How to Remove Steel Siding

While steel siding is just about the most durable variety of siding—definitely more so than aluminum, vinyl, or wood—this durability will work against you when attempting to remove it. While steel siding does not need to be replaced very often, the few times it is actually necessary to replace it will present you with a great deal of work to do. However, it is still possible to remove the steel siding. With the proper tools and information, this project is quite doable. What follows should give you all of the information that you need in order to accomplish this task.

Step 1 - Setting Up

Put on your gloves. You will be working with sharp materials, and it is important to protect your hands. See if you can locate any exposed nails. If you do, start with those. If not, pick a section of siding, preferably one at the top or near an edge.

Step 2 - Removing the Nails

Insert your zip tool into a gap between the section of siding you select and the one covering the edge of it. Slide your zip tool back and forth, parallel to the section of steel siding that you have chosen. You should be able to locate a nail by doing this, so when you feel your zip tool catch on a nail, stop moving it around and focus your attention there.

You should be able to grip the nail with the zip tool. Do this, and once you have the nail grasped firmly you can pull it out.

Repeat this process for every nail. You should be able to find all of them in this manner and remove them one by one. Be careful when you have removed most of the nails, as you do not want to accidentally drop a heavy section of steel siding on yourself by mistake as you remove the final nail.

Step 3 - Removing the Siding

Once all of the nails are removed, you should have no trouble loosening and separating the section of siding they were holding in place. Remove it carefully and set it aside. Once you have done this, there should be an exposed section on your home. More importantly, removing one piece of siding should expose the nails on another piece that would normally be covered. Usually, the nails will be below the piece of siding you removed. However, depending on how your siding is arranged, they could be to the left or the right as well.

At this point, you should have a much easier time removing nails, as they are exposed for you to see. For this reason, it is important to start at the top, or the side that covers nails, so you only have to remove one set of nails without being able to see them. If you remove the section of steel siding that does not have its nails covered first, you will be able to work your way down the line of sections in order, saving yourself a great deal of work.