While vinyl siding is strong and long-lasting, it can also break or sustain other damage. Use of a vinyl siding removal tool is the simplest approach to remove or repair damaged vinyl siding. You can get beneath the top and bottom borders of the vinyl siding pieces where they interlock (a feature that enables them to withstand wind and moisture) by using a vinyl siding removal tool. The most crucial benefit of using this equipment is that it won't harm the siding.
Removing & Reusing Vinyl Siding Without Breaking It
A zip tool, also known as a tool for removing vinyl siding, is a crucial piece of equipment that is little more than a metal bar with a tiny hook at one end and a perfectly angled bend. The hidden joints that lock the vinyl siding's sections together can be separated using a zip tool. The best tools for removing vinyl siding are composed of metal and have excellent non-slip grips. Due to their UV coating, aluminum-coated tools outperform steel-coated ones. Metal is more aesthetically pleasing, more scratch-resistant, and more resistant to wear and heavy use thanks to UV treatment.
Tools & Materials Needed
- Zip Tool
- Flat Pry Bar
- Wood Blocks
- Hammer
- Replacement Siding (As Needed)
- 1 1/4-Inch Roofing Nails (As Needed)
Step 1: Unlock The Bottom Joint
- Beginning at the bottom edge of the damaged siding panel, wiggle the zip tool's curved point under a loose area at one end of the panel to hook it onto the butt lock's back lip. At the end of the panel, look for a slightly bigger hole that the zip tool can slide into. Alternately, you could search for another loose area along the panel joint's length.
- With the zip tool pressed downward, disengage the butt lock joint. After that, loosen the remaining joint by gliding the tool along the siding panel's length.
Step 2: Unlock The Top Joint & Pull The Nails
- To release the top joint holding the damaged panel to the panel above, repeat the procedure used on the bottom joint. To reveal the nailing hem (and nails) on the damaged panel, carefully raise up the bottom edge of the panel above.
- After prying out every nail from the damaged panel's nailing hem with a flat pry bar and a hammer, you may take the siding panel off.
Step 3: Place Wood Blocks & Position The New Panel
- Place wood blocks behind the loose panel above the region of the removed panel before attaching the new vinyl panel to hold the upper panel away from the wall. Place the blocks away from the new panel so that they won't get in the way.
- Hook the bottom edge of the replacement panel over the panel below it as you position it on the wall. To secure the new panel's lower butt lock to the panel below, push up on it.
Step 4: Nail The New Panel
- Every 16 inches or so, insert a 1 1/4-inch roofing nail through the slots in the tacking hem to secure the new panel. Placing a pry bar over the nail's head and hammering the pry bar will drive the nail if you can't reach the nails with a hammer. Because the siding might expand and contract, the nail heads should be left about 1/32 inch above the siding's surface. Additionally, to allow for side-to-side mobility, position the nails in the centers of the nailing hem slots.
Step 5: Lock The Panels
- Using the zip tool, fasten the upper panel's butt lock to the top edge of the new panel. The tool should be used to grasp the lip of the butt lock and drag it over the locking edge of the replacement panel. Use your other hand to push the upper panel's exterior towards the wall, snapping the butt lock into place as you do so. Work your way around the new panel, interlocking the top edge all the way.