July 24, 2008
Mending Fences and Siding
Three of my athletically gifted children see any exterior wall or fence as an invitation to hurl a baseball or strike a soccer ball. And so, parts of our house serve as backstops for balls, pucks and other projectiles. The result is cracked and dented vinyl siding and a chain- link fence with more curve to it than a World War II pinup.
My wife insists such reminders of my sons Matt and Adam impersonating Roger Clemens, or my daughter Allyson practicing to replace Mia Hamm, be repaired. Quickly. Lucky for me, replacing damaged vinyl siding and worn chain link fencing is easy and inexpensive. That's good because few contractors -- some charge minimum fees of $250 -- will take on a small job such as replacing a few panels of vinyl siding or a section of fence. Doing it myself, the price of these two repairs was a few hours -- and about $20.
I tackled the siding first. Vinyl siding is held in place by interlocking panels that hang loosely on exterior walls. The key to replacing damaged sections is having replacement panels and the right tool on hand. I purchased the SideSwiper II vinyl siding tool made by Malco for less than $5 at a home center in my neighborhood. As for replacement panels, there are so many styles and colors that you're likely to find a match at a building supply store. But it's easier if you saved extra panels when the siding was installed. I was glad I saved about a dozen full-length replacement panels, stored in a corner of the garage.
The siding tool works like an old-fashioned can opener. A slotted edge fits between the interlocking pieces. Swipe it slowly along the length of the panel to remove the damaged piece by unlocking the panels above and below it. This exposes the nailing flange on the top edge of damaged panel. Carefully push up the panel above the flange and remove the nails.
In cold weather, vinyl siding can be brittle and crack easily, so work slowly and carefully. You don't want to damage the pieces above and below the panel you are replacing. Size the new piece by lacing the old piece on top of it and marking the length with a pencil. Use a utility knife, a scissors-like cutting tool or tin snips to cut the new piece. Place the panel on a stable, flat surface and cut slowly. Smooth rough edges with medium-grit sandpaper.
Before cutting, remember that the nailing flange on the top edge of vinyl panels protrudes on the right end. When installed, this gets hidden beneath an overlapping panel. But it's important when cutting the new piece to match ends.
Install the new piece by slipping the nailing flange under the loose top panel on the wall. Locate the existing nail holes in the foam board and attach the new panel, tapping the nails into place. Once you've checked that the panel is level, hammer the nails so the heads protrude slightly and the panel hangs loosely.
Finish by locking the panels. Starting at one end, slide the slotted edge of the tool slowly between the panels and apply pressure with the palm of your free hand. The panels will snap into place.
Now, for the fence. I don't just save pieces of vinyl siding. I save receipts. It's better than trusting my memory. The receipt shows that my 4-foot-high fence was installed in the spring of 2000.
I called my contractor to purchase matching fencing. The damaged fence was about 7 feet long. I spent $15 for an 8-foot roll of vinyl-coated black chain- link fence.
Chain-link fencing is stretched between posts and held taut by tension bars and three or four straps at the end of each post. These straps, held in place by bolts, overlap the tension bars at each end.
Before removing the fencing, examine the pieces so you'll remember how to re.attach them. Loosen the bolts with a socket wrench, pull the tension bar from one post and remove the straps. Repeat the procedure at the other end. The fence will now be held in place only by tie wires on the top rail. Removing them releases the fence. Make sure you save the tie wires.
OK, now you're ready to attach one end of the new fence. Slide the tension bar between the fencing and tighten bolts so the straps won't slip. With one end attached, pull or roll the fencing along the top rail. For long sections, you may need to rent a fence-pulling tool, also called a "come-along." For my short run, hand-stretching was sufficient.
After attaching one end, unroll the new fencing and hand-stretch to the other post. Thread the tension bar at the other end, and loosely attach the top strap.
Once the proper length is determined, the surplus fencing must be removed from the roll. Chain-link fence is made from looped threads of wire, so to remove the unwanted portion, open the top and bottom ends of a looped strand and unthread it. Attach and tighten all remaining straps. Reattach the wire ties along the top rail to complete the installation.
Don't expect your kids to be impressed by your handiwork. Mine weren't.
No sooner had I finished than my son Matt showed up holding the remnants of a broken window screen. "Look at it this way," he said, "if we didn't break a few things around here, you wouldn't have nearly as much to write about."
Thanks, kids.
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