What Causes Vinyl Siding to Buckle?
Vinyl siding is a common exterior used on homes because it requires less maintenance than wood. This low-maintenance material is easy to install and periodically needs cleaning. Warped or buckled vinyl siding cannot be repaired because once it is warped it will continue to hold that shape. The warping can be caused by a few problems and once a section is warped, that section needs replacement. Does this Spark an idea?
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Painted
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A common cause of warped or buckled vinyl siding is repainting the original vinyl siding. The use of a darker color paint than the original color of the vinyl siding causes the siding to warp in different places. Dark color retains heat from the sun causing the temperature of the vinyl to rise and buckle because of the intense temperature. This intense temperature makes the vinyl expand and once the vinyl siding expands it cannot return to its original shape creating a warp in the siding. A homeowner that wants to repaint vinyl siding needs to use a color that is slightly darker than the original or use the original color.
Inproper Installation
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Improper installation of vinyl siding causes it to warp or buckle. Vinyl siding that has been nailed too tightly will begin to buckle in a short time. The siding does not have enough room to move with the changing climate. The siding can move a 1/4" from side-to-side when nailed properly. The nails should not be driven through the vinyl siding. The vinyl siding has nail holes located at the top of each piece and run the length of the siding.
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Old Vinyl Siding
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Over time the vinyl siding will begin to warp because it is old. Weather conditions cause vinyl siding to expand and contract throughout the year depending on the temperature. It is like continually stretching a rubber band, after stretching the rubber band so many times, the rubber band does not contract back to its regular shape. The vinyl siding does the same thing, when the siding does not contract to its original shape it will begin to warp or buckle.
Extreme Conditions
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Extreme weather conditions can also cause the vinyl siding to warp or buckle. Vinyl siding that is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for a long period of time can become brittle and warp. The same is true for extremely hot temperatures. Even though this is rare, prolonged weather conditions can damage the siding and cause the siding to warp in place. Cold temperatures causes vinyl siding to contract, while hot temperatures cause vinyl siding to expand. Vinyl siding that remains in a contracted or expanded condition for long periods of time will not go back to its original shape creating a warp or buckle.
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References
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