Installation Instructions

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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide

Section 7 — Installing Horizontal Siding

Top Ten Tips for Installing Vinyl Siding

CertainTeed provides quality vinyl siding and accessories that are

backed by one of the industry’s best warranties. However, even

the best products fall short of expectations if they are not installed

properly. Following these ten recommendations—the basics of a

professional installation—can help ensure a quality installation that

fulﬁlls homeowners’ expectations and reduces call backs.

1. Install all siding and accessories over a smooth, ﬂat surface.

Always install siding over a rigid sheathing, and never install it

over open studs.

2. Vinyl siding is not a watertight material. Install a weather-resistant

barrier, like CertainTeed CertaWrap, and ﬂash around all

windows and doors before installing vinyl siding and trim.

3. There are three recommended ways to cut vinyl siding: For rip

cuts, score the panel with a knife or vinyl blade and bend the

panel back and forth. Use aviator snips or shears to ﬁt panels

around windows and doors. For cross cuts, use a circular saw

with a plywood blade in the reverse position.

4. Always leave room for expansion and contraction into receiving

channels like outside cornerposts, inside cornerposts, and

J-channel. If the temperature is above 40°, leave 1/4"; if the

temperature is below 40°, leave 3/8".

5. When installing horizontal vinyl siding panels 12' 6" in length or

shorter, overlap the factory notches 1" to 1-1/4" (depending on

the temperature).

6. Always nail in the center of the nail slots: 16" on center for

siding; 8" to 12" for accessories.

7. DO NOT NAIL TIGHT! Always leave 1/8" to 1/16" between the

nail head and the wall surface to allow for movement when the

panel expands and contracts.

8. Hang vertical accessories from the top of the top nail slot.

If the accessory is longer than 12', hang it from the top two

nail slots.

9. Lap away from the highest trafﬁc pattern, typically the front of

the house. Keep laps at least 3' apart from course to course,

and install three courses between laps above each other.

10. Finish the last piece of siding into utility trim or dual utility trim.

Summary of content (10 pages)

PAGE 1
CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide Section 7 — Installing Horizontal Siding Top Ten Tips for Installing Vinyl Siding CertainTeed provides quality vinyl siding and accessories that are backed by one of the industry’s best warranties. However, even the best products fall short of expectations if they are not installed properly.
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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide factory notches Cutting Panels To cut panels to size, follow these procedures: Cross cuts For a precise cut, use a power circular saw equipped with a sharp, fine-tooth plywood blade. For best results, reverse blade direction. Cut one or two panels at a time, carefully advancing the saw through the vinyl. A rule of thumb: The lower the temperature, the slower the feed rate. Panels can also be cut with snips. Use a square to mark the cut line.
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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide STUDfinder Installation System for 12' Panels The STUDfinder™ Installation System combines precisely engineered nail slot locations with graphics to help ensure quick, accurate and secure installation of CertainTeed siding panels on homes with standard 16" or 24" o.c. frame construction. NOTE: In areas without special wind-load requirements, some vinyl siding may be used in 24" o.c. construction.
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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide STUDfinder Installation System for Oversized (16', 16' 8", 20' and 25') Panels CertainTeed’s longer siding panels – 16'8" CedarBoards XL, 16' and 20' Monogram 46L and 25' Monogram 46XL – feature 8 nail slots every 16", with one of the 8 letters of the word “STUDfind” centered directly under each slot. In 16" o.c.
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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide Preparing Wall Surfaces The key to successful vinyl siding application is proper preparation of the nailing surface. It is essential that you work over a smooth nailing surface. The more level and even the wall surface, the better the finished installation will look. The steps involved in preparation differ for new homes and old, so choose the instructions (page 28 to 33) that pertain to your project.
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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide Transitioning from brick, stone, or stucco to vinyl siding To transition from brick, stone, or stucco to vinyl siding: sheathing starter strip or J-channel flashing mortar • Caulk where the sheathing meets the brick, stone, or stucco. Caulk the flashing, and make sure a drip cap is in place.
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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide Install panel window If necessary to maintain the slope angle, install furring under the sill as described on pages 31 to 32. J-channel NOTE: You can eliminate this step by using dual undersill trim. This trim has two receiving channels. Use the inner channel if you’ve cut the siding panel near the locking edge. Use the outer channel if the cut has been made near the butt edge.
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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide Fitting at gable ends Make a pattern duplicating the gable slope. Use this pattern to guide the cutting of panels to fit gable ends. To make pattern: Lock a short piece of siding into the panel gable starter course as shown in the illustration. Hold a second piece of siding against the J-channel at the slope. Run a pencil along edge of this piece, transferring the slope angle to the first piece of siding. Cut along the line using a power saw or tin snips.
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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide To install, lock the bottom of the cut panel into the panel below. Push the top edge into J-channel or undersill trim. Tabs will catch in the trim and hold the panel firmly in place. NOTE: Since you will not nail this last course, it is important that the tabs fit properly in the trim to provide support while allowing movement for expansion.
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CertainTeed Vinyl Siding Installation Guide a Shutter Installation The ideal application (a) has a joint between the two shutters where the shutters are secured to the home. In this way, the siding panel is not “hard nailed” between the two shutters and the siding is allowed free movement. When there is no joint between the shutters and when the shutters are secured to the home (b), the shutters’ fasteners do not allow the siding panel to move.