Another vinyl siding question

Arky217

I plan on using the Dutchlap style of vinyl siding.

When you terminate the last course of siding under windows or under the soffet, usually the cut edge is punched with a pair of vinyl punch pliers and slid into a piece of utility trim where the punched tabs latch it into place.

And when the siding style is Dutchlap, usually the cut edge is at the outer projection of the siding, thus requiring a piece of dual utility trim to match the Dutchlap projection.

I have checked three local siding suppliers and at all three, the dual utility trim is a special order item requiring that you buy a whole carton with no returns allowed.

I certainly don't need a whole carton of dual utility trim, so is there any way to get around this ?

Thanks,
Arky

rossfingal

Yes there is.
However: it's late here and I have to get some sleep.
I - (or someone else) will be back.

Rf

kwikfishron

Menards has it. http://www.menards.com/main/search.h...undersill+trim

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Arky217

Thanks, but the nearest Menards to me appears to be hundreds of miles away and the shipping for such a long item would probably be cost prohibitive.

kwikfishron

Where are you located? I find it hard to believe that any decent siding supplier doesn’t stock it.

Look for ABC Supply, Allied Building Products or Alside in your area.

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supermike

I just finished siding my new 2500sqft shop with dutch lap and found there is no need for utility trim under windows or soffit. Where you cut the siding for the last course determinds how the siding sits in the j mold and if ripped plywood shims are required to be nailed behind the cut top edge of siding. This will keep the siding pushed out far enough so that the punched out tabs stay engaged into the inside lip of the j mold. All it requires is carefull measuring so the last course piece is not to big or to small so the tabs engage properly.

Arky217

Supermike,
That sounds like a good idea except it won't work on windows that have a built it 'J' because there is no curled under lip in the windows 'J' like there is in regular 'J' trim for the punched tabs to latch on to.

That said, however, I'm wondering if maybe no utility trim would even be necessary under windows whether the windows had built in 'J' or if you used 'J' trim under windows that didn't have it.

What I mean is, why wouldn't the portion of that course under the window just stay in the 'J' ?
The bottom of that course is latched onto the preceding course plus the portion under the window is still connected to the full height of the course on either side of the window.
I think it would be too stiff to just droop down even if it weren't latched onto the preceding course.

It might be necessary, however, to pad out with plywood or whatever to keep the cut edge from bowing in from its normal Dutch style projection.

I think I'll do a test on some scrap pieces to see how that works out.

Arky

firehawkmph

Arky,
Just take your utility trim and fir it out under each window. You can determine how far when you get to the panel below it. A thin strip of plywood or sometimes a piece of lathe works fine. This will move your utility trim out where it needs to be. Then go ahead and punch the dimples in your cut edge to hold it in place.
Mike Hawkins