How to Repair Vinyl Siding Holes and Cracks. Perfect and Undetectable.
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- www.fixitforge... As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you don't want to watch the tool talk fast forward from minute marker 3:25 to the 12:00 minute marker. PLEASE NOTE: Apparently Bondo All-purpose Putty is no longer available. I haven't personally used J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty but I have seen a couple of reviews that say it is similar to, and works as well as, Bondo All-purpose Putty. The J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty doesn't say it can be used on plastic but I saw an Amazon review where the guy said he used it to repair his vinyl siding. You can get the J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty here amzn.to/4cmXYlN
When it comes to vinyl siding repair you have a choice between simply plugging the hole or doing a flawless repair that looks like nothing ever happened to your siding. This is how I did a durable (undetectable) vinyl siding repair. This repair method is inexpensive and easy to do. Visit our website, www.fixitforge..., for more DIY projects.
Be sure to use Bondo All-Purpose Putty instead of the regular automotive Bondo. The regular automotive Bondo is more brittle and may crack or break loose from the vinyl siding. For the paint, I used Home Depot's BEHR Premium Plus Mate Finish Lifetime Warranty Exterior Paint. Ask them to make you a 7-ounce custom color sample to match your siding. That will cost about 5 dollars instead of paying 28 to 38 dollars for a custom-blended gallon of paint. Be sure to get flat paint instead of eggshell or semi-gloss.
This is Video 2 of 3 (How to do a durable, undetectable, vinyl siding repair). Videos 1 & 2 will be about Weatherables vinyl post and railing installation and they will be uploaded at a later date.
Visit our website, www.fixitforge..., for more DIY projects.
SONG: Acoustic Meditation 2, ARTIST: Audionautix, LICENSES: UA-cam Audio Library.
Here are some affiliate links to the products mentioned in the video. Thanks for stopping by.
Bondo All-Purpose Putty is no longer available. Use J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty instead.
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I am a new home owner and trying to figure out how to maintain/fix up my new place as I go along. I have been putting off patching my vinyl siding because it felt like I wasn't going to be able to find a process that was simple for someone who doesn't typically do handy work and I felt like every fix I saw online wasn't that permanent (the patch kits, haha).
You killed two birds with one stone for me by putting up this video. It means the world that you explained this so thoroughly and in a way that anyone could follow along. I now feel empowered to take on this project and at the same time, I feel like I'm making a long term positive impact on my home. Thank you endlessly!
Hi, Rachel. I appreciate your kind feedback so much. I'm glad this helped. Good luck with your repair and your new home.
I have been looking everywhere for this repair. Thank you so much. I will be using this method to repair several holes in my vinyl siding. Once again, thank you very much.
My pleasure, Robert. Good luck with your repair.
Just completed a repair of about 30 holes in my vinyl siding using this method today. Your tips and attention to detail had my project turn out absolutely perfectly. So much better than the tape junk that is out there for repair.
Thanks for the feedback, Matt. I love it when someone follows these instructions and saves their vinyl siding. I know how disappointing it is when your siding gets damaged and it's a great feeling when you can Fix-It-And-Forget-It.
Can I fix 3 in Circle Hole with this process
I looked all over trying to find a solution for vinyl repair. Finally a solution where it doesn’t involve throwing “tape” over the holes! Thanks so much for taking the time to post this info, most appreciated!!
My pleasure, Blayn. Thanks for your kind comment and good luck with your repair.
Just a fyi, not long after using your method to make smaller repairs I ran into a repair which required much more filler than I wanted to deal with (racing to fill before hardening). I found this product to be very helpful for large amounts of small repairs in a particular area www.google.com/search?q=dap+platinum+patch&client=safari&channel=iphone_bm&sxsrf=APwXEddXJWPPJ_2sFvDu-LkEVIhyPSyKBw%3A1684259931063&ei=W8RjZO6wA5q3qtsP0u6S6A8&oq=dap+platinum+patch&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyCggAEEcQ1gQQsAMyCggAEEcQ1gQQsAMyCggAEEcQ1gQQsAMyCggAEEcQ1gQQsAMyCggAEEcQ1gQQsAMyCggAEEcQ1gQQsAMyCggAEEcQ1gQQsAMyCggAEEcQ1gQQsAMyCggAEIoFELADEEMyCggAEIoFELADEEMyCggAEIoFELADEEMyFQguEIoFEMcBENEDEMgDELADEEMYATIVCC4QigUQxwEQ0QMQyAMQsAMQQxgBSgQIQRgAUABYAGC-P2gBcAB4AIABpgGIAaYBkgEDMC4xmAEAyAENwAEB2gEECAEYCA&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp
I agree with you. I tried doing something like this with Flex seal. I put it on over the hole. The larger areas I took a toothpick for the woodgrain effect and then sanded
the edges and painted. It worked because I couldn't find anything on this anywhere. Thank you...and you have a very captivating voice.
Hi Kelly. Thank you so much for your kind words. Good for you for figuring out a way to fix your vinyl siding. The Bondo All-Purpose Putty seems to be the "Goldielocks" compound for repairing vinyl siding. It's not too soft and it's not too hard. It's just right. It is soft enough to trace the wood grain into and stay a bit flexible over time and hard enough to be sanded and hold up long term. I have several repairs that are over 10 years old and still going strong. I have had a couple repairs loosen a bit over time but they are a fast and easy fix. Just repeat the original steps and you're done. 98% of them never loosen even under the pressure of power washing. Thanks again for stopping by.
I bet the flex seal was easy to sand and groove to match the grain 🤔 would love to know as the bondo would not be in my league to work with. Thanks in advance
This is the Bob Ross of vinyl repair, thank you sir
Thank you for your kind words roblefreefall. I have used this repair method many times and it really works well. Thanks again.
Well said!!
Happy little mistakes.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
This was awesome. This is the best-detailed plan of attack on vinyl-siding repair. A lot of other videos just tell you to replace the siding. If you have robin-blue siding, you are not going to find replacement siding for it. No one wants to make that color anymore! This video really helps with patching holes from 20 years of baseballs, footballs and wear and tear.
Hi, AP. Thank you for your kind comment.
I have had vinyl siding for a number of years, and this is by far the best method I have used. I live in Minnesota so we do get the wide range of temps. And the Bondo has stood up to them. One variation I really like to use is carefully removing the excess material with a razor blade shortly after it sets. I then use a Dremel with a wire wheel to smooth it out further and in so doing, also provides details similar to that of the siding itself. Apply the paint and you are done. This is a very fast method and with the matched paint I challenge you to find the repaired area.
Thanks for the great feedback and cool tips, Kenneth. I live in a climate similar to yours. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I have many of these repairs in my vinyl siding and they look great and hold up extremely well. Once in a while, one will work its way loose but that's no big deal. It is a simple "rinse and repeat" to fix it. I like the fact that I can fix it myself and don't need to call out an expensive repair company to do a high-priced second-rate repair. Thanks again for your real comment.
I too have found it's better to do it myself and get it right. Than to pay for like you say high price second rate repairs from companies.
I Have to agree. Figured I'd Add A Few More Tips. 1- drill a small hole and apply expanding foam behind big pieces to stabilize. 2- I noticed you need to run a bead of Silicone near the concrete, next to the bottom and siding so moisture doesn't damage your slab, it will "Wick" into the gap by capillary action. Great video Sir! 🙃😉👍
So expanding foam should go in bigger holes before putty? Help🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
I’ve contemplated using expanding foam on my big holes. Too much and I’m sure it would push the siding from the house.
Can’t wait to use this process - thanks y’all!
Just adding my appreciation for your generosity in showing all the details of this seemingly impossible repair. I could've never figured this out and will follow step-by-step. Wow! And thanks!
Hi Nancy. Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope your repair turns out great.
What an unbelievably precise, informative and intelligent video! I admire your perfectionism. Beautiful work! Thank you so much! This is a huge problem with vinyl siding.
Hi Leslie. Thank you so much for those amazingly kind words. It is nice when we can help each other do our own projects and save some money in the process. Thanks for stopping by.
Brilliant! Thank you for posting this. I'm a bit ticked, after the Amazon delivery driver rang my bell, I noticed a very noticeable hole in my siding a couple of inches below the bell; he must have had something else in his hand when he rang that did the damage. All I could find were instructions on how to replace damaged sections - apparently many people don't know the difference between a repair and replacement. My siding is older and faded, so replacing small sections wouldn't look good. I appreciate you taking the time to figure this out and sharing it. Your demonstration technique is thorough, calm and detailed too which leaves no questions on how to make your siding look good again.
Thanks for your kind words Glitter Bomb Girl. You described perfectly the reasons why I set out to find an answer to the age-old question of how to do an invisible repair of vinyl siding. I have done many of these over a period of many years and they hold up very well and they look great if you follow the instructions. Thanks again.
Well, to be fair, as a siding guy, I've never met a single person in the industry who "repairs" vinyl siding. I'd imagine it comes down to why bother, sort of thing. In cases like you described I would generally take a small piece from around back, or behind a bush, and put the new piece there. Using old, faded piece in spot of needed repair. But yeah, that's always been an issue with vinyl. Cheap and fantastic to clean but once it gets over that.... 12-15 year hump. Depending on weather exposure, it gets fairly brittle and becomes a maintenance pain repairing pieces. I always try to leave my customers with spare pieces and even tell them to keep one piece outdoors behind the shed or whatever so it'll fade with the other materials. Fix it/Forget it says they hold up 10 years, I'll believe him but I'm surprised. I'd imagine in Florida they'd crack in the expansion and contraction. Or from UV from the Sun. I have no experience with Bondo so what do I know though.
I have a number if holes in my vinyl fence from years of playing catch with my boys. I’m going to try this technique on my fencing. Thank you for taking the time create and post this video.
My pleasure, Renee. That's why I made this video. I wanted to help people be able to save their damaged vinyl because it is so expensive to replace. I was looking at some repairs that I did many years ago and they still look great. Most of them never feed to be touched again. I have had a couple, out of probably 20 repairs, work lose. No big deal though. I simply repeat the same process and in no time they look as good as new. It really has saved me a ton of money. Thank you for your kind comment.
Holy cow. Your attention to detail in making this video is phenomenal. Thank you!
Hi, littlehapagirl. Thank you for your kind comment.
Love the detailed instructions and descriptions, and all the tips and tricks! How generous of you to share with the rest of us! Thank you!!
Hi Susan. Thank you so much for your kind comment. One of the nice things about the Internet is the way we can all help each other.
Oh thank you for the help...I have a few spots that need some attention and you brought this product back to my mind to use in filling those holes.
My pleasure, Kathy. Good luck with your repair.
You could have stopped after sanding the area and painted, but adding the wood grain was A+ glad to see someone not cut any corners
Thank you for your kind words, MrFonz.
You appreciate ME stopping by????
THANK YOU John!!!!
My pleasure, Michael. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks so much! I have been looking for instructions on how to do this. Very good presentation. You explained how to do it, you showed how to do it and then you showed it in the finished state. Terrific!
Hi, Barbara. Thank you for your kind feedback. It makes my day when someone is able to save their damaged vinyl siding and save some money in the process by watching this video. I appreciate your comment.
Great job fixing this. Lots of patience and diligence 👍
Hi, Shania. Thank you so much for your kind words.
@@Fixitforgetity 22:14 22:18 😊
Wow, Excellent Job!! Can't even tell there were holes there!! Great Tip, Thank you so much!
My pleasure, RA. Thank you for your kind feedback.
Great tutorial! Gave this widow the confidence to mend the screw holes in my siding! Thanks for your help!
Thanks, Mary. Good luck with your repair.
Going to try this on my vinal trailer skirting. I think it'll greatly help the small holes and cracks. Thank you very much for your tutorial.
My pleasure, Z. Good luck with your repair.
Wow. Keep posting videos! You clearly know what you’re doing. Love the Bob Ross comment...”now paint real light with the brush...”. 😂
Hi David. Thanks so much for your kind comment. I really appreciate it. I will be posting more videos over time. Here are some of the upcoming videos we’re working on.
How to install USA Vinyl’s Weatherables vinyl porch posts.
How to install USA Vinyl’s Weatherables vinyl porch handrails.
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Thank you sooooo much for making this video!! I too tried to find a repair video for this (about 3 years ago). The holes have stayed in my siding since then, because i was stumped! I have hope now!!! Thank youuuu.
My pleasure, accessmusic. This has saved me a lot of money and served me well. I have several repairs that are over 10 years old and still look great. Perhaps one out of 15 repairs may break away but no big deal. I simply do a "rinse and repeat" repair and all is good again. Good luck with your repair.
Wow thank you for the information. the previous owner had neglected the house so had holes and broken areas. I asked a siding company about patching and was told the patch would cause more cracking so just live with it or replace everything. I knew there had to be a way to fix it. Thank you again.
My pleasure, Paul. Good luck with your repair.
Good point about the soft type brush.
I've used epoxy because I'm Minnesota we get more extreme temperatures and expansion and contraction.
Thanks for your feedback and tips Minnesnowta.
Used it and it worked on the hole in the siding that was about 1"x1½". Thank you.
Hi, Z. That's great news. Thanks for the feedback.
It turned out very nice. I would have liked to see the work as it was being done.
Thanks, MrJcampe9434. Unfortunately, I didn't have anyone to film me and I was very sick when I was filming this. I had a big job ahead of me repairing the vinyl siding, installing vinyl posts, and installing vinyl railing. It was extremely hot that summer and it was a bit taxing for me to video what I did. I knew it was something that would help a lot of people so I went ahead and did the best I could under the circumstances. Most of the stuff, sanding, painting, etc., the majority of people already know how to do. I gave them the information they would not have so they could fill in the rest with their current know-how. Thanks for your comment.
Excellent exactly what I was looking for.
You explain everything clearly and with great detail.
Thank you for posting this video. Very helpful!!
Thanks for your kind comment, C Smith. Good luck with your repair.
awesome video - I used the same bond for many projects - would never have thought it would fix vinyl siding.
Hi Joseph. Since you have used All-purpose Putty you know how versatile it is. Thanks so much for your nice comment.
Great tutorial! I've tried to imagine ways to do this with vinyl siding. It looks like you've really perfected it.
Hi, Glenn. Thanks for your kind words. It really works well.
This is exactly what I needed. Hail damage on my vinyl siding. The roofers used most of the money for the roof and was supposed to get what I needed to replace the damaged siding. They strung me along for 6 months before finally admitting they weren't going to also do my siding. Long story short, when all was said and done, the insurance company only allowed 5,000 for my siding. Can't replace the damaged parts because it won't match from fading. I hadn't even cashed the check because I didn't know what to do. I just got a new estimate for siding and they want 25,000. I actually like the color and it's only 8 years old. Well I need to sell my house and it would never sell in this market with holes. With this fix, I can repair it perfectly and put it on the market. And I guess put that 5,000 towards other things needed to sell.
Hi, Kelly. I'm so sorry you have had to go through such a trying time. Many of us know what it's like to get yanked around and cheated. Good luck with your repair.
The first thing you need for pvc siding is a quart of perfectly color matched paint. I have a quart for mine in the shop. It is Gliddens primer exterior latex that I color matched at Walmart. I would use JBWeld to fill in a crack or hole and then clean the siding and paint it.
Good to hear your ideas, John. Good luck with your repair.
Great video, I love the way you detail and explain every step and the tools!
Thank you so much for your kind words.
Thank you!!! Planning on selling my house soon, and I will definitely use this method to fix a couple holes in the siding.
You're very welcome, Jan. I hope your repair is perfect and helps sell your house.
I used your technique to fill four cracks/holes in my vinyl siding. Thank you!
That's wonderful Brian. You learned a new technique and took action. I'm so glad it worked for you and I truly appreciate the feedback. The goal of this video is to help people get their damaged vinyl siding back to like-new condition. Thanks so much for a job well done.
You did a beautiful job and made the repairs virtually disappear. I was hoping you would show the big crack when it was finished. Thanks for this
Hi, Paula. Thank you for your kind comment. If you click the link below you will see the finished repair of the big crack and the other smaller holes that were on the left side of our porch. Thanks for stopping by. ua-cam.com/video/ShZi5mwbZXg/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared&t=1548
Thank you for sharing the information. Hopefully we can repair the damage in the siding.
My pleasure, Eth C. Good luck with your repair.
Thank you! Now I’m off to get some bondo and a soft brush.
My pleasure, Lox. Please be sure to get the "All-Purpose Putty" instead of the regular Bondo. Good luck with your repair.
I love the detailed explanation and attention to detail in your video. I have a long 4 inch crack in my vinyl siding approximately 8 ft. high on a 16 ft. outside wall. After using the Dremel tool to cut along the crack I am wondering if I need to fill in behind the crack before I put the Bondo Putty on the crack? I'm afraid of further cracking when I press on the sander to flatten the putty. Finally, since i have a 4 inch crack, how wide/thick do i put on the putty? I hope you will be able to respond to my questions as I see the last response was over a year old. Thank you!
Hi, Tom. Thanks for your kind comment. If you sort the comments by "newest first" you will see much more recent comments.
If you have a larger crack you may want to check out the video at 20 minutes in. You will see how I repaired a fairly large crack. ua-cam.com/video/ShZi5mwbZXg/v-deo.html
For a crack as large as you have I would backfill the hole with DAP Alex Painter's Acrylic Latex Caulk amzn.to/3jCuneN . I like the Acrylic Latex Caulk without silicone or any other additives. It doesn't expand or contract much, can be used indoors or out, and cleans up easily. Aim your caulking gun at an angle and squeeze some back behind the vinyl siding all along the crack and continue to backfill the entire hole but do not fill it all the way up until it is even with the siding. Keep it about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the hole in the siding. All you are doing is making a base for the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Let the Painter's Caulk set up for at least 24 hours so it is good and hard. This caulking doesn't expand or shrink much and should be a good base for the putty.
After the Painter's caulk has completely set up you can fill the rest of the hole in with a top coat of the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. You will have to work fast because this stuff has a very short open time of about a minute or less. I would have a small putty knife ready to immediately pull the mixed putty off the mixing cardboard and work it into the remaining hole. It won't matter if you get a little extra putty buildup around the hole to make sure it is all filled in because the putty is easy to sand down. I would fill the crack in and overlap the crack about 1/8th of an inch on each side. With the 1/8th inch opened crack you will have about 3/8th to 1/2" of putty skim coat over the width of the crack. After sanding trace in your wood grain lines with the dental tarter pick, clean it with denatured alcohol, and paint it. I hope that all makes sense and good luck with your repair.
Thank you I have a hole in my vinyl white siding due to a rock thrown out from mower landscaping yard. Information will help me with the hole I have.
My pleasure, Scottie. Good luck with your repair.
Very nice repair. I was also looking for a compound to repair my concrete statues and "Bondo" came up again. When I was a kid (6 decades ago), all I used Bondo for was to repair my old, rusty, dented cars.... lol.
Thanks for your kind words, Golden Retriever. You might be able to use the Bondo All-purpose Putty to repair concrete statues. The color may be a bit off and I'm not sure how it would hold. I have used "Hydraulic Cement" to repair concrete birdbaths and edges of cement steps with good success. You may want to brush on a cement primer before applying the concrete patch. It is a milky-looking thin liquid that really helps patches stick to concrete. I will see if I can find the one I used and link it here. Good luck with your repair.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with me, just moved into a house with vinyl siding and it looks like someone had a good time knocking holes in the house. I rent but I'm embarrassed about the hole's and I was looking for a quick cheap fix. The owner should have repair this but that would be too much like the right thing to do and rent is not cheap here, and I will refresh the whole house with paint because I care about where I live.
Hi Arnice. You are very welcome. Your landlord is lucky to have such an honorable Tennant. I felt I needed to figure this out because I developed several holes in my vinyl siding and the company I bought it from went out of business. Even if they hadn't new siding wouldn't match after all of these years of my siding fading. I hope it works as well for you as it did for me. Good luck.
Your landlord hasn't seen this video so he didn't know how to fix it.
The next renter may come along and put his barbecue setup too close to the house and melt the vinyl siding. I've seen renters do that. You can't know before hand if you've got a respectful tenant or not.
You are the exception to the rule.
Very useful and very much detail oriented. Thanks for your hard work making the video.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Rahul. I am glad this video is helping people.
Excellent presentation and the answer to my problems. Thank you!
Thanks for your kind words, Donald.
Great video. Im going to see if i can fix my friends siding. Its about an inch in diameter but sounds like Bondo is the stuff to use.
Thanks, Linda. If you have a larger hole I would backfill the hole with DAP Alex Painter's Acrylic Latex Caulk (18065) amzn.to/3jCuneN . I like the Acrylic Latex Caulk without silicone or any other additives. It can be used indoors or out and cleans up easily. Aim your caulking gun at an angle and squeeze some back behind the vinyl siding all around the perimeter of the hole and continue to backfill the entire hole but do not fill it all the way up until it is even with the siding. Keep it about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the hole in the siding. All you are doing is making a base for the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Let the Painter's Caulk set up for at least 24 hours so it is good and hard. This caulking doesn't expand or shrink much and should be a good base for the putty.
After the Painter's caulk has completely set up you can fill the rest of the hole in with a top coat of the Bondo All-Purpose Putty amzn.to/2UK93ZV . You will have to work fast because this stuff has a very short open time of about a minute or less. I would have a small putty knife ready to immediately pull the mixed putty off the mixing cardboard and work it into the remaining hole. It won't matter if you have to work fast and get a little extra putty buildup on the hole to make sure it is all filled in because the putty is easy to sand down. After sanding, trace in your wood grain lines with the dental tarter pick, clean it with denatured alcohol, and paint it. I hope that all makes sense and good luck with your repair.
@@Fixitforgetit okay going to the hardware store and ill pick that up. Should i also use the bondo stuff or just try the caulk?
@@lindarebstock8422 Hi again. This is the most important secret to a successful vinyl siding repair. You must use Bondo All-Purpose Putty amzn.to/2UK93ZV . You can get it wherever you like but it is important that you don't use regular auto-body Bondo or caulking or anything like that. It needs to be Bondo All-Purpose putty. It is easy to sand and trace the wood grain lines into and it holds up extremely well for a long-term repair. I have seen people try many other products and they just don't seem to work very well and won't last. The only problem is the All-Purpose putty sets up very fast so you only have about a minute to apply it after you mix the resin and hardener together. Good luck with your repair.
@@Fixitforgetit Thank you fr that information. 👍
@@lindarebstock8422 My pleasure, Linda. Good luck.
It’s wild, I watched and commented on thus 2 years ago, and couldn’t resist watching again, lol
Hi, Jerry. Thanks for stopping by and commenting again.
This is exactly the how-to video I needed, thank you. Just need to know if I can use the toothpaste sized tube of 'Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty' instead of the bigger container of 'Bondo All-Purpose Putty'? The tube is 4.5 oz and would be all I need for a small hole but is it the same as what is inside the bigger container you are using? Would appreciate your advice before proceeding.
Thanks for your kind words, G. D. I am not familiar with the product you want to use so I can't comment on it. If I were doing a project this important and weren't sure how a different product would perform I would spend the $12.55 for a quart of Bondo All-Purpose putty. It has the perfect consistency and long-term performance needed for vinyl siding repairs. I also like having some on hand because I use it frequently for various repairs around the house. Good luck with your repair.
@@Fixitforgetit Thanks, I will get the All-Purpose as you recommended. Don't need a lot for the job I'll be doing but if sealed up tight afterwards, maybe it will have a decent shelf life so I can use again when needed.
@@daisyl12 I think you are wise. As for the shelf life I have had a can around for 8 years or so and it is in perfect condition. If you can keep it in an air-conditioned environment and keep it sealed it should have a great shelf life. If it sets a year or two without being used you may need to stir a small amount of clear fliud that tends to separate from the gray putty with a screwdriver but then it is fine.
Great video. Thanks for spending your time to help others!
My pleasure, Brett. Thanks for your kind comment.
6.13.22 Very nice repair video. Thanks for making it.
Thanks for your kind words, Chuck.
I will try your repair method. Your repair looks great. Thanks for the how to video.
Thanks for the kind comment, Richard. I hope it works for you too.
I appreciated discovering this video series. thank you for tips and the detail..
My pleasure, Daniel. Thank you for your kind feedback.
I can’t find Bondo All-Purpose putty in Canada. Would you have any alternatives? This video is well-explained and detailed. You are a perfectionist like me!
Hi, D Donaghue. Thank you for your kind comment. You may want to try J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty - Quart - Home Exterior & Interior.
bit.ly/3xxELPN . Please note that I have never used it so I can't vouch for its ease of use, durability, or longevity. From what I can see it looks very similar to Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Good luck with your repair.
Use your hardener depending on the size of the Bondo you're working with and especially the TEMPERATURE outside.
Temp has a direct effect on how quickly it dries. It doesn't take alot of hardener to to cure the mixture so use a "pea size"
for most smaller applications and mix it well before applying. It will work fine and you'll have more time to work with the putty
while applying it. If it's cool out, use more hardener and if it's hot out use less.
Good point, Gadsdon Flag. I usually use as little as possible. I never use as much as they recommend as this stuff sets up really fast.
Pea to a golf ball sizes works great for those small jobs. For the uninitiated to body and fender work remember this. Do each one one at a time or two at most when laying the bondo on the holes.
Thanks for the tip, Gadson Flag. I totally agree that less is good when it comes to hardener.
@@drizler True. I can usually get about two small holes done before the putty starts hardening. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for making this. I've been looking for an alternative to caulk for filling small holes in my white siding. The caulk always looks bad. I'm going to try this next. Seems like a great solution.
My pleasure Joe. I tried other methods before coming up with this fix and this, by far, is the best repair I have found for vinyl siding. I don't simply want to plug the hole. I want it to look like nothing ever happened to the vinyl siding. I have repairs that are more than 10 years old that still look great. I power wash them and have been surprised that the paint hasn't peeled off and the patch never cracks or fails in any way. I keep the wand about 4 feet away and have it on the fanned out setting but that's how I wash the rest of the vinyl anyway. Thanks for stopping by and I hope this method works as well for you as it has for me.
Great repair. I am going to try it. Thank you much.
Thanks, Cynthia. One of my subscribers said he repaired about 30 holes in his vinyl siding with this method and it turned out great. It has worked well for me for many years. Good luck with your repair.
Great idea, QUESTION; I used to do body work, can you use less hardener to give more work time, I know it’s a fine line between enough to harden it and too much so it hardens too fast, just curious what your thoughts are
Hi, Jerry. You are on the same page I am. I never use the recommended amount of hardener. I have used a pea-size squeeze of hardener in a 1" diameter by 1/4" thick blob of All-Purpose Putty and it still seems to set up quite fast. That's the only bad thing about this stuff is the setup time. Other than that I love it and use it on many home repairs. Thanks for your question.
Having sold vinyl siding with 4 different wholesale distributors for over 25 years I have the luxury of looking at most vinyl siding and knowing who manufactured and if it’s still available. So for me it’s just seems easier to replace the damaged pieces rather than repair them, however I’m sure this is helpful to some folks. Outside corner posts are sometimes the most difficult to match and repair, it seems they get damaged more than the siding itself, and they also come in 3”, 3.5” and 4” some with a raised lip on the edge and some totally flat. The 3.5”s are very difficult to find.
You're lucky to have that background, Michael. I have repaired several holes in one of my outside corner posts. It turned out great. Thanks for your input.
Slick move with the sand paper 👍👍
Thanks, Jake.
This is so helpful! I do have a question, what if you have a considerable sized hole, a few inches in diameter, i don't think I can find a match to replace it and I'd like to try this repair, I'm just concerned with building it up. Do you need fiba tape or something like it? Or should I just keep using small amounts of Bondo until It's filled?
Thanks, Heather. If you have a larger hole I would backfill the hole with DAP Alex Painter's Acrylic Latex Caulk (18065) amzn.to/3jCuneN . I like the Acrylic Latex Caulk without silicone or any other additives. It can be used indoors or out and cleans up easily. Aim your caulking gun at an angle and squeeze some back behind the vinyl siding all around the perimeter of the hole and continue to backfill the entire hole but do not fill it all the way up until it is even with the siding. Keep it about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the hole in the siding. All you are doing is making a base for the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Let the Painter's Caulk set up for at least 24 hours so it is good and hard. This caulking doesn't expand or shrink much and should be a good base for the putty.
After the Painter's caulk has completely set up you can fill the rest of the hole in with a top coat of the Bondo All-Purpose Putty amzn.to/2UK93ZV . You will have to work fast because this stuff has a very short open time of about a minute or less. I would have a small putty knife ready to immediately pull the mixed putty off the mixing cardboard and work it into the remaining hole. It won't matter if you have to work fast and get a little extra putty buildup on the hole to make sure it is all filled in because the putty is easy to sand down. After sanding, trace in your wood grain lines with the dental tarter pick, clean it with denatured alcohol, and paint it. I hope that all makes sense and good luck with your repair.
@@Fixitforgetit Thank you so much, especially for your quick response!
@@heathernvisser My pleasure. Good luck with your repair.
2 questions..how long do you wait after applying the patch do you start sanding the puddy down, and how long do you wait before you etch the "woodgrain" seems that it would hard
Hi, scoobyspiece. The Bondo All-Purpose putty instructions say you can sand in 15 minutes. I don't do that. I usually wait 24 hours before I sand and trace in the wood grain lines. You could probably do it safely after 4 hours but I like to be sure it is fully set up. Remember to use medium pressure when tracing the lines because too much pressure will pierce through the putty. Once you are done you should have a long-term repair. I have numerous repairs that are over 10 years old. Now and then (rarely) one will break away but it is fast and easy to repair it. Good luck with your repair.
Thanks for the great video. I have not seen a better how-to-video. One question: I have a hole in my siding about the size of a quarter with a hairline crack about a 3/8 inch on one side. Can you give me any advice on how to handle the hairline crack?
Thanks for your kind comment, Paul. If you have a crack you may want to check out the video at 20 minutes in. You will see how I repaired a fairly large crack. If your crack is smaller you probably won't need to backfill it. Good luck with your repair. ua-cam.com/video/ShZi5mwbZXg/v-deo.html
Hi there, your video is very informative and professional. I've a few questions regarding to the repairs 1) How does the putty hold up to cold weather (-30C)?
2) It's hard to tell where the repairs are done, is it possible to see the difference between old siding and new paint in real time?
Thanks again!
Hi Leo. Thank you for your kind words. In my state, it can easily get to 20 below zero Fahrenheit and 30 or more below with the wind chill factored in. In the summer it can go up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. On rare occasions, one of the repairs will break loose but it has only happened to a couple out of perhaps 30 repairs I have done over the past 25 years. All I do is a quick fix of the loosened repair and it is no big deal. I actually have a hard time finding the repairs after they are done and I know where they are. If I asked you to locate 5 repairs on the left or right side of my porch you probably couldn't find them. They are absolutely unnoticeable to anyone not looking for them.
Having said all of that I can't account for anyone else's skill level in doing one of these repairs. On the other hand, it isn't rocket science. The other thing that comes into play is the skill of the custom paint blender at Home Depot. I am actually stunned at what an excellent job they did on my paint match. It is spot on. I was really pleased with how well the paint matched when it dried. Just make sure you get flat paint and "feather" your strokes from the center out while pulling the brush up and away as you stroke outward off the edges of the repair as I demonstrate in the video.
Even if they get your paint match 98% of the way there I think the repair would be very acceptable and well worth doing. It surely would look better than patching in a new sheet of vinyl siding on an 18 or 28-year-old faded wall of vinyl siding. That's even if you could still find the same vinyl siding in the same color as your existing siding. In my case, the company that made my siding went out of business. Thus, I was forced to come up with this repair method. Thanks for stopping by and good luck with your repair.
Thanks John! I love to save money and do repairs myself if I can and this video was just what I needed to see. :)
Hi Talaya. You are welcome. Good luck with your repair.
Very good instructions! For me, one of the main things is getting a paint that matches! Sometimes hard to match!
Thanks, Okie-Tom. Home Depot does a great job matching the paint. Be sure to have them mix you up a little 7-ounce custom flat finish paint sample and it will only be a few dollars instead of 35 0r 40 bucks for a gallon of custom paint. Good luck with your repair.
Thanks for sharing sir. Great info.
Many success in future projects.
My pleasure, watmah. Thank you for your kind words.
Thank you so much for making this video. Much needed information!
My pleasure, J S. Thanks for stopping by.
Exactly the tutorial I needed! Thank you so much for sharing your mastered technique! I have been struggling for months trying to find an inexpensive solution to the dings in my vinyl siding.
Looking forward to doing this myself because of your highly detailed video.
Thank you so much!!
Hi, Ryan. I appreciate your kind words. This method saved my vinyl siding and it should work for you too. It isn't too hard or expensive and I wish you luck with your repair.
Very detailed and professional - very helpful. Thanks.
Hi Tom. Thank you for your kind comment. My hope is that this video will help a lot of people fix their damaged vinyl siding and save some money at the same time.
Super attention to detail. Those lil sample paints only come in satin finish which is fine. Gonna try this. Houston here. 2024
Thanks for your kind words, doghairdontcarelindanie. Good luck with your repair.
Are you in an area that get below zero in the winter? How much backfill into the crack would you suggest? 🙏
Hi Teresa. I am in an area that gets well below zero degrees and sometimes stays there for days on end. That doesn't seem to affect the repairs at all. I haven't applied any backfill to speak of even though I had planned to on the larger crack I repaired. I simply pushed as much putty into the opened (about 1/8" wide) crack as I could and kept moving along with spreading the putty before it started setting up. It has stayed nicely repaired since July 2020. I think squeezing some Dap 18065 ALEX Acrylic Latex Painters Caulk amzn.to/2SlTKHP back behind the vinyl siding through the hole or large crack may be a good idea in some cases. Don't use any other type of calking or silicone as it can be hard to clean up. This Dap 18065 is easy to clean off the vinyl siding with a moist paper towel and if you let it set up overnight it hardens up nicely and is quite durable outdoors. You may want to cut about 3 inches off of a straw and trim the nozzle of the caulking tube the same size as the diameter of the straw. Then you can slide the straw about 1/4" back into the nozzle of the caulking tube and tape it on with a thin strip of duct tape. You will then have a narrow nozzle you can nudge through the large crack to backfill the gap between the back of the vinyl siding and the house. Try to keep the calking back from the opening of the hole in the vinyl siding by 1/8" or so. After it sets completely up you can then complete the repair with the Bondo All-purpose Putty. This won't be necessary in most cases but if the hole is rather large it could be helpful. Good luck with your repair.
How would you patch the hole if it was larger like say the size of a half dollar? You would almost need a backing because it's too wide for the bondo. Maybe cut the vinyl around the hole so you could lift it up a bit and put some tape on the back side and then fill it in? I've got to do some vinyl repair this spring/summer. I'll try some of your tips. I was going to buy some of that tape/sticker stuff but that looks pretty cheap and doesn't seem like it would hold up well.
Hi, Achilles. If you have a larger hole I would backfill the hole with DAP Alex Painter's Acrylic Latex Caulk (18065) amzn.to/3jCuneN . I like the Acrylic Latex Caulk without silicone or any other additives. It can be used indoors or out and cleans up easily. Aim your caulking gun at an angle and squeeze some back behind the vinyl siding all around the perimeter of the hole and continue to backfill the entire hole but do not fill it all the way up until it is even with the siding. Keep it about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the hole in the siding. All you are doing is making a base for the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Let the Painter's Caulk set up for at least 24 hours so it is good and hard. This caulking doesn't expand or shrink much and should be a good base for the putty.
After the Painter's caulk has completely set up you can fill the rest of the hole in with a top coat of the Bondo All-Purpose Putty amzn.to/2UK93ZV . You will have to work fast because this stuff has a very short open time of about a minute or less. I would have a small putty knife ready to immediately pull the mixed putty off the mixing cardboard and work it into the remaining hole. It won't matter if you have to work fast and get a little extra putty buildup on the hole to make sure it is all filled in because the putty is easy to sand down. After sanding, trace in your wood grain lines with the dental tarter pick, clean it with denatured alcohol, and paint it. I hope that all makes sense and good luck with your repair.
Will this technique and steps work to fix a cracked vinyl corner post?
Hi, Bessie. Yes, it will. I have repaired corner posts with this method before.
@@Fixitforgetit Thank you, I'm going to try it :-)
@@TheBessie98 My pleasure. Good luck with your repair.
Great job with your video. Do you have any problems with color matching to faded vinyl siding and then latter having your touch up fade or discolor 2-3 years latter that causes an eventual color mismatch?
Thanks, Zoel. What a great question. I have not had any problem at all. I suppose the paint is fading along with the vinyl because that simply hasn't been a problem. You can see a one-year review of my repair at this link and it still looks great to this day. ua-cam.com/video/JeYizOqFuzM/v-deo.html
I’m wondering if the painted area will fad differently over time to expose the repair.
Great question, joe. I have some repairs that are over 10 years old and they still look great. It seems that the paint and vinyl fade at the same rate together. The repair is 3 years old now and looks great. You can see this repair at one year old in the video link below. The repaired vinyl is shown just over one minute into the video.
ua-cam.com/video/JeYizOqFuzM/v-deo.html
It does seem that even in the States Bondo all-purpose putty has been discontinued. Has anyone found the JB weld product to be as good? I'm concerned that whereas the Bondo description includes plastic as a compatible material the JB weld does not. I guess I'll give it a go using that.
Hi, dsopscak. I haven't personally used J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty but I have seen a couple of reviews that say it is similar to, and works as well as, Bondo All-Purpose Putty. The J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty doesn't say it can be used on plastic but I saw an Amazon review where the guy said he used it to repair his vinyl siding. If you use the J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty to repair your vinyl siding please let us know if it works well and if you have used Bondo All-Purpose Putty how the J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty compares. Thank you and good luck with your repair. J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty amzn.to/4cmXYlN
Wonder if the repair holds up to pressure washing
We have pressurewashed the house with some of these repairs that were done 10 years ago and they hod up perfectly. Thanks for the question.
Much appreciate this video! I have the same siding and was trying to figure out how I was going to fix a few holes that happened over the years. Your video was detailed so that I can follow it. Keep doing what you're doing. Love the fact you took time to post this.
Thanks for your kind words Anne. I love these DIY videos on UA-cam. One can find almost anything related to repairs that they need. Since I was never able to find a vinyl repair method online that wouldn't show when done I decided to see if I could come up with one. When I figured this method out I thought it might help others. Good luck with your repair and thanks for stopping by.
This is a lot of supplies I have to buy. Does it work better than clear gorilla tape? Gorilla tape is good enough to patch the cracks in the roof around my chimney.
Well I guess it looks better. I live in condemned house and couldn't afford to put plywood over the windows so I used cardboard with plastic stapled to it. I don't really care if the hole is visible, I just want to keep water out.
Hi Mark. I know there are a number of things needed to do this repair. In many cases, people already have at least some of the tools needed for this repair. This repair looks better and is probably cheaper than hiring a crew to replace vinyl siding that may not match existing siding that has faded over the years. As for clear Gorilla Tape, that won't hide the hole but if all you want to do is keep water out that may work. Good luck with your repair.
Our house has a crack that breaks off from the middle out into 3 different directions. Should I place mesh behind the crack? Also, thank you for the great information!!
You're welcome, Mary. If you have a larger crack you may want to check out the video at 20 minutes in. You will see how I repaired a fairly large crack. ua-cam.com/video/ShZi5mwbZXg/v-deo.html
If you have a larger hole I would backfill the hole with DAP Alex Painter's Acrylic Latex Caulk amzn.to/3jCuneN . I like the Acrylic Latex Caulk without silicone or any other additives. It doesn't expand or contract much, can be used indoors or out, and cleans up easily. Aim your caulking gun at an angle and squeeze some back behind the vinyl siding all around the perimeter of the hole and continue to backfill the entire hole but do not fill it all the way up until it is even with the siding. Keep it about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the hole in the siding. All you are doing is making a base for the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Let the Painter's Caulk set up for at least 24 hours so it is good and hard. This caulking doesn't expand or shrink much and should be a good base for the putty.
After the Painter's caulk has completely set up you can fill the rest of the hole in with a top coat of the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. You will have to work fast because this stuff has a very short open time of about a minute or less. I would have a small putty knife ready to immediately pull the mixed putty off the mixing cardboard and work it into the remaining hole. It won't matter if you have to work fast and get a little extra putty buildup on the hole to make sure it is all filled in because the putty is easy to sand down. After sanding trace in your wood grain lines with the dental tarter pick, clean it with denatured alcohol, and paint it. I hope that all makes sense and good luck with your repair.
Wondering about the expansion/ contraction differences between the pvc and bonds. Is the bonds going to crack because of expansion stress?
Hi, Nancy. That's a great question. I have probably done 30 or more of these repairs over the past 15 years. These are repairs from 1/4" in diameter to about 1" in diameter. Most of them are still holding to this day. I have had about 5 of them break loose. When that happens it is usually a repair near the top of a sheet of vinyl siding where the vinyl is very close to the wood backboard. In these areas, the Bondo All-Purpose putty is so close to the wood that it can stick to the wood and then pull back away from the vinyl siding when there's expansion or contraction of the materials due to temperature changes.
It's really no big deal though. I simply take a few minutes and redo the patch and the second repair usually holds. I live in an area where temperatures can be as hot as 100 degrees in the summer and down to 10 below in the winter. These are the extremes but we do have a full range of weather conditions. I posted a video of a walk-through one year after I did this vinyl siding repair.
ua-cam.com/video/JeYizOqFuzM/v-deo.html
Could rubbing alcohol be used instead of denatured alcohol?
Hi Ashli. I think rubbing alcohol would be fine.
@@Fixitforgetit thanks for your reply- I am very excited to try this technique. Thank you for this video!
@@ashlidejong154 My pleasure. Good luck with your repair.
This is one of the best tips I've ever seen! Putting my house on the market and had lots of holes in the siding. Saving me a ton of money. Question: I have trouble getting the Bondo to lay flat/smooth. I end up with lumps and edges that I've tried sanding, re-Bondoing, sanding again etc. Any tips? Also, you say you use a "finer grade" sandpaper-- do you recall what #? Thanks again!
Hi, KGrant1917. Thank you for your kind words. I used 180-grit sanding pads. As for the problem getting the putty to lay flat, I find that strange as I never had any such problem. I found it very easy to apply and it always laid beautifully flat for me and was easy to work with. One important thing is you can not use regular Bondo. It is for autobody work and will be harder to work with and will probably crack and fall out over time. You need to be sure and use "Bondo All-Purpose Putty" amzn.to/2UK93ZV
The only problem I have with it is it sets up very fast and consequently, you need to work with small areas at a time. I apply it so there's about 1/8" to 3/16" of an inch of the putty remaining above the surface of the siding. I then trim it down close to the vinyl surface with a sharp wood chisel and then finish up using the 180 grit sandpaper. Just do everything the way you see in done in the video. I hope this helps and good luck with your repair and the sale of your home.
Nice video!
How has this held up over the years? I ask because I don't think that Bondo is very flexible, so it may eventually break away from the vinyl.
Hi mike. That's a great question. You are right about regular Bondo. That's why I do not recommend using it. I use "Bondo All-Purpose putty." amzn.to/2UK93ZV It is very different from regular Bondo. It has the perfect consistency and long-term performance needed for vinyl siding repairs. I have some repairs that are over 10 years old and still look great. The repairs in this video are nearly impossible to find after 3 years in an environment where we have bitterly cold winters and fairly hot summers. Thanks for your question and you can see how the repairs I did in this video looked after one year here. ua-cam.com/video/JeYizOqFuzM/v-deo.html
@@Fixitforgetit Great, thanks for the reply. I missed that detail. Going to give this a try
@@mikemoore6151 My pleasure, Mike. This is what I use. amzn.to/2UK93ZV Good luck with your repair.
So happy I found this video, but it looks like Bondo discontinued the all-purpose putty :( or at least that's what my ace hardware store and home depot told me. Any other alternatives you would recommend?? Not sure if I could use the Bondo original putty??
Hi, LGO. The original Bondo would not work very well. The Bondo All-Purpose Putty is still available. amzn.to/2UK93ZV
@@Fixitforgetit thanks! Ended up finding it at another Lowes.
@@lgo8420 My pleasure. Good luck with your repair.
Any tips on repairing a crack on cement board siding ?
Hi, Mark. I think you could use this exact process. You may need to "scuff" up the All-Purpose Putty a bit before you paint it if your cement board siding has a bit of a rough or textured finish. Good luck.
@@Fixitforgetit Wow, I'll try it, I have one crack in my siding that bugs me, thankyou for quick response.
@@markme4 My pleasure, Mark. The Bondo All-Purpose Putty sets up fast but it is great to work with after it dries and holds up very well long-term. I have some repairs that are 10 and 15 years old. Sometimes the repair will loosen up but rarely. If it does it is a fairly fast and easy fix. You just rout it out a bit and refill the repair. Repaint and you're all set.
I wish I would have saw this before I used clear Alien Tape on my cracks and holes. great video
Hi Caroline. Thank you for your kind comment. If you ever decide to try this repair perhaps you could remove the tape with a hairdryer and then use charcoal lighter fluid to remove any adhesive left from the tape. Charcoal lighter fluid is a mild solvent and won't hurt the vinyl siding. Thanks for stopping by.
Can u use some metal flashing behind some major holes and then place bondo?
Hi, FixWithMe. If you have a larger hole I would backfill the hole with DAP Alex Painter's Acrylic Latex Caulk (18065) amzn.to/3jCuneN . I like the Acrylic Latex Caulk without silicone or any other additives. It can be used indoors or out and cleans up easily. Aim your caulking gun at an angle and squeeze some back behind the vinyl siding all around the perimeter of the hole and continue to backfill the entire hole but do not fill it all the way up until it is even with the siding. Keep it about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the hole in the siding. All you are doing is making a base for the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Let the Painter's Caulk set up for at least 24 hours so it is good and hard. This caulking doesn't expand or shrink much and should be a good base for the putty. You may want to try J-B Weld Multi-Purpose Putty bit.ly/3xxELPN as Bondo All-Purpose Putty is no longer available. From the comments I have seen it looks very similar to Bondo All-Purpose Putty.
Would these instructions be useful in repairing a tear in one of my new vinyl privacy fence's posts? A worker accidentally snagged a Bobcat under my brand new fence and lifted up the whole section, leaving a tear on one of the posts. Thanks.
Hi, @zizu4952. I had another subscriber who had a similar situation. This method should work on just about any vinyl product. I have also used this method to repair aluminum window frames and a variety or other surfaces and repairs. Bondo All-Purpose Putty is great for numerous repair jobs. The only downside is it sets up so fast. On a smooth surface like a vinyl fence post, you may want to make your final sanding a wet sanding with about a 600-grit sandpaper. Good luck with your repair.
@@Fixitforgetit Thanks. Is there a place where the ingredients and the instructions on how to make the repair are written?
@@zizu4952 You're welcome. No written instructions but the items I used to do the repair are shown in the description via affiliate links. Just click on "show more" in the description to see the list of things I used on the repair.
OK. I will try to derive a written list of materials and instructions for my contractor to fix the fence post. It was one of his guys who damaged it. Brand new $10K fence! @@Fixitforgetit
@@zizu4952 Oh no! I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this. If he doesn't fix it hopefully your insurance will cover it. I am having to deal with a shower installation that the contractor messed up many years ago and it has been an ongoing problem. It seems it's always something.
I just had a hail storm hit my house today and I’ve developed anxiety over fixing the 5 holes in my siding until now! I was thinking I was going to need to swap our siding pieces from another part of my house but I no longer feel that will be necessary.
Hi, Mike. I'm glad you found us and now have a way to save your vinyl siding. Good luck with your repair.
Thank you for all the detail and explaining...Which Grade of Paint and exact name do you use. I assume you use acrylic paint...but HD has about 3 levels of their paint...I use their paint a lot... Thanks
My pleasure, LH H. For the paint, I used Home Depot's BEHR Premium Plus Mate Finish Lifetime Warranty Exterior Paint. Ask them to make you a 7-ounce custom color sample to match your siding. That will cost about 5 dollars instead of paying 28 to 38 dollars for a custom-blended gallon of paint. Be sure to get flat paint instead of eggshell or semi-gloss. Good luck with your repair.
thank you for sharing thats going to save me some money!
My pleasure, preston joyner. Thanks for stopping by and good luck with your repair.
Amazing job! Thanks for the tutorial. Very detailed and walked us through each step.
Thank you for your kind words Beverly. I installed a new hose reel a couple days ago and had to repair several holes in my vinyl siding. The repair turned out great and every time I do this I am so thankful I finally figured this repair method out. I want to keep my vinyl siding looking new as long as possible. Thanks for stopping by.
Quick question for anybody reading. Most of my holes are from hail and actually on the bottom rounded portion of the siding. How can I fill these larger holes? Should I maybe fill with expanding foam first and carve the curved part and then do bondo?
Hi, Kelly. If you have a larger hole I would backfill the hole with DAP Alex Painter's Acrylic Latex Caulk (18065) amzn.to/3jCuneN . I like the Acrylic Latex Caulk without silicone or any other additives. It can be used indoors or out and cleans up easily. Aim your caulking gun at an angle and squeeze some back behind the vinyl siding all around the perimeter of the hole and continue to backfill the entire hole but do not fill it all the way up until it is even with the siding. Keep it about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the hole in the siding. All you are doing is making a base for the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Let the Painter's Caulk set up for at least 24 hours so it is good and hard. This caulking doesn't expand or shrink much and should be a good base for the putty.
After the Painter's caulk has completely set up you can fill the rest of the hole in with a top coat of the Bondo All-Purpose Putty amzn.to/2UK93ZV . You will have to work fast because this stuff has a very short open time of about a minute or less. I would have a small putty knife ready to immediately pull the mixed putty off the mixing cardboard and work it into the remaining hole. It won't matter if you have to work fast and get a little extra putty buildup on the hole to make sure it is all filled in because the putty is easy to sand down. After sanding, trace in your wood grain lines with the dental tarter pick, clean it with denatured alcohol, and paint it. I hope that all makes sense and good luck with your repair.
Thank you so much for these tips. I really appreciate it
Hi. Heatherington Family. Thanks so much for your kind words.
how do you get the siding to fit in the tracks the railing is loose on mine no nails in my just holes where should be at it keeps falling off the side very bad wind about 40 miles hour and hail .Do I need to use a hammer to tap it into the track. I never had this problem no idea where I can get extra siding just a piece in corner broke off. Now everything is loose.
Hi, sheila. I don't have any experience installing vinyl siding and without seeing a video of your problem it is a bit hard to visualize. If I understand your situation correctly it sounds like the siding installer didn't put any nails in the little slots on the top of the siding that holds it in place. I think you could get some ideas on how to fix this by doing a search on UA-cam using keywords like "how to install vinyl siding". There will probably be a lot of videos to choose from. Just follow the instructions and hopefully, the video will help you correct your problem. Good luck with your repair.
@@Fixitforgetit there are screws on every other one but I noticed a thin vinyl bar is missing on the top of the rail I am not sure what it is called it is just paneling that is broken on the corner it is a smaller piece that broke I got more of it on track .
@@sheilanies152 You may want to take a photo or video of your problem and go by a residential construction business and show it to them and see if they have any ideas.
I need to install hooks for Outdoor Light String….the “no holes” hook for Vinyl Siding pull right out.
I bought some big black hooks…and advice so that I don’t crack my siding is
Appreciated
Hi, Mary. Without seeing the hooks it's hard to advise on their installation. I would think long and hard about doing anything permanent like putting holes in the vinyl siding. I would try a method that allows you to remove everything and return the siding to its original state like nothing ever happened if you want to. You can do that by using a wonderful product that I use all the time. It is an indoor/outdoor double-faced tape that holds like it will never let go and it doesn't get brittle and dry over time like regular double-face tape. You will be pleasantly surprised when you see how well this stuff holds and how strong it is. You can use it for endless projects around the home. It is called Scotch-Mount Outdoor Double-Sided Mounting Tape.
amzn.to/3FB5s5Z
If you do decide to put holes in the siding I wouldn't use any sort of punch as it may split the vinyl instead of piercing a hole. I would use a drill instead. Having said that my absolute first choice would be the Scotch-Mount tape.
Thanks my weed whip did, some damage I’ll attempt your advice …. Thanks for or posting
My pleasure, Robert. Good luck with your repair.
What about matching faded vinyl color ?
Hi Randy. The good thing is Home Depot will match whatever you take them. If you can get a sample of the faded vinyl you want to match you should be all set. In my case, my vinyl was faded and I took in an unfaded scrap of vinyl siding that had been in my attic for many years. Surprisingly the color match was spot on. Be sure you get flat paint instead of eggshell or semigloss. Thanks for your question and good luck with your repair.
You surely didn't use the putty on large holes, (50 cent size) so what do you recommend?
Hi, Gadsdon Flag. The largest hole I have repaired with the putty alone was about the size of a quarter. If I had a larger hole to repair I would give this a try.
I would backfill the hole with DAP Alex Painter's Acrylic Latex Caulk amzn.to/3jCuneN . I like the Acrylic Latex Caulk without silicone or any other additives. It doesn't expand or contract much, can be used indoors or out, and cleans up easily. Aim your caulking gun at an angle and squeeze some back behind the vinyl siding all around the perimeter of the hole and continue to backfill the entire hole but do not fill it all the way up until it is even with the siding. Keep it about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the hole in the siding. All you are doing is making a base for the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. Let the Painter's Caulk set up for at least 24 hours so it is good and hard. This caulking doesn't expand or shrink much and should be a good base for the putty.
After the Painter's caulk has completely set up you can fill the rest of the hole in with a top coat of the Bondo All-Purpose Putty. You will have to work fast because this stuff has a very short open time of about a minute or less. I would have a small putty knife ready to immediately pull the mixed putty off the mixing cardboard and work it into the remaining hole. It won't matter if you have to work fast and get a little extra putty buildup on the hole to make sure it is all filled in because the putty is easy to sand down. After sanding trace in your wood grain lines with the dental tarter pick, clean it with denatured alcohol, and paint it. I hope that all makes sense and good luck with your repair.