Q. What causes vinyl siding to not stay locked? Could it be a damaged piece somewhere, a crooked wall? Also how can i solve this problem.

A. You must be in a climate that has large temperature fluctuations over the course of the year. It is very likely that the installation took place during a cold or hot time of the year and the installer either pulled the siding too much with nails during hot season or did not pull enough during installation in cold season. Siding works all year, it expands and shrinks based on the temperature it is exposed to. Someone will need to remove a row or two of your siding where it unsnaps and compensate for it. Not a difficult process but unless you know how to unsnap siding in the middle of the wall and which way to move the pressure I would not do it yourself. Good Luck

Q. My house has old wood siding, which is in dire need of vinyl siding update. I was wondering if I should replace the windows. They are not as old as the house. Two of the windows don't even open. I was just wondering which I should do first or if one will have an effect on the other.

A. YES! If you have the opportunity to replace your windows, definitely do it before your new siding. You will get a much nicer outcome because they will be able to put all the new window trim on while doing the siding installation:) Newer windows have such a better insulation quality than they used to, so they will even partially pay for themselves. Some states offer energy saving credits also and you can get financial help, so you may want to check into that before starting your project:) Best of Luck! P.S. Be SURE that your siding installer has great references or you can waste a lot of money on materials and end up with a less than perfect job~Unfortunately that's what happened to me, I hired a guy that a "friend" recommended:(

Q. How much would siding cost me installed for my 1,100 sq ft home? I have the old original asbestos wavy siding on it from the 50's. I am wanting new siding on the house and any ideas on cost including installation i would apriciate it.

A. Get multiple estimates. I live in NJ and here it is about $5 per sq ft. So you are looking at about $5500. However soffit and fascia board are sold separately.Winter can be a good time for this work. Contractors want to keep there crews employed over the winter,may give you a good deal.

Q. We are having our back guest house renovated and resided and the contractor's guys have completed the siding and we see tons of nails exposed all over the new siding. We are unable to locate an official installation guide for Hardie Board siding online. We thought maybe paint will cover it up - but we are thinking it was installed completely wrong. We've brought this to the contractor's attention but have yet to receive a response from them so we are doing research on our own to get to the bottom of this. Any help is appreciated!!! Thanks for the help!

A. It depends, there are Hardie board sheets where the nail are exposed and painted over. There is also plank siding that is nailed along the top edge only, and the next layer covers the nails.

Q. My house's board siding is getting old. I have to re-paint it every 3 years. I am thinking if it is a good idea to install a vinyl siding, but do I have to pull off the old board sidings or can I install the vinyl siding on top of board siding? Some contractors say they have to pull off the old ones first, some says it is not necessary.

A. Yes, you can install vinyl siding over old siding, unless there's mold or other factors. Be sure the old stuff is securely fastened to the studs or underlayment, and pop chalk lines so you know where the studs are, for proper nailing off of the new siding.

Q. My window air conditioner dripped outside and left rust stains down our vinyl siding - I just tried power washing it with siding cleaner and I also used a Mr. Clean Magic eraser; neither worked all the way - it may be stained in to the siding. Any ideas of how to remove it or cover it? The siding is white. Thanks for any help!

A. I used CLR on my siding that was stained from untreated well water in the sprinklers. It also worked well on the masonary skirting below the siding.

Q. I wanted to know if anyone knew of any products or home remedies to clean vinyl siding. I have mold growing on it, however, I have outside animals that could potentially lick up something they aren't supposed to. Are there any pet safe ways to clean my vinyl siding?

A. The cleaner that you will probably want to use is a 50/50 blend of bleach and water. Cover the plants from the dripping which is minimum. Do my house and my pets have never bothered it. Spray on to soak with a hand pump sprayer, set for 2 or 3 mins scrub with soft brush and washed off with a pressure washer. But before you do that go to the VSI webpage and download or request an installation and/or maintenance manual.

Q. Anyone here work with wood siding? My house is circa 1916 and I will need to replace sections with new siding. So rare now to see redwood siding ! Am I going to have trouble matching the pattern for such an old house? If so, anyone know of sources for old siding? In SF Bay Area if that helps.

A. You may have to go to a lumber mill that still does different types of moldings and mill works to get the sideing duplicated. There are places that do this.