Vinyl Siding Repair: How to Fill Gaps

a person repairing home siding
  • 2-6 hours
  • Intermediate
  • 40-150
What You'll Need
Caulk
Replacement piece
Zip tool
Hammer
Nails
Rag
What You'll Need
Caulk
Replacement piece
Zip tool
Hammer
Nails
Rag
Vinyl siding repair is often something that can be done quite easily. You will find that filling in the gaps does not require a lot of work. As long as the gaps are not very large, they can usually be fixed in just a matter of minutes. Larger gaps may require a little bit more work but are still something that you will be able to fix quickly and with little effort on your part. You will simply need to make sure that you have the right tools and that you know how to use them properly.
Materials Needed:
Caulk
Replacement Piece
Zip Tool
Hammer
Nails
Rag
Step 1 – Small Gaps
If you have a very small gap, then usually applying caulk to it will easily and quickly fix it. You will need to make sure that you follow the instructions on the back of the bottle closely. Not following the instructions will not result in additional problems as the caulk will not set right and will end up becoming messy and not filling the gap the way that it should. You will simply need to apply a thick bead of caulk along the gap line and follow the instructions from there. You will more than likely need to take a rag to the caulk and wipe it clean so that it does not stick out or get anywhere that it shouldn’t be.
Step 2 – Medium Gaps
For gaps that are too big for caulk to fix, then you may need to simply get a replacement piece of vinyl. This is something that will only work if the gap is fresh. If the pieces that are surrounding the gap have had time to weather, then the new vinyl piece that you put in will stick out and will end up looking worse than the gap itself. You will need to take the time to make sure that the replacement vinyl matches the old vinyl perfectly.
Step 3 – Large Gaps
If there is a large gap that is in your vinyl, then this is probably the fault of the person that put it in. Larger gaps do not happen unless the vinyl was not properly overlapped whenever installation took place. However, this is not something that cannot be fixed. You will simply need to have a zip tool that you can fix this problem. These types of tools can easily be found at any hardware store. In order to use your zip tool, you will begin by getting the overlapping piece that is above the gap and unlocking it. After you have gotten it completely free, you will be able to see the punctured flanges. This is what holds the siding to your house. You will need to take out the nails from the edges of the pieces that are on either side of the gap. From there, you need to get the panels slid together until they are overlapping just slightly. Once you have done this, you should check to make sure that there is not a new gap that is forming at the other end of the panel.

Vinyl siding repair is often something that can be done quite easily. You will find that filling in the gaps does not require a lot of work. As long as the gaps are not very large, they can usually be fixed in just a matter of minutes. Larger gaps may require a little bit more work but are still something that you will be able to fix quickly and with little effort on your part. You will simply need to make sure that you have the right tools and that you know how to use them properly.

Step 1 – Small Gaps

If you have a very small gap, then usually applying caulk to it will easily and quickly fix it. You will need to make sure that you follow the instructions on the back of the bottle closely. Not following the instructions will not result in additional problems as the caulk will not set right and will end up becoming messy and not filling the gap the way that it should. You will need to apply a thick bead of caulk along the gap line and follow the instructions from there. You will more than likely need to take a rag to the caulk and wipe it flush so that it does not stick out or get anywhere that it shouldn’t be.

Step 2 – Medium Gaps

For gaps that are too big for caulk to fix, then you may need to simply get a replacement piece of vinyl. This is something that will only work if the gap is fresh. If the pieces that are surrounding the gap have had time to weather, then the new vinyl piece that you put in will stick out and will end up looking worse than the gap itself. You will need to take the time to make sure that the replacement vinyl matches the old vinyl perfectly.

Step 3 – Large Gaps

If there is a large gap that is in your vinyl, then this is probably the fault of the person that put it in. Larger gaps do not happen unless the vinyl was not properly overlapped whenever installation took place. However, this is not something that cannot be fixed. You will simply need to have a zip tool in order to fix this problem. These types of tools can easily be found at any hardware store. In order to use your zip tool, you will begin by getting the overlapping piece that is above the gap and unlocking it. After you have gotten it completely free, you will be able to see the punctured flanges. This is what holds the siding to your house. You will need to take out the nails from the edges of the pieces that are on either side of the gap. From there, you need to get the panels slid together until they are overlapping just slightly. Once you have done this, you should check to make sure that there is not a new gap that is forming at the other end of the panel.