Repairing Siding This Old House

Prep the old siding to get rid of most of the rot and allow you to remove the 2x8 make a horizontal cut through the siding 1 inches above the 2x8 s top edge.

Repairing siding this old house. Siding repair is best done with hand tools with one exception. Tack a batten to the water table horizontally to guide the saw and ensure a straight 90 degree cut. Snap out the old piece. So when a piece of vinyl breaks the key to making the repair is a zip tool a miniature curved pry bar with a metal hook at its tip to unlock the siding.

Forget the tape measure tom says. Cut piece of faded siding from an inconspicuous spot to replace the damaged section. We tear off the damaged hardboard and replace it with fiber cement siding. The sheathing and framing sometimes need repairs too but that is less common.

Set the blade at a 5 degree bevel and a 1 inch cutting depth. Instead you can size the replacement using the old clapboard as a template a simple technique that virtually guarantees a tight fit on the first try. Use framing square and utility knife to cut through face of siding. It ll better match the house than brand new siding.

Pull siding away from house and cut through the bottom edge with aviation snips. Power tools are out for this job. Here s how to use it.