Snaplock Punch for Vinyl Siding Issue

[bad_idea]

I am in process of siding the garage with vinyl siding. I have reached the top of the gable wall and need to cut the top flange off of the panels, punch locking tabs, and click it into a piece of undersill. I bought the Kobalt brand snaplock punch at Lowe's. It is punching holes in the panel rather than making tabs.

It is around 45 degrees outside, I am thinking that is the issue. I carried a drop piece in the house and will try punching it in a few hours when the panel is up to room temp. I carried a handful of panels into the house, so if that is the issue I can cut and punch them in the house tomorrow.

I am thinking it may be the tool, it was cheap and looks cheap. I don't mind spending good money on the tool if it will net better results. Any recommendations for a quality tool?

Other ideas/experience?

 

[NUTTSGT]

I forget which one I have but I think it has red handles and I bought it at Menard's. I'm not at home to look at it.

 

[rlitman]

Malco is the big name. But the cold is the problem.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Malco is the big name. But the cold is the problem.

Yeah, that sounds right. I think this is the one I bought.

https://www.menards.com/main/buildi...7-c-13071.htm?tid=-9126707881898327701&ipos=9

 

[OccupantRJ]

One tool punches nail slots, and one punches lock tabs. Are you sure it is the correct one?

 

[The Cobbler]

One tool punches slots, and one punches lock tabs. Are you sure it is the correct one?

this is what I'm wondering

 

[bad_idea]

I reread the packaging, it is definitely for punching lock tabs.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Can you open the jaws and provide a good picture of the punch area? I have had mine pop a slot or two, but most of the time they do well. Warming the vinyl may help.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Use some 100% silicone and put a run of about 6" every 2' into the bottom of the siding lock. Avoid placing over the little drip holes. If you do happen to get some thru a drip hole, let it cure before pulling it off. Stuff siding into place. Once the silicone cures it won't come out unless you pull very, very hard. I still have my lock tab punch and hole punch but haven't used them in 30 years. I've been doing siding professionally for 35 years.

 

[oldmxracer]

Use some 100% silicone and put a run of about 6" every 2' into the bottom of the siding lock. Avoid placing over the little drip holes. If you do happen to get some thru a drip hole, let it cure before pulling it off. Stuff siding into place. Once the silicone cures it won't come out unless you pull very, very hard. I still have my lock tab punch and hole punch but haven't used them in 30 years. I've been doing siding professionally for 35 years.

Agree, this works very well !

 

[bad_idea]

I op tested the punch this morning after letting the panel sit inside all night. I had a 70% success rate with the punch, the other 30% it punched holes. I think the tool is junk. It takes a lot of effort to punch the panel, the 'punch' jaw isn't very sharp.

I will get some silicone today and try that. I will also punch what tabs I can. The belt and suspenders approach. Thanks for the help all.

 

[maxpat82]

it doesn't need to be sharp. I bought a brand new one like posted higher in this post(red handle) and finally used a older one that make a bit smaller tab. worked great..but it was 20C+ outside.

pretty the cold or wrong tool is the culprit. the right tool is pretty straight forward.:|


take a pic the the tool nose (punch part) and post it.

 

[bad_idea]

I returned the tool. It gone. Siding is installed. I used alwaysfloored's advice and used 6" of silicone every 2'. Thanks all.

 

[Dadillac]

I worked vinyl siding for about 4 years. We never used that tool. Not saying this is the right way to go but we used trim nails that were the same color as the siding. We would either nail up through the bottom drain holes into the panel lock of the panel below it or just under the kick out in the middle of the panel. Never got a call back to replace any panels so they held up to sagging and wind. We also never used silicone to hold a panel up. That would be messy and would make removing that panel very difficult without possibly damaging something.

Don

 

[rlitman]

...We also never used silicone to hold a panel up. That would be messy and would make removing that panel very difficult without possibly damaging something...

I can't say that I've run into it, but silicone doesn't stick all that well to vinyl. I'm thinking that if you use a light tough, it will give just enough grip to lock things in place, without putting up much of a fight if you're taking it apart.

The same cannot be said about polyurethane, so be careful what caulk you chose.

 

[6768rogues]

I owned a siding business for 20 years. If you pinch the spot where you want the punch with your finger and thumb, you can warm it up enough to punch it. I punch it and while the punch is in the panel, I move it back and forth a little making a much bigger punch tab that will never come loose. If you think the panel will drop, you can caulk with butyl or silicone caulk up in the top lock of the previous panel, only in a small spot or two, then lock in the top panel. They will expand the same but do not lock two panels together. I used to do one spot on each top panel on long walls, so they could not slip way over one way and pop out of a corner or separate between panels. The top one is not limited by nail slots, and sometimes they work around in unpredictable ways. After the caulk cures, it is almost impossible to remove one.
Now that you are done, see what happens when it gets hot out next summer. By caulking a lot, you essentially locked all the top two courses together, so it might get ripply next summer. It depends on the length of the wall, you locked them all together so all the expansion has to occur at the ends, so it might bind and get ripples. The longer the wall, the more likely it will get ugly. The space between panels will slip a quarter to a half inch between summer and winter, depending on exposure and temperature. Nail slots are only an inch long. A long wall, with all the panels locked together, will expand more than the nail slots at the end can absorb. A 24 foot wall, probably no problem. A 50 foot or longer wall, yea, problems.

 

[Freud]

I'm having the same problem with the Kobalt punch/crimper. I also have the Malco punch, and it works better. The cutting blade on the Kobalt is longer than the one on Malco. Maybe the fact that the Kobalt blade punches farther through the vinyl accounts for its not leaving the tab as it should.