# Installing vinyl siding



## fuzzmeister (Sep 4, 2009)

Hi there to all

This is my first post to this forum so bear with me about my lack of knowledge

I have been doing some research on the net on installing vinyl siding and every site says to start your starter strip level around your house and start at the lowest corner, now I have never installed siding before.

MY QUESTION IS How do you determine the lowest corner of the house, what procedure do the pros use? where do they measure from to determine this? my house is 25 years old and it is not straight and square, as it used to be I also would like to know if I could remove the old siding off of 1 wall at a time and side it? or should I remove it off of all the walls before I start to side.


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## glennjanie (Sep 5, 2009)

Welcome FuzzMeister:
A 'down and dirty' way to find the lowest corner and to level the rest of the siding is to use a garden hose. Water will stand dead level no matter how many crooks and turns it goes through in the hose. A roll of clear tubing is easier to read than a garden hose but the hose will work.
I would not Take the old siding off unless there is some major reason to do so. You can begin by stapling the 'fan-fold' insulation board to the siding as an underlayment for the vinyl siding. I think the siding company's insturctions will be along that line.
Glenn


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## fuzzmeister (Sep 5, 2009)

Glen thanks for the reply I will not be putting any insulation over top of my old siding because I already have an R factor of 40 in my walls I already  have 2 walls  stripped of siding and was wondering if I should keep stripping or start to wrap it with a paper wrap and install siding before I get any moisture on it.


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## hadiya (Mar 17, 2010)

Normally siding panels come 12-foot lengths and cover between 8 and 10 feet vertically. Each siding panel is designed with a locking channel along the bottom and a fastening channel along the top called a nail hem. The locking channel locks into the siding panel below and the panel is nailed in place along the nail hem. Starter strip is installed along the base of walls and provides a locking channel for the bottom of the first row of siding panels. Inside and outside corner posts are designed to provide a decorative finish where walls meet. Both types of posts have a vertical channel along both sides that hides the cut ends of siding panels. Utility and J-trim are the types of trims used for openings in the wall. Utility trim is used along the bottom of window openings and to provide a locking channel for siding that has been shortened vertically. J-trim is used around the sides and tops of windows and doors, providing a channel for water runoff and a place to conceal siding ends.


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