1.1. Panel Profiles

Vinyl siding is offered at a wide variety of shapes, textures or colours. It is manufactured from long-lasting polyvinyl chloride in several profile options: single, double, triple, vertical.

ORTO is offering double siding (also known as “Dutch Lap” profile), 1.1mm thick, available in 10 colors.

Soffits are used for front and coping ceiling boarding. In other words, soffits are ceiling panels for boarding the roof. Soffits can be solid and drilled. Drilled soffits allow better ventilation of roofing space, reducing moisture accumulation and hot air blanketing.

1.2. Toolware

The required tools are: hammer, serrated blade hacksaw, gauge, chalk and tape measure. It is recommended to use protection goggles.

A stationary or handheld electric saw will speed up the cutting of the siding. Saw blade must be serrated; make sure it is set to reverse motion. In frosty weather advance the saw along the cutting line slowly, to reduce the risk of chunking or cracking of the material.

The saw blade, directed reversely, should be used to cut the PVC only. Do not use it to cut wood, plywood or any other material.

Vinyl is easy to cut or make incisions on with a utility knife or a cutter. Tin snips will speed up the cutting and shaping process.

The puncheon is used to punch holes at siding’s edges to fixate the siding under the ceiling or under the window unit.

The puncher is used to widen the nail holes, so that the siding could contract or expand under natural conditions.

It is used to remove or replace the siding panel.

1.3. Storage and Transportation

• Store and transport siding packages horizontally, on even surfaces. Make sure there is enough support under the package along the full length.
• Siding packages must be stored at a dry place. Storage pile height must not exceed 15 packages.
• Do not allow storage conditions, at which siding package inside temperature can get higher than 60ºC (storing in direct sunlight, or under black covering at air temperature over 30 ºC, or under PVC film without air circulation).

1.4. Siding Attendance

• Siding is usually washed with water, using a hose. If a stain is hard to wash out, use long-handled soft-bristle brush or soft cloth. Do not use hard-bristle brushes or abrasives: they can leave scratches on the siding surface.
• To remove soot or dirt, wipe the siding with detergent solution. To remove bubble-gum use 30% vinegar water solution. To wipe felt marker writings any water-based solution will serve right.
• Do not use detergents which contain organic solutions, pure chlorine, grease removal, liquid polish removers, solvents, furniture polishing mixtures. Such agents can damage the siding surface.

1.5. Tips on Wintertime Installation

• Layman installation is not recommended at air temperature lower than -5ºC, and -15ºC is considered to be the lowest operable temperature for professional installation.
• Extra caution is required when working in the cold, as the siding gets more fragile and there is a higher risk of cracking. To cut siding use a disk saw with serrated blade instead of tin snips.
• Before installation let the siding lay still at outdoor temperature for 2-3 hours.
• Compress-expand tolerance for siding must be 6mm instead of 10-12mm.

1.6. Accessories

Used to attach the lowest row of PVC siding panels. After the installation end it becomes hidden under the nearest row of panels.

The most widespread profile type, because of its versatility and low cost.

J-Profile is absolutely irreplaceable in the installation process. It is used to border window and doorway units, vertical cuts, to join wall with inclined roof at attic, to board and mount soffits.

They cover and hold together siding panel butt ends at outward and inward corners.

• It is used to complete horizontal parts of the wall and to fixate the last section’s cut edge.
• Undersill is applied over and under the window unit and other open apertures.

“ORTO” is offering top-class double siding (also known as “Dutch Lap” profile), available in 10 colours.

• It is a custom profile for window aperture finishing.
• It covers slopes fully or partially (depending on aperture depth).
• Windowside bar is a more expensive and finer alternative to J-profile.

It is used to provide water drainage from basement or windows.

H-profile is used to join the siding panels horizontally if wall face is wider than siding panel length or if siding panels of multiple colours are used.

H-profile covers the junction of panels, making it neat and reliable. It looks like a solid strip from top to bottom, forming a congruous ensemble together with inward and outward corner posts, J-profile and other accessories, matching the design concept of the building.

Soffits are used to board attic and eave cornices. In other words, they are ceiling panels for roof boarding. Soffits can be solid or drilled. Solid soffits actually are the very same PVC panels.

On the other hand, drilled soffits allow better ventilation of roofing space, reducing moisture accumulation and hot air blanketing.

Calculating the amount of required materials

2.1. Siding calculation

• Fraction the surface that is planned to be covered with siding into simple geometric shapes and shape combinations. In 90% of cases, you will cope using only squares and triangles.
• Calculate the total area value.
• Doorways and windows are usually not subtracted from total area value, except cases when they are really large, garage or sliding doors, for instance.
• Sum up values of all the areas of the building and add extra 10% for fitting and possible faults.

2.2. Accessories Calculation

Required amount of starting strip or undersill equals the length of the building basement plus extra 10% for fitting and possible faults.

To calculate the required amount of the rest of accessories please contact your building or supplies counteragent, providing them a detailed plan of the building. Various variants of installation are possible: some accessories are interchangeable, some are optional.

3. Siding Mounting

3.1. Choosing the ironware

Use aluminium, galvanized steel or other anticorrosive nails, brackets or screws. The ironware must pierce the frame or boarding for at least 20mm deep.

Nail head must be at least 8mm wide, and nail shank – at least 3mm diameter.

A screw must fit in the hole strictly centered, a 1mm space must retain between the screw head and the siding. Size 8 galvanized screws for sheet metal are a good choice here.

As any other mounting accessory, brackets must pierce the frame or boarding for at least 20mm deep. Brackets must be wide enough to allow siding to freely slide, and a 1mm space must retain between the bracket and the siding.

3.2. Mounting procedure

Bear in mind that a siding panel can expand or contract in length by up to 1mm due to temperature conditions.

Follow these rules:

• Make sure that panels are attached firmly by locks along the entire length of the lower edge, but do not pull them upwards by force while mounting.
• Do not hammer the nail “all the way in”, leave a 1mm space between the nail head and the panel. Fixing the panel too tight will result in siding deformation, “waving” due to temperature changes.
• Start mounting at the middle of the panel and proceed to the sides.
• Always hammer the nail into the centre of the nail aperture, allowing the siding to expand/contract.
• Hammer the nails strictly perpendicularly, to avoid panel bending or distortion.
• Start mounting of corner posts in the top side of the uppermost apertures. Nail other apertures right by the centre: horizontal siding – 30-40cm between pieces of ironware, accessories – 20-15cm, vertical siding – 30cm.
• Mounted panels must slide freely alongside the wall.

3.3. Siding Cutting

We recommend use of goggles during any cutting procedure. Always follow required safety regulations during construction.

• While working with disc saw, mount the serrated saw blade in reverse direction to provide a softer and cleaner cutting, especially in cold weather. Cut slowly. Remember that reverse direction cutting of other materials might be hazardous.
• When using tin snips do not cut along the full shear length, use only three quarters of cutting edge to provide a clearer and more accurate cut. Start cutting from upper (mounting) side.
• When cutting with a utility knife, do not cut throughout the siding. Make a deep incision, and then bend inward and outward until the panel breaks along the incision line.

4. Wall Preparation

• Thorough preparation of the underlay is the earnest of success in siding installation. The smoother the wall surface and backing – the better the final result. Surface must be even at any angle of view.
• Siding should be mounted upon the backing for any wall. This approach allows creating a ventilated space to divert water vapour, to save on heating in winter and to substantially reduce the heat build-up in summertime.
• Your siding will last longer if you install it over the layer of moisture proofing material. It is recommended to take care of waterproofing in every aperture or places where the siding gets in contact with other building materials.
• Siding is not capable of sustaining physical damage, it is designed to cover the walls and give them a handsome look. So it cannot function as load-bearing material for outwalls.

4.1. Wall Preparation

• Remove all sun blinds, drain pipes, lantern mounts, grids and any other mounted accessories from the wall you want to install siding onto.
• Dismantle old finishing materials or fixate them so that they would not obstacle the siding installation.

4.2. Backing Installation

• Mount the backing over the entire surface you want to install siding onto. Unevenness must be compensated with extra wooden or plywood bars, or by altering backing bar depth.
• Use 4 x 6cm wooden backing bars for wooden walls. Upon brick or cement walls, a PVC or galvanized metal (the most reliable option) backing profile can be installed.
• Select wooden bars carefully: discard damp or crooked ones. Bar dampness must not exceed 15-18%, the bar must be straight and, if possible, without knots. Make sure the bars are antiseptically impregnated.
• For installation of horizontal siding, mount the backing vertically, keeping 30-40cm space between bars. Mount extra bars around windows, doorways, at corners, at the top and in the bottom of the wall. If you plan to mount illumination units or any other external objects, it is recommended to install extra backing under their attaching points.
• General scheme for wall preparation (without heat-insulation) is given below. In some situations you can do without moisture proofing: its necessity depends on the choice of wall material and your region’s weather conditions.
• Do not connect vertical ones with horizontal ones; this can hamper the ventilation under the siding.
• At areas where strong winds are common, mount the backing bars 20cm from each other. We also recommend placing rubber washers between nail heads and siding, to improve wind resistance.

4.3. Heat Insulation

Siding allows outside wall heat insulation, without sacrificing internal space. In this case moisture proofing is obligatory.

Aside from the option shown above, some isolation materials can be laid directly onto the heat insulation layer. In this case preserve a 1.5-2cm gap between the siding and isolation layer.

4.4. Sealing

Fill the walls with sealant at every point where moisture can leak: around windows and doorways, at locations of electric, gas and water mains.

5. Accessories Installation

Mount the starting strip, inward and outward corner posts, J-profile and other accessories first. Then proceed with installation of siding panels. Finish the procedure by mounting the undersill.

5.1. Defining the starting point for mounting.

• Define the lowest level from which up the siding must start.
• Hammer a nail 7.5-8cm above this level on both sides of the wall.
• Pull a string between the nails. Be sure to level it with a gauge.
• Mark a solid straight line with a chalk along the string. Repeat this all around the building.

5.2. Starting Strip Mounting

• Align the top edge of the starting strip to the chalk line and nail it. Keep in mind that nails should not be hammered too tight neither in the siding nor in the accessories (see “Siding Installation” section for more detail).
• If there are cavities in the wall surface, back the starting profile with a gasket where necessary to avoid the “waving” effect.
• There must be a space of 6mm between adjacent starting strip bars and between starting strip and inward/outward corner posts, so that the siding could possibly expand.

5.3. Inward/Outward Corner Post Installation

• Inward and outward corner posts are installed at junctions of two walls, with corner top edge 6mm lower than wall edge and corner bottom edge 6mm lower than starting strip bottom edge.
• The first nail must be hammered in the top side of the uppermost aperture of the corner post on both sides of the corner. The corner post must hang on these nails. Make sure it is strictly vertical.
• Remaining nails must be hammered centrally into the apertures, with a 20-25cm space between them.
• If one corner post bar doesn’t cover the whole height, you can place another one with an overlap. First cut 2.5cm off the side parts of the upper corner post. Then overlap the lower post bar with the upper by 2cm. There will remain a 5mm gap between side parts of the posts as space for possible expanding of the plastic. The drawback is that the junction will be slightly noticeable from a close distance and a certain view angle. Still this junction will be waterproof.
• Leave a 6mm gap between the corner post side edges and siding panels as a reserve space for possible expanding of the plastic.

5.4. Bordering the Doorways and Windows.

• Cut off the top and bottom profiles so that they are longer than window/doorway width.
• In the upper profile bar cut out the drainage channel from both sides and bend the resulting “ear” outwards down to provide water draining. This is called “vertical cutout”.
• Make a vertical cutout on bottom sides of vertical side profiles. Bend the “ear” outwards in the bottom of the window, so that the water is diverted from under the cornice.
• Make an angled cutout at top edges of vertical side profiles.
• Overlap vertical side profiles with horizontal upper profile.
• Make an angled cutout at both sides of the horizontal profile under the window aperture and drive the profile in under the vertical side profiles.
• As a result, the profiles must neatly frame the window.

• Undersills can be used over and under window apertures.
• Mount it by pulling in any direction up to the outer J-profile level.
• Below is the scheme of undersill mounting under the window aperture.
• Mount the undersill over the window and doorway upside down.

• Concerning window finishing, windowside bar is an alternative to J-profile.
• It covers slopes fully or partially (depending on aperture depth).
• Mounting procedure is similar to J-profile installation. The inside part is mounted with an undersill.

• Mount it between facade and basement: attach the drainage bar first and then cover it with starting strip.
• Longer walls will require several drainage bars. Overlap them with each other by 1.5cm.
• Installation under the window: attach the drainage bar first and then cover it with J-profile.

6. Horizontal Siding Installation.

6.1. Mounting the First Panel

• Insert the bottom edge of the first (leading) panel into the starting strip and nail the top edge of the panel to the backing bars. If after attaching the panel you can slide it from side to side freely – the procedure has been done correctly.
• Start nailing the panel at the middle and proceed to the sides.
• Leave a 6mm gap between the accessories side edges and siding panels as space for possible expanding of the PVC. If you are installing it at low temperature, the gap size must be 10-12mm.
• Start mounting at the sides where stress resistance is required (doorways, gates, etc.) so that siding junctions would be at a distance from these zones.

6.2. Joining of Horizontal Siding.

• If the wall is wider than the siding panel, mount the panels with overlapping, or use the H-profile to join them.
• H-profile covers the junction of siding panels, making it elegant and reliable. It looks like a solid strip from top to bottom, forming a congruous ensemble together with inward and outward corner posts, J-profile and other accessories, matching the design concept of the building. Leave a 6mm gap between the H-profile and siding panels.
• If you choose overlapping, the lap size must be 3cm. Panel junctions must be aligned stair-step, with step size no less than 60cm. Try not to repeat the overlap at the same vertical level more frequently than across three siding panel rows. When overlapping, nail the siding bars by at least 15cm far from both panel side edges.

6.3. Siding Panel Placement Succession.

• After attaching the leading row of panels proceed upwards with the second, the third one, and so on. Panels overlap each other vertically: bottom lock of upper panel must be plugged into the top lock of the lower panel. Panels can be assembled into sections of any height and width.
• The trailing row of the siding (under the cornice) is mounted only after the undersill is attached.

6.4. Adjusting the Siding around Extruding Objects.

If there are extruding objects at the wall (drainage pipes, faucets, etc.) you will need to adjust the siding panel around it.

Cut out an aperture, similar to objects’ base shape. Make sure the aperture is 6mm wider than the object’s real shape.

6.5. Installation of Siding around Windows and Doorways.

This phase of the installation procedure usually requires siding panel cutting.

• Measure the distance from undersill’s lower edge lock to lower edge of the top lock of the trailing full-size siding panel.
• Add 15mm extra space, so that the panel’s edge could fit into the undersill.
• Cut out this area from the panel under the window.
• Use the puncher to drill nailing apertures in the cut part of the panel. Make sure the apertures are directed towards the facing side of the panel.
• Insert the top edge of the panel into the undersill and lock it on the bottom side of the panel.

When mounting the siding under windows or doorways, make sure you leave a 6mm gap between the accessories side edges and siding panels.

6.6. Installation at Attic

The trailing siding panel row installation should start after all the completion of soffit installation (see below).

• Nail the undersill to the wall tight against the building cornice.
• Prepare and insert the trailing panel just like you did with the panels under windows (see above in the section “Installation of Siding around Windows and Doorways”), except that here uncut panels should be used.

• Mount the J-profile along the attic angle, nailing it each 20-30cm.
• To join left and right side profiles at the top of the attic overlap them and cut the facing side diagonally. Leave a 6mm gap between profiles.
• If more than one J-profile bar is required at either side of the attic, overlap extra profile bars by 2cm.

To cut siding at a required angle, measure the roof slope angle.

• According to the scheme below, apply a short piece of siding panel to the roof and apply the uncut siding bar at the J-profile level.
• Draw a pencil line at the edge of resulting overlap and you will get the correct roof slope angle.
• Remove the short piece of siding and cut the desired siding panel along the pencil line.
• Repeat the same procedure at the other side of the attic slope.
• The trailing siding panel will almost for sure require nailing at the upper part of the attic. Only in this exceptional case is the nail driven through all the way in.

6.7. Defected Panel Removal

• Smoothly drive the panel disassembly tool in behind of the lower part of the panel above the one to be removed. Pull it out from the defected panel lock.
• Bend the above panel slightly. Extract the nails from the defected panel and remove it from the wall.
• Insert the new panel and nail it.
• Use the panel disassembly tool again to insert the panel above into the locks of the new panel and fixate it.

7. Soffit Mounting

• Proper attic ventilation is vital for any house. When selecting soffits (they can be solid, partly or fully drilled) take into consideration your region’s weather conditions.
• Soffits are mounted before the siding’s trailing row installation.

7.1. Installation under Open Eave

• When you are installing soffits, your primary concern should be mounting two profiles strictly opposite each other: one at the wall and one at attic’s (or cornice) bottom edge. These profiles will hold the soffit panel.
• Depending on configuration of the open eave, construction procedures, and choice of components, there is a variety of soffit installation options.

• Draw marks (be sure to check their levelness with a gauge) upon the wall parallel to the bottom edge of the attic.
• Attach either conventional or customized J-profile, or special soffit holding profile upon the wall along the marks. Fixate the profile with nails, leaving 30-40cm space between them.
• First option: conventional J-profile. In this case there must be a wooden or other support bar along the wall and the J-profile must be attached to the bottom side of it. If there is no such support, you will have to install it.
• Second option: you can customize the J-profile and attach it directly upon the wall. Make vertical incisions at the nailing edge of the J-profile, where it is mounted upon the wall. Then bend out the resulting strips and nail them to the wall.

• Attach a conventional J-profile to the edge of the attic. Fixate the profile with nails, leaving 30-40cm space between them. It is important that the profiles are attached strictly opposite each other.
• Measure the space between the profiles, subtract 12mm for possible contraction/expansion (standard 6mm reserve from each side) and cut the soffit at this length.
• Insert the soffit into the profiles.
• Cap the soffit’s butts with wooden finish casing.

Differs from the previous variant: you don’t need J-profile at the attic’s edge, but use closing facet instead.

• We recommend installing an extra frame, and, if necessary – an extra backing.
• Nail the soffits by each 30cm into the backing.
• Extra fixture durability is provided by J-profiles, which hold the soffits by the edges.

• There are two options how to join soffits at corners: diagonally and straightly.
• Both options require either H-profile or two J-profiles, (attached to each other by the back sides), to join the soffits. To provide extra support, mount the profiles onto the backing bars.
• Diagonal joint is more elegant but more difficult to set up. Mount the H-profile (or two J-profiles) first at the corner diagonal, then cut the soffit panels to fit the angle and so that the central V-shaped trays would line up.

7.2. Installation under Closed Eave

• To provide adequate ventilation use drilled soffits only.
• Choose a variant of installation of the J-profile. If it is necessary to even up the surface (for instance if you are replacing the existing wooden soffit or molding), mount the J-profile onto the backing.
• The rest of installation procedure is similar to that of closed eave.

In case of installation under closed eave you can use the inward corner post to join the upper row of the siding with the soffits. This option is also good for open eave, if you install extra support bars, to which the upper nailing edge of the inward corner post will be attached.

7.3. Porch Ceilings

• Here both the solid and the drilled soffits can be installed. Or you can use other finishing materials (PVC panels, etc.)
• If you plan installation of lighting units, mount extra backing in planned attaching points.
• If the porch is wider than panel length, soffit joining will be required. Use the H-profile, or two J-profiles (joined with each other “back-to-back”).