Has anyone ever installed vinyl siding?We added a shed dormer on the backof our house and 2 gable dormers on the front which need to be covered.I had estimates and I can't believe that they want almost 9 grand to do that small of an area. Does anyone have any hints or do you know how to start putting it up so the front lines up with the sides on the gable dormers.

It's straight-forward, but you need more of a tutorial than can be given here. I'm sure there is some place on the Internet that has a fairly complete guide to installing siding. Alternately, there's probably a book available somewhere.

Here's a link I googled:

How to Install Vinyl Siding | DoItYourself.com

Here are a couple of books that I found by searching for "installing vinyl siding" on Amazon.com

Amazon.com: VINYL SIDING FOR HOMES - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE CHARACTERISTICS, DYNAMICS, SELECTION, INSTALLATION AND CARE OF VINYL SIDING: James L. Benson: Kindle Store

Amazon.com: Exterior Siding, Trim & Finishes (For Pros by Pros): Fine Homebuilding Editors: Books

Yes installed tons of it on our job sites

I thought I add s bit. The best tool I found to cut siding are shears we use for cutting duct work and its used for siding. I looked at the sites above. The first site mentions "under the window trim" I never used it. 'J" channel is used around the window. If you look at the picture if the same sit it shows 'J" channel under the window. When you install J channel you must keep in mind water shedding. There basically two ways of doing the 'J" channel at the bottom of the corners. One is cut bottom of channel the width of the sill and add the the width of what your channel is on both sides of that. Either or you will need to snip that extra width to bend over or remove to allow the vertical "J" to come flush width bottom of sill 'J". When you do the sides that should be spliced over lapped to inside channel of sill "J". The side vertical piece is terminated at the top if the window but leave extra as a tongue to overlap on header. The top "j" needs to be cut header width plus the vertical width. The inside channel needs cut and bent over for water shed to side channel. ( Boy this is more difficult to explain than I thought)

When installing siding the nails should never be tight to wall. The siding needs to expand and contract. Leave the nails an 1/8 loose or so. Snap chalk lines on house for height control joints. Its very easy to loose and gain heights while installing. A good place is bottom on sills and headers. This is where you want the exact levels to be to cut under and over the windows.

When you install the 12 foot pieces make sure you overlap them so you can't see the seams from walks or door area. This is the most pleasing to the eye. Keep that the same simply an over lap changed sticks out too much. The goal is hide seams on side of house you most look at in drive front door etc.

Do you have soffits on the shen dormer?

Is the fascia capped? I hope not simply the soffit needs nailed on the wood fascia trim and the metal 'fascia" capps that nailed part on its 90 and the other end slips under the drip edge. Get back on that.


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I know an easier fix, get 3 more estimates to see if you are getting highballed by this guy. Installing siding is not rocket science but there are some tricks that the average DIYer might not know. You got some good link to explore.

At least locally here, labor is about the same price as the material, so if there is 2000 of siding material, the labor is about 2000.

My older boys and I have done several houses, and found it very easy, We had some written instructions that came with it
** from home depo, and it looked good when we were done.

Some of the tricks make it easier but even without them, it is not hard.

Why not Hardie plank? Less than vinyl, fire and storm resistive.