Vinyl siding will pop and crackle with every change of sunlight and temperature if nailed incorrectly. Here's how to fix the problem.
Time 0.5 to 2 hours
ComplexityBeginner
Introduction
If your siding sounds like rodents are running inside the walls whenever the sun shines on it, it may be a sign the siding wasn't installed correctly and you could have one or more pieces that were nailed too tightly.
Vinyl siding tends to expand and contract considerably with temperature changes. For this reason, manufacturers design it to hang loosely on the nails rather than to be tightly nailed like wood siding. Learn how to replace vinyl siding.
Tools Required
- Hammer
- Handsaw
- Pry bar
Materials Required
- 1-1/4-in. roofing nails
Project step-by-step (4)
Step 1
Test each piece
The problem should be easy to diagnose. Simply go outside, grab the lower edges of a siding course and try to slide it back and forth. Manufacturers require about 1/4-in. play at both ends, so if it’s nailed properly (loosely), you should be able to slide it 1/4 to 1/2 inch. If all the siding is tight, it was installed wrong and should be redone.
Test all the pieces on the noisy wall, and mark pieces that don’t move.
Step 2
Unzip the siding
If only a few pieces are tight and you can’t find the contractor who installed it, buy an unlocking (“zip”) tool. Unlock the course of siding above the tightly nailed piece by sliding the unlocking tool underneath the lap.
Step 3
Expose the nails
Lift the siding up to expose the nails underneath and look for nails that have been hammered in too tightly.
Step 4
Cut the nails
For each identified tight nail, loosen it or cut it with a hacksaw. Then, renail right next to the old nail, leaving at least a 1/16-in. gap between the nailhead and the vinyl to allow easy movement.
Originally Published: May 06, 2019
