Repairing Siding This Old House

Use framing square and utility knife to cut through face of siding.

Repairing siding this old house.

The sheathing and framing sometimes need repairs too but that is less common. Prep the old siding to get rid of most of the rot and allow you to remove the 2x8 make a horizontal cut through the siding 1 inches above the 2x8 s top edge. Remove the wood then the nails. So when a piece of vinyl breaks the key to making the repair is a zip tool a miniature curved pry bar with a metal hook at its tip to unlock the siding.

Forget the tape measure tom says. Set the blade at a 5 degree bevel and a 1 inch cutting depth. We tear off the damaged hardboard and replace it with fiber cement siding. Here s how to use it.

Tack a batten to the water table horizontally to guide the saw and ensure a straight 90 degree cut. In most cases the original layer of building paper or housewrap at the bottom of the wall was enough to prevent water infiltration and damage beneath the siding. Instead you can size the replacement using the old clapboard as a template a simple technique that virtually guarantees a tight fit on the first try. Pull siding away from house and cut through the bottom edge with aviation snips.

Snap out the old piece. Cut piece of faded siding from an inconspicuous spot to replace the damaged section. Unlike wood clapboards vinyl siding is so thin and flexible that each piece has to lock onto the ones above and below to keep a house weatherproof.