Vinyl siding may be one of the toughest materials out there, but that doesn’t mean it can’t get damaged from extreme weather or a game of catch gone wrong. If you’ve noticed a hole (or holes) in your siding, it’s best to get it taken care of right away. Holes can lead to moisture and insects penetrating your home, which can result in long-term and irreparable damage. Luckily, you can fix most reasonably sized holes without the help of a professional. Here’s how to fix different types of holes in your vinyl siding.
How to Fix Small Holes in Your Siding
First thing’s first, before you fix any type of hole in your siding, you should clean the siding around the hole with vinyl siding cleaner or a mild dish detergent mixture and dry it well. You also want to make sure that any repairs you do to fix the hole will match your current siding colour.
Squeeze a generous amount of exterior caulking that matches the colour of your siding into the hole and wipe it smooth across the surface (you should be able to get the exact colour from your siding manufacturer).
Squeeze as much caulk as you can into the hole to ensure long lasting repair. Once it dries completely, scape off any excess caulk so that it flushes perfectly with your siding. If you can’t find caulk in the same colour, another option is to use paintable caulk and then paint over it with exterior paint in the same colour as your siding.
How to Fix Big Holes in Your Siding
If you have bigger holes in your siding that need a little more attention, the process includes a few more steps. First, you’ll need to buy a siding zip tool (available at home and garden stores like Rona and Home Depot).
Use the tool to unlock the siding with the hole in it at the bottom. Place foil tape on the back side of the siding, covering the hole from the back, and snap the siding back into place. Then repeat the steps from above, filling the hole with siding caulking to seal it.
How to Fix Large Holes and Cracks
Fixing large holes and cracks is totally possible, but note that if your siding is too damaged, you may need to consider replacing it instead of repairing it. Get in touch with a professional contractor if you don’t think you can fix it on your own. If the large holes and cracks in your siding are fixable, you’ll need a piece of siding that matches the siding you want to fix.
Use a utility knife to cut the nailing strip of a top of a piece of the matching siding that’s larger than the hole. Attach it to the top of the damaged piece with construction cohesive. You may also consider using the zip tool to remove the piece of damaged siding and replacing it with the new piece.
A hole in your siding isn’t the end of the world if you take care of it right away. Use these steps to fix it and save your home from more serious damage down the road!