Leveling Siding And Soffit

mattp

When I side an old house I always start out leveling from the facsia back to the house on each end to start my F channel, then side up to it. Today after leveling back there was 2" differance in about a 16' span, so if I sided to that the siding would look very bad at the top If I change the soffit it looks way out of level. Does anyone know how to meet a happy meduim.

Bob Bridgewater

On a old house I allways like to find my lowest point on the building and refrence my start from there. I measure the point from my soffit or frize board down to were I wana put starter, and see what I have on the other end's and find the diffrence.
Level dont always matter sometimes on an old house, but how you meet up at the soffit is all that matters. and never mind about about the center of the wall ,all you wana do is meet up when it all comes together.
If your lucky you will have a chimney to meet up at to and that 2" will never be sean.
If it is so bad a drop, I have bent coil stock to match and look like that of the house the way it is with the hem bends for ridgidness and zip screw my starter if I cant hit wood.
Any of you old timers wana bash me for that, go ahead and when your done go check your self,,,,and shut up.
Old timer too

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Be safe out there folks

Scott736

I would start one side a 1/2 inch lower raise the other side 1/2 inch and as you run the siding up the wall make up the difference....I would not try to make it all up on the bottom of the house cause I would assume there are windows in the wall and a 2 inch difference would look bad....

mattp

Scott that's what I did. The only problem is the side of the house it's on is the front corner right were the driveway is. I can tell the soffit is 1/2" lower on one side and 1/2 higher on the other.

Scott736

I would leave the soffit level start the siding 1/2 inch lower on one side 1/2 higher on the other and I'm assuming your hanging vinyl....I would start pulling up on the side that needs to go up another 1/2 an inch and not pull up so much on the other side...I'd start doing that about half way up the wall should work.....

Tom R

Bob, - - I'm an 'old-timer', - - but I AGREE with everything you said . . .

Now what do I do??

Seriously, - - great advice, - - in actuality 'level' is what one wants for new construction, - - 'parallel' is what one wants for old work . . .

CHB70

I aggree with Bob find your lowest spot on the home, make some custom starter and you should have a common level line all the way around the house.

all vinyl

i agree you have to make the last Panel look good not perfect but good but you also have to measure down from your windows to make them straight three methods I use reverse Panel so the taper is at the bottom .( especially if it's only on one corner were house has settled ) plywood built down and larger starter made on break to give rigidity or in certain situations half Panel nailed to wall and starter ran straight .