How to Install Vinyl Siding around a Garage Door

If you want to install vinyl siding around a garage door, you may need to match it with the outer wall color or design. This is a better way of giving your garage wall a new look without having to spend a lot of money on new materials and installation costs.

Step 1 - Get the Area Ready

Wear the necessary personal protective equipment, such as hand gloves and safety goggles. Get the materials and tools ready. Clear the surroundings from unnecessary items or furniture. Release the garage door and let it settle to the ground. Unplug the automatic opener to keep the door from opening accidentally. Strip the walls from any remains of debris or from the previous wall siding.

Step 2 - Prepare the Wall

Cover the wall with the building sheathing. Sheathing should smoothen across and cover the wall around the garage door completely to prevent moisture from building up. Install the 1-inch x 3 inches wood spacer on top of the garage door jamb and the exterior sheathing. Fasten the decorative trim over the spacer, allowing a ¾ inch slot where the sidings will be secured in place. Get the precise location of the starter course to start at the lowest part of the bottom portion of the wall.

Consider that the vinyl panel should rest on top of the door jamb during installation, so the starter strip must also serve as a guide. Use the water level and mark the exact position on the other side. Use a chalk line to get a straight level across the measured points. Use a ¼ inch starter strip that follows the straight line to allow an overhang. Allow a ¼ inch gap between starter strips to allow for expansion. Leave corner posts outside. Allow a 1-inch gap from the soffit and the bottom as well. Do the same for the inside corners, this time using the J-channels.

Step 3 - Instal

Take note that the nailing of the siding must not be too tight. Start at the bottom end where you can allow the laps to show. Take note that a vinyl panel should rest on top of the garage door. Make sure that the vinyl panels are inserted into the ¾ inch slot, but the panel end should not fit the whole stretch to allow for movement. Continue the installation of the vinyl panels upwards until you reach near the soffit, where installing a utility trim up an F-channel to receive the final run of the siding ends the whole stretch. Remember to allow the siding an overlap of 1 ¼ inch. Use a snap-lock tool for the last panel to lock it into place.