Cutting in around Windows
So, our corners, starter strip and first piece of siding are attached to the home now we can work our way up the wall until we reach an obstacle or opening.
When you install your rows of siding it is important to stagger the joints of the end seams. To do this all you need to do is cut a few pieces of siding in half and in thirds. Measure the length of the siding find the center point and use a speed square to mark your cut point. Some siding mechanics like to use a circular saw with a reversed blade to cut their siding but it is just as easy to use aviation tin snips to make your cuts.
To start the stagger we begin with one full piece of siding at the bottom of the wall. Then on the next row we begin on the right side of the wall with a 6 foot length and the leftover piece should fit on the other side of the wall when we end the row. Continue up the wall with a full piece then a cut piece then another full piece.
If you are working on a wall section (maybe a 6 foot long wall around a front door) that is shorter then the full length of your siding don’t worry about staggering the joints just cut full long pieces to cover the whole area.
Also when you install siding there is an overlap area on the ends. You will want cut a notch at the top of your 6 foot sections on the nailing strip and on the bottom lip so the siding can expand and contract horizontally.
The first obstacle we come in contact with is a window opening. working our way up the wall the Window has its own built in J-Channel so all we need to do is cut off the area of nailing strip that will go under the window.
On the side of the window we continue working up to the one edge and insert the siding into the channel around the window.
When we get to the top of the window we will have to cut our siding to fit.
Over windows and doors and other openings like this you want to use a full piece of siding never join 2 pieces of siding over top of a window. This will reduce the possibility of water damage.
We install the piece of siding to be cut and lap it over top of the window. Using a pencil and a speed square draw the outline of the notch to be cut away.
Now you can remove the siding from the wall and make your cut.
Remember that when you are cutting your notch you want to give the siding a little movement room about a 1/4 inch margin around the inner frame of the window but don’t cut away so much that any expansion would let the siding move outside of the J-Channel area.