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Should doors and windows be replaced before installing vinyl siding
I am getting ready to have vinyl siding installed on my home but I have an exterior door that needs to be repaired or replaced and I am adding three vinyl windows. Should doors and windows be replaced before installing vinyl siding or can any of these things wait until after the siding and trim are done? I have heard the door and windows can be repaired or replaced after the siding is installed.
If any door units (jamb, threshold and door slab) have to be replaced I recommend having that work done before the siding and trim are installed. While it is possible (I have done it many times) to replace a door unit after the siding and trim are installed, the work will be easier and the quality of the installation likely greater if it is installed prior to the siding. In addition to flashing and caulking requirements that are hard to achieve with the siding already in place, common sense dictates that it is easier to fit the trim and siding to the door than the door to the siding.
Depending on the type of window you are replacing it may not be as crucial to change them before the siding is installed. If you are installing vinyl replacement windows into the frames of the existing windows it may not matter at all which is done first since the existing frames remain intact and can be properly flashed and sealed as the vinyl trim is installed.
If you are changing the entire window unit, (which requires removing the interior window trim along with the window sashes, jamb, stool, sill and brick molding or other exterior trim), the windows definitely should be replaced first. I consider it impossible to properly flash and seal a new construction vinyl window unit, without first removing the siding and trim around the window.
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I need to get new doors this summer but am also getting new siding. Thanks so much for the advice about how it’s easier to install the siding after the doors have been replaced. I’ll have to tell my husband so that we can plan our renovations accordingly.
You bring up some good points, we are in a similar situation. I didn’t think about the order in which to have these things done. We will be sure and have the windows replaced first.
Thanks for the tips! I need to have new siding installed, so it’s important to me to choose a material that’s more durable than my last siding. I’ve always heard that vinyl was durable, but I didn’t realize that it’s also quite versatile.
Hi Tony! I will have new vinyl siding installed and I haven’t really thought of what you discussed here until now. Thank you for this information.
Great information. I appreciate you taking the time to put this down. A lot of homeowners do not know the consequences of going outside this order. I have been a roofing contractor for years, and a lot of what you discussed here I have run into over my career. Great information. Agree 100%.
I would worry about the windows later. THey can install them pretty easily nowadays without damaging the siding at all.