talking with a sider today. he claim that when it comes to a Starter Strip,you can drive the nails in all the way. does'nt really need to expand and contract like a siding panel. i find that hard to believe but this guy swears by it. any truth to this?
Vinyl Siding-does this make any sense?
enforcer
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talking with a sider today. he claim that when it comes to a Starter Strip,you can drive the nails in all the way. does'nt really need to expand and contract like a siding panel. i find that hard to believe but this guy swears by it. any truth to this?
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I agree with that.
Most starters I use are aluminum. And any expansion or contraction you will experience will be on the first course of siding, not the starter.
So I see no harm in nailing it off tight.
Most starters I use are aluminum. And any expansion or contraction you will experience will be on the first course of siding, not the starter.
So I see no harm in nailing it off tight.
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I always hang the starter loose.
Vinyl starter will bind and buckle, aluminum may or may not, but hanging it loosely helps to float out irregularities in the framing.:thumbsup:
Vinyl starter will bind and buckle, aluminum may or may not, but hanging it loosely helps to float out irregularities in the framing.:thumbsup:
All materials expand and contract including starter strip made of vinyl, aluminum and steel.
However... Will you see it? Highly doubtful.
Did he "swear by it" because you saw him do it, asked about it and he had to explain himself to a doubter?
That would not be unusual now would it?
Its like catching a kid with his hand in a cookie jar. The story can get pretty outrageous but they stand their ground.
Nailing the starter strip tight makes it slightly easier to hang the first piece.
However... Will you see it? Highly doubtful.
Did he "swear by it" because you saw him do it, asked about it and he had to explain himself to a doubter?
That would not be unusual now would it?
Its like catching a kid with his hand in a cookie jar. The story can get pretty outrageous but they stand their ground.
Nailing the starter strip tight makes it slightly easier to hang the first piece.
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ive always nailed it tight and more frequently to prevent it shifting a round and going out of level for when im readyto put the first peice of siding up
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I don't think there is a right or wrong.
If it was vinyl starter, I would definitely give it some play - not as much as a strip of siding, though.
It all depends on the situation - if the wall is wavy and bowed, there is cause to not nail it home. On the other hand if the wall is dead straight, has a short run, etc. it might be best to hammer it tight to avoid it becoming unlevel, etc, etc.
Now if he told you he sends all the nails home on every piece of siding.....well I would run! :laughing:
If it was vinyl starter, I would definitely give it some play - not as much as a strip of siding, though.
It all depends on the situation - if the wall is wavy and bowed, there is cause to not nail it home. On the other hand if the wall is dead straight, has a short run, etc. it might be best to hammer it tight to avoid it becoming unlevel, etc, etc.
Now if he told you he sends all the nails home on every piece of siding.....well I would run! :laughing:
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i always nail it tight, low and 12''oc
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I do 12"s as well, but double nail, hi/lo, leaving it loose and checking for straight. I don't nail my corners or J tight either.:no:
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oh and metal only 3.5''or wider if i can get it, galvanized preferably,sometimes i angle cut the next piece so i can line the tops up perfectly
i never use the vinyl starter or vinyl soffit j,i'd bend my own
i never use the vinyl starter or vinyl soffit j,i'd bend my own
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It will in my opinion. I always leave some play between the pieces too.
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impulse stapler works great for starter:thumbsup:
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Find some metal starter..... Vinyl should be loose.
I nail it tight (like Tom:notworthy), and you can still tweak it to compensate for any irregularities...:thumbsup:
Honestly, the vinyl starter will expand/contract, but not as much as the panels themselves. They are thicker, and run w/reclaim materials...
I nail it tight (like Tom:notworthy), and you can still tweak it to compensate for any irregularities...:thumbsup:
Honestly, the vinyl starter will expand/contract, but not as much as the panels themselves. They are thicker, and run w/reclaim materials...
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i agree with you. a vinyl starter can expand and contract and i tell my guys never to nail too tightly. why take a chance,i am constantly looking for short cuts and if one of my guys start screwing around,i am on them heavy. not to mention(true story),i had a home owner walk around the house and watch my guys nail in the siding. he wanted to make sure they were'nt nailing too tightly. my guys knew he was watching but had no idea he was looking for that. luckily my workers care about what they do and know there is hell to pay if they deviate from my sytem which is called," do it right or go find another job".
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OK, you have to rub it in don't you Tom?:sad:
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just thought i'd throw it out there:laughing:
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buckling of vinyl from thermal expansion usually happens when the piece is end restricted,like when its too tight in between j channels,or like if you butted the starter together corner to corner,or something is not straight,unless you really mash the nail home at the nailing hem directly on to the sheathing,you won't see buckling from ''tightly'' nailing
Tom
just to play devils advocate for a minute. if you nail the vinyl starter in tightly,what do you say to the homeowner when he says:
"Tom,you nailed the starter tightly "
you would then say its ok and no a problem and that you were doing this for 30 years.
the homeowner then says" Tom,then why would a manufacturer have a nail slot in the starter enabling it to expand and contract. if it was'nt a big deal,there would be no wide nail slot to allow for expansion and contraction"?
just to play devils advocate for a minute. if you nail the vinyl starter in tightly,what do you say to the homeowner when he says:
"Tom,you nailed the starter tightly "
you would then say its ok and no a problem and that you were doing this for 30 years.
the homeowner then says" Tom,then why would a manufacturer have a nail slot in the starter enabling it to expand and contract. if it was'nt a big deal,there would be no wide nail slot to allow for expansion and contraction"?
My answer is trust me, I do know what I am doing.
Shoot, I have nailed corners tight and never had a single problem. They have elongated holes also.
Someone, Tom I believe already pointed out that the problem is when a piece is between J channel and has no room to expand, when you have the problem.
I as a rule don't nail it so tight it won't ever move, but tight enough that it doesn't move easily, and have never had a problem. I have been banging it up since 1979, and have never had a homeowner question me about starter. I think if they do, you are in for problems.
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