What is vinyl siding?
Vinyl siding is a plastic panel that hangs on the wall instead of being nailed tight to it. The color runs all the way through the panel, so it never needs paint. If you’re weighing vinyl siding in Fort Collins, that low upkeep is the first thing worth knowing.
It comes in many colors and several profiles. Plain lap is the simple, classic look. Dutch lap adds a small groove along the top of each course, which throws a deeper shadow line.
Panels also come in two builds:
| Type | What’s behind the panel | How it feels on the wall |
|---|---|---|
| Standard vinyl | Hollow | Lighter, with a little more flex |
| Insulated vinyl | A foam backer fitted behind the panel | Stiffer, and it sits flatter |
Why vinyl has to move
Vinyl grows and shrinks as it warms up and cools down. That thermal movement is normal, and a good install makes room for it.
Here’s how the install gives each panel space to move:
- Slotted nail hem: each panel has long slots along the top edge.
- Centered, loose nails: nails go in the middle of the slots and stay a little loose, so the panel can slide side to side.
- Gaps at the ends: panels stop a little short of the corner posts and J-channel, so they can grow on a hot afternoon.
Nail vinyl too tight and it can’t move. It buckles and waves in the heat. In the cold, it gets stiff and can crack if something hits it.
The parts that finish a vinyl wall
A vinyl wall is more than panels. These parts hold the panels in place and keep water out at the edges:
- Starter strip along the bottom of the wall, which the first course locks into
- Corner posts at inside and outside corners, which hide the panel ends
- J-channel around windows, doors and rooflines, where panels are cut to fit
- Undersill trim under windows, which holds the cut top edge of the panel below the sill
Vinyl siding repair
We also repair existing vinyl. Cracked, holed or loose panels unlock from the course below, come out, and a matching piece goes back in.
Color fade makes matching harder on older walls. So we look at the panels around the damage before we pick the replacement.
For small jobs, our siding repair page covers how a repair is done. If a storm caused the damage, see hail damage siding repair.
New vinyl as part of a re-side
New vinyl usually goes on during a full siding replacement. The old siding comes off, the wall is checked and wrapped, and new trim goes on.
Inside Fort Collins city limits, that wall also has to be fire-rated before new vinyl goes over it. We plan that into the estimate from the start, so it never shows up as a surprise.
Planning vinyl siding in Fort Collins? Tell us about your wall, and we’ll walk you through what it needs.
