How to Repair Veneer Siding

Vinyl Siding

• 1

  Measure the area of siding that needs patching.

• 2

  Hold a T square to the edge you plan to slice, and position the T square so that the top is flush with the top of the siding you will remove. Slice through the siding with a utility knife. Keep the edge straight by holding it against the T square as you cut.

• 3

  Using the snips, cut the siding panel’s bottom and pull it away from the house. Insert the zip tool above the panel. Running the zip tool along the siding disengages it from the panel above it.

• 4

  Lift up the siding panel above the panel you're trying removing from the house. This reveals the nails holding the siding to the house. A claw hammer removes the nails and releases the panel from the house.

• 5

  Hold the new piece of vinyl up to the house where your old vinyl siding was. You'll want the new piece of vinyl to be approximately 2 inches longer than the piece you just removed. This ensures that the new piece overlaps the surrounding pieces and the house sheathing is not visible. Your new vinyl may be darker in than the old vinyl siding because the old siding fades in time.

• 6

  Hold the new vinyl panel up to the house where the old panel was. Notice that the new vinyl overlaps the surrounding vinyl. Use the snips and cut off the overlapping J profile and nailing strip from the new vinyl, so that the only part of the new vinyl that overlaps with the surrounding vinyl is the part visible on the house’s front.

• 7

  Nail the new vinyl into place by hammering nails into the center of each hole on the nail strip. Leave the nails somewhat loose, so that the vinyl can expand and contract with the house.

• 8

  Insert the zip tool into the panel’s J profile above the panel you just nailed into the house’s side. Pull down on the J profile and loop it back over the nailing strip of the panels below it.

Brick Siding

• 9

  Remove any old, crumbling mortar in the brick joints with a chisel and mallet. Scrape out any mortar crumbles using your gloved fingers.

• 10

  Dampen the area to be tuck pointed using a mist from a garden hose.

• 11

  Mix the mortar in a 5-gallon bucket, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use a mortar-mixing drill attachment.

• 12

  Insert the new mortar into the joints that need tuck pointing. A tuck point trowel spreads the mortar between the bricks.

• 13

  Scrape off excess mortar from the bricks using the tuck point trowel.