Rivets in Vinyl Siding - Is this Normal?

ngoossen

A little over a year ago we had our aluminum siding replaced with vinyl siding and we have been experiencing ongoing issues ever since. Today the contractor brought out another installer to do yet another round of repairs. This installer used visible rivets to hold the siding together. I can count 7 different places where rivets were used. Attached is a photo of just one of those locations.

Can anyone tell me if this is a normal procedure to correct siding issues?

Attached Images

 

loneframer

Vinyl siding is subject to thermal expansion. By riveting two panels together, it eliminates the movement in the overlap. This will pose a problem during hot weather when the panels expand and at some point, will bind on the nails it's hung from.

__________________
It's not that it took him an hour to make 100 bucks, it's that it didn't take you 10 hours to save 100 bucks.

woodworkbykirk

ive never seen rivets used to lock two peices of vinyl togehter, lone is right about how it has to be able to move with thermal expansion

based on what your telling us its not something general contractor should be trying to find another vinyl installer to fix yet another problem,, its time for you to find a different general contractor who has good subtrades working for him

joecaption

Let me guess he was trying to close up some gaps at the joint.
There was gaps because the siding was installed to loose. (not lifted fully to lock it in)
I 100% agree with the other posters both people have no business working on siding if that's the kind of work they do.
Look at the under side of the siding at the joints. Notice the cut out area that's there so the siding can move.
The only way to fix this now is to remove the siding and replace with new pieces.

Tom Struble

what were the issues?

Tom Struble

it will still move just as one unit,face fastening is generally a no no

joecaption

In order to do that you would have to remove the whole piece to be able to cut the top and bottom, and all the nails would have to be removed to be able to slide it over, then your stuck with a big gap on the right hand side.

Tom Struble

thanks Joe i edited that bad idea

loneframer

It will move as one unit, but it is now essentially a much longer length, requiring much more freedom over the length of the panel.

By centering the nails in the slots, a panel has an overall play of roughly 1" in perfect conditions. By riveting two panels at the overlap, you still have a maximum of 1", but over twice the length. If the siding was installed in cold weather and the nails were centered in the slots, at high temps, the panel is probably close to binding under normal conditions. Riveting the lap only compounds that. Once those panels take up all the freedom over it's entire length, it will push back toward the overlap from both directions. I'm guessing the result will be unsightly.


I'd drill out those rivets and unzip the panel at those locations to know for sure what the problem is.

__________________
It's not that it took him an hour to make 100 bucks, it's that it didn't take you 10 hours to save 100 bucks.

Tom Struble

i was agreeing with you,but as long as the ends stay free it most likely wont buckle,if not most likely the rivet will rip out of the vinyl

loneframer

I know you were, but I felt like a more thorough explanation was in order.

Not everyone understands the science of vinyl in the capacity you do Tom.

Happy New Year!!

__________________
It's not that it took him an hour to make 100 bucks, it's that it didn't take you 10 hours to save 100 bucks.

Tom Struble

not as smart as i thinkhappy new year to you too Rizz

loneframer

Good point. What expands will also contract. It's amazing how many "professional" installers don't understand even the very basic characteristics of the materials they're installing.

If they don't know proper installation guidelines, what do you suppose the WRB and flashing details look like?

__________________
It's not that it took him an hour to make 100 bucks, it's that it didn't take you 10 hours to save 100 bucks.

Tom Struble

who cares if you can't see it?

mae-ling

Lone - WRB? not familiar with the term.
I used to have a chart for the siding I sold, said what Gaps to leave at what temperatures.