Vinyl siding is one of the country’s most popular cladding materials for a number of reasons — from authentic looks to affordability to low maintenance. Among those is its straightforward installation, which allows for immense efficiencies on the jobsite. Still, like with any building material, ensuring vinyl siding looks and performs as designed requires following some simple steps, particularly when it comes to driving nails.
Improperly fastening vinyl siding could lead to gaps, waviness, or other issues. Proper installation also is critical for meeting performance expectations, such as wind resistance, and warranties.
Along with all installation instructions, here are a few fastener best practices to keep top of mind when installing vinyl siding:
1. Follow manufacturer instructions. Though most vinyl siding panels install in a similar way, each manufacturer typically has its own guidelines that should be followed to not only ensure long-term performance but also maintain the warranty. Many of Westlake Royal Building Products™ brands follow guidelines from the Polymeric Exterior Products Association (PEPA, formerly the Vinyl Siding Institute), which can be downloaded here.
2. Check local building codes for fastener requirements. Wind and other factors may affect fastener type, size, and installation.
3. Choose proper fasteners. The most common fastener used to secure vinyl siding is an aluminum, galvanized steel, or other corrosion-resistant nail. Nail heads should be a minimum of 5/16” in diameter, and the shank should be 1/8” in diameter. Corrosion-resistant screws or staples also can be used. Refer to the PEPA installation guide for specific details.
4. Space fasteners properly. For horizontal panels, place nails every 16” to penetrate framing studs. For vertical siding applications, place nails every 12”.
5. Don’t overdrive fasteners. This is one of the most common mistakes installers make. Nail the panel loosely — leave about 1/32” (about the thickness of a dime) between the fastener and the vinyl. This will allow for and accommodate vinyl’s natural expansion and contraction. If you nail the panel too tightly and it has no room to expand, rippling (aka, oil canning) may occur.
6. Center the nail in the middle of the slot when installing horizontal vinyl siding. Again, this allows for natural movement. If this placement isn’t possible while maintaining 16” o.c., use a punch to extend the slot. Vertical siding should be hung loosely from the top of the upper-most nail slot, and then put the rest of the fasteners in the middle of the slot.
7. Do not face-nail siding without creating a nail hole slot.
8. Ensure proper fastener penetration. Fasteners in panels must penetrate sheathing or other nailable substrate and framing a total of a minimum of 1 1/4″ (32mm) or in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Note that insulated siding may have different requirements to accommodate the added thickness; for example, CraneBoard Solid Core Siding® requires nails be a minimum of 2½” in length and able to penetrate not less than 1¼” into framing or furring.
Have questions about siding installation? Reach out to our reps for training and support.