How To Look At A House

McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of  

site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes

What is a vinyl siding zipper tool?

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

A vinyl siding zipper is one of those handy specialty tools you’ll wonder how you ever did without once you’ve used it. Just hook it under the groove between two vinyl siding strips, and then pull down and away, to unlatch them. The tool also makes it easier to reattach the siding by running it along the groove as you press the pieces together. 

    But wait! Before you decide against putting another gadget in your toolbox, there’s more: the zipper also makes it easier to detach and reconnect the rail strip along the top of mobile home skirting when accessing a crawl space. Expect to pay about $10. 

    And you can pay a little more at $15 for our personal favorite: a combination vinyl zipper, mini pry bar, and nail puller. Both are available at Amazon and most big-box home improvement stores.

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Here’s links to some of our other blog posts about HOUSE SIDING:

• Can vinyl lap siding be installed diagonally? 

Is vinyl siding waterproof?

• What are the pros and cons of vinyl siding? 

What causes warped, buckled vinyl siding?

What is the average life expectancy of vinyl siding? 

 How can I tell if vinyl siding is installed correctly?

Can vinyl siding be painted? 

• Can termites eat through siding?

What do you look for when inspecting vinyl siding?

What causes vertical cracks in fiber cement siding planks?

What are the vertical butt joint requirements for fiber-cement (Hardiplank) lap siding? 

What is the difference between Acrocrete and EIFS? 

Do stucco walls mean a house is concrete block?

How long does exterior house siding last? 

What is board and batten siding?

Why is my stucco cracking?

The house has asbestos siding. What should I do?   

What are the pros and cons of aluminum siding?

Should I be suspicious about a concrete block house covered with siding? 

What is engineered wood siding?

What is the average life expectancy of wood siding?

What is the average life expectancy of plywood siding?

What is the average life expectancy of stucco? 

Should I buy a house with asbestos siding?   

What is the difference between "composite" and regular wood siding?

• What are the code requirements for installing manufactured stone on the exterior of the wood stud wall of a house? 

How can I tell if a crack in a stucco wall is a structural problem and what is causing it?

How long does exterior siding last?  

        Visit our EXTERIOR WALLS AND STRUCTURE page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.

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