. To repair vinyl siding fill in minor imperfections with caulk and then paint it to match the rest of the siding once it cures. Install the replacement piece over the existing siding and attach with roofing nails. Fill in the nail holes.

Pull loose nails from clapboard siding. Tap flat bar under siding to loosen nails. The downside of replacing older vinyl siding is that it can be hard to match the style and color and siding rarely has any identifying marks. Nail straight down on the replacement board in order to hit studs.

The best way to get a replacement piece is to take the broken piece to vinyl siding distributors in your area and find the closest match. Take the replacement board fit it in place image 2 and nail it in with a hammer using galvanized nails. Where siding meets a roof it will rot if the siding touches the shingles. No matter how durable fiber cement siding is though cracks can still occur.

In this video this old house general contractor tom silva explains how to repair clapboards. Gap between siding and shingles. Consider replacing rotted areas with fiber cement siding. Small cracks can be repaired with a special patching compound before they cause breaks saving you the work of removing and replacing a damaged panel.

Use the snips to cut away about two inches of the top nailing strip and the bottom j profile from both ends of the replacement piece. Fiber cement siding is low cost for its rated lifespan and is easy to maintain when compared with other siding choices. Secure old siding by driving ring shank nails down at an angle through the old nail holes. How to prevent serious siding damage if your siding is buckling splitting warping delaminating or coming loose in large areas or if you see mold or other signs of moisture inside the siding remove a section and take a look.

When you replace these boards make sure you have good flashing along the joint.