How do you stop vinyl siding from warping?

Is it normal for vinyl siding to warp?

Many cases of bad warping occur during the summer, when the air heats up and the sunlight starts directing a lot of thermal energy at the walls of your house. Poor quality vinyl or dark paint colors cannot take this abuse, and the siding will start to warp and buckle as it absorbs the heat and expands.

What makes vinyl siding warp?

Improper Nailing

This is the main reason behind warping siding. If your siding is nailed too tightly, the panels won't have enough room to expand and contract as needed during temperature changes. This can lead to warping.

How do you protect your siding from the sun?

It is almost always caused by the sun reflecting off a nearby window onto the siding. Stop the Sun from reflecting off of window glass and melting and warping vinyl siding with EZ Snap exterior shades. The window acts like a magnifying glass, concentrating the sun's energy onto a small area.

What would cause vinyl siding to buckle?

Usually, the siding was nailed too tightly. Vinyl siding expands significantly as it's heated. That's why it has oval-shaped nailing slots that allow it to slide back and forth under the nailhead. Nail it too tightly and you prevent this movement—and cause buckling.

Nashville Home Inspector - Vinyl Siding Warping

Should vinyl siding be nailed tight?

Do not nail any siding parts too tight. Leave 1/32 inch between the nail head and the vinyl. Vinyl siding must be attached “loosely.” Center nails in slots to permit expansion and contraction of the siding.

At what temperature will vinyl siding warp?

Typically, most vinyl siding products will start to melt and warp when they reach 160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. On darker colored siding, temperatures have been recorded of nearly 220° F in the area where reflected light is hitting.

Why is my vinyl siding melting?

Typically, most vinyl siding products will start to melt and warp when they reach 160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. On darker colored siding, temperatures have been recorded of nearly 220° F in the area where reflected light is hitting.

How do I stop my windows from melting my siding?

Fortunately, there is a remedy for melting siding and that is to reduce the reflection from your neighbor's windows. The best way to minimize the reflectivity associated with Low-E windows is to install a window film covering on the outside of the windows, 3M^TM Exterior Prestige 40 window film.

Does vinyl siding expand and contract?

Vinyl siding can expand and contract 1/2” (12.7mm) or more over a 12' 6” (3.81m) length during normal, year-round changes in temperature.

Why does vinyl siding warp when painted?

Because darker shades of paint naturally absorb more heat from the sun than lighter shades, they cause the vinyl panels trapped under the paint to reach higher temperatures. If that substrate reaches a temperature higher than it was designed to withstand, the result is often vinyl siding warp.

What temperature is too cold to install vinyl siding?

Cold Weather = Brittle Vinyl & Tight Installs

On the other hand, you typically do not want to install vinyl siding if temperatures drop below 50 degrees. In the winter, installations run into the opposite problem: the panels to contract, making it easy to nail them on too tight.

Why is my vinyl siding wavy?

Nailed Down Too Tightly

The number one cause of wavy siding is improper installation. Vinyl siding expands under high temperatures and contracts when it gets cooler. Because of this expansion and contraction, vinyl siding can't be nailed down too tightly. Vinyl needs room to move from side to side.

Can windows melt siding?

Window reflections melt vinyl siding because of the intense hotspots created by sunlight bounced off of low-e windows. The high reflectivity of these windows alone can create enough concentrated heat to cause damage, but it's the double paned design that makes things even worse for nearby vinyl siding.

Can a grill melt siding?

According to siding repair pros, vinyl siding can actually melt if a barbeque grill is placed too close to it.

Can the sun damage vinyl siding?

Heat & reflected sunlight as causes of vinyl siding damage: Heat from intense sunlight or from reflected sun and heat from nearby windows or other surfaces can cause buckled, rippled, bent, deformed, loose, or un-clipped vinyl siding.

Will vinyl crack in cold weather?

The problem with certain vinyl material is that it can become hard and brittle when exposed to cold. Vinyl materials can actually freeze, and then if dropped or knocked can cause splitting or cracking in the material. This type of cracking is called cold crack.

What temperature does vinyl crack?

Cold Weather

Chilly weather makes installation frustrating because the colder it gets, the easier the vinyl will crack. Putting in the siding in temperatures lower than 40 degrees increases chances for cracking and buckling.

What insulation goes under vinyl siding?

1/2" Polystyrine Foam Board Insulation

This is most common with vinyl siding. The foam board is nailed in place with washer head nails and should be taped at the seams to prevent air movement. The typical R-value of this product is R-2.5 to R-3.5 depending on the density of the foam board.

What kind of nailer do you use for vinyl siding?

What Kind of Nail Gun Do You Use for Siding? While you can use roofing nail guns for siding, it is ideal to use a pneumatic siding nail gun to secure vinyl, wood, and cement siding. You should set the pressure of the nail gun to the density of the material you are using. We do not recommend using a brad gun.

Can I use screws on vinyl siding?

A stainless steel screw is the very best, but also the most expensive. Vinyl coated screws are great too. In most cases you can purchase these in rather small quantities. No matter which screw you buy, make sure it is a Phillips head screw because they are the easiest to use.

What kind of nails should I use for vinyl siding?

Use only corrosion-resistant nails (aluminum, stainless or galvanized roofing.) Nails should have a minimum head diameter of 5/16". CertainTeed recommends the use of stainless steel nails or other corrosion-resistant fasteners when installing siding in coastal areas.