How To Cut Vinyl Siding (Explained For Beginners)

Vinyl siding is fast becoming a popular choice of siding material.

One of the first and most important steps when installing vinyl siding is to cut the material to size. Cutting vinyl siding can be tasking if you’re doing it for the first time.

Learning to cut vinyl sides is very simple with a little knowledge and the right tools.

After reading this guide, you will feel more comfortable and capable of completing the entire installation process.

How to Cut Vinyl Siding?

The advantages of vinyl siding are low cost, long service life, and lack of maintenance.

Another benefit that makes vinyl siding a preferred choice for many homeowners is the ease of installation. Most people know how to install vinyl siding themselves without the help of a professional.

If you are installing siding yourself, you need to know how to cut it to fit your home. It’s very easy and requires only a few tools. We will show you how to cut vinyl siding neatly and skillfully.

Materials you need to cut your vinyl siding

· Circular Saw 

· Tin Snips

· Utility knife (horizontal cuts)

· Safety glasses

· Carpenter’s Square

· Straightedge

· Tape for measurements

· Vinyl Siding

Small vertical cuts

1. The type of tool you use to trim your vinyl walls depends on the number and type of cuts you want to make. For vertical shortcuts, it is best to use a circular saw.

Use a tape measure to check the length of the side pieces and mark each piece on the underside (not visible when installing) with a marker.

2. Place the serrated plywood cutting blade on the circular saw (attach the rear tip for accurate cuts).

3. Put on your safety glasses and point the blade where you want to cut the outer edge.

4. Slowly peel off excess siding relative to the edge of the table. You can put a carpenter’s square underneath your siding strip.

5. Repeat the process until you’ve cut all parts of the siding.

Long vertical cuts

If you are making longer vertical cuts, we recommend using tin snips as opposed to a circular saw.

1. Use tape to measure where you want to cut the vinyl siding, then mark a mark on the underside of the siding.

2. Align the part you want to cut to the edge of the table and cut it in a clean, straight line.

3. Hold the outer edge with one hand and cut along the mark with the tin snips with the other hand. Make sure the scissors cover only 2/3 of the way. This will result in cleaner and drier cuts.

4. Put the insert back all the way and repeat for the other part.

Making a horizontal cut

Horizontal plastic sticks can be a bit long to hold the scissors, so you can use a regular tool knife instead to make it a lot easier.

1. Use a tape measure to get an accurate measurement of the vinyl sides and find a place to mark underneath each of the ends.

2. Then place a ruler over the outer edge to mark the part you want to cut.

3. Use a knife to score following a straightedge (scoring means pushing the knife down with moderate pressure but not cutting through).

4. After the siding is scored, you can fold it along the lines until you get a cleaner snap.

5. Repeat for the other parts of the siding (Fitzpatrick, n, d). 

What Do You Cut Vinyl Siding With?

The type of blade you need depends on the type of project you are working on. Even the best vinyl saw blades depend on the thickness of the siding.

It is recommended to use a sharp blade for thin vinyl sides. For thick vinyl, a sheet with a deep front is recommended.

What İs The Best Way To Cut Vinyl Siding? 

The best way to cut a vinyl side depends on how the piece your hands ought to be cut. A circular saw is recommended for short vertical cuts.

For long vertical cuts, metal scissors are best. For horizontal cuts, it is recommended to use a standard tool knife (Micheal, 2018).

There are 3 distinct ways to cut vinyl siding, each of which is best for a unique context. A circular saw is the quickest and smoothest option for cutting through multiple vinyl strips and making small, vertical cuts.

The simplest approach to slice some vinyl strips and produce vertical cuts is with the use of a pair of tin snips. A utility knife is an option that gives you the best possible control as you make a horizontal cut through the vinyl strips.

Circular Saw

1. Install a circular saw that has a serrated blade for cutting plywood. Insert the blade backward for the evenest possible insertion and wear safety glasses.

2. Place a piece of vinyl siding on a flat desk. Slide the head in the side groove of the board until the area you want to cut is outside the edge of the board. Place furniture directly beneath the strip to ensure sure the strip is perpendicular to the edge of the board.

3. Hold the table’s outer strip and furniture with one hand. Slowly cut the other side around the edge of the table. Go through the procedure again using the remaining side strips.

Tin Snips

1. Place the side strip on the desk and bring into line the part to be cut using the verge of the work desk. Position the carpenter’s square beneath the siding 90 degrees to the verge of the table.

2. Grasp the vinyl siding and furniture with one hand. Alternatively, you can start cutting pieces of siding with scissors (tin snips). Keep the scissors roughly 2/3 closed.

3. If the primary snip does not cut the entire side strip, open the scissors and push forward. If necessary, cut extra bits until the leftover is gone. Do not entirely close the snips for a clean cut.

Utility Knife

1. Position the surface of the strip upside down on a work surface. Place a ruler along the strip for identification of the cut location.

2. Follow the ruler and make a sheath using a utility knife. Make use of moderate force and set the straightedge apart.

3. Fold the side strips lengthways following the cut and place the vinyl. If it doesn’t break easily, bend it back and forth pending when the vinyl comes off and breaks.

Can You Cut Vinyl Siding With A Miter Saw?

Yes, sawing vinyl panel with a miter saw is a wonderful alternative. This sort of motorized circular saw may be placed at several angles to make difficult cuts simpler. 

Whenever you begin, ensure your saw is configured with a fine-toothed blade for the best accurate cut. Alternative saws you may utilize for cutting vinyl siding are chop saws, jigsaws, and rotary arms saws.

How To Cut Vinyl Siding With A Miter Saw?

Powered circular saws using a blade that is installed in the backward direction give you the best possible result in terms of cleanliness of effect and the ease with which this is attained.

A circular saw installed in the reversed direction provides the simplest and most perfect cut:

To cut the vinyl siding with a miter saw follow the steps below:

1. Place the plywood blade using the reverse side on your circular saw-like miter saws, cutting saws, table saws, and circular hand saws. 

2. Draw a line on the siding where the cut will be made and gradually push the blade through into the siding. The borders are melted by rotating the saw blade backward while slicing the vinyl, resulting in a smooth structure with no indentations.

Place the scalpel blade with tiny teeth into the saw and turn it on. A blade rated as 36 TPI which means thirty-six teeth for every inch is appropriate for the task. 

When installing siding around your home entrances, windows, and other elements within your home, the saw helps you to make cuts and perfect angles.

When sawing with a jigsaw, you may get serrated edges. However, you can make them smooth by utilizing 220-grit sandpaper.

3. In a hacksaw framework, attach a 32 TPI scalpel blade. If you’re planning to use a hand-operated saw, this hacksaw blade with tiny teeth can help you to slice up the vinyl.

When you’re done, smooth any jagged surfaces with 220-grit sandpaper.

Best Miter Saw Blade For Vinyl Siding

Black abrasive cutting blades (either masonry or steel) work surprisingly well to cut vinyl. Usually, for the blade type to utilize for slicing through vinyl siding, the 180-tooth blade for a 10-inch saw is a good option. You can also use a related one for a 12-inch. 

Some professionals use a regular plywood blade or a masonry blade. you can utilize any form of tooth blade you found most convenient.

However, if the teeth of the saw blade you use are fewer, you will tend to get more material chippings compared to when you get a blade with more teeth. 

A 36 TPI rating, which means 36 teeth per inch, will be adequate for the job. 

Best Tools To Cut Vinyl Siding:

Black abrasive (stone or steel) canvases are great for cutting vinyl. For the blade type typically used to cut vinyl facets, we recommend using a 180-degree blade for a 10-inch saw and a similar blade for a 12-inch saw. 

Some experts use standard plywood or masonry blade. You can use any toothpick you like. But the smaller the teeth, the more chips. A score of 36 TPI or 36 teeth for every inch is sufficient for this job.

The tools needed for this project are very simple. Hand tools and power tools can be used. The best vinyl cutter may come down to personal preference. 

A tool knife is generally the best tool to cut vinyl siding along planks. If you only cut a few lengthwise, you can use tin snips or a hand saw.

Finally, a circular saw is also a cutting tool for vinyl tracks. This is the best option for a short vertical vinyl cut.

Best Blade To Cut Vinyl Siding

Vinyl fences can be cut like wood. Using a circular saw with a PVC blade or a sharp, straight carbide blade with tiny teeth is best. If the saw blade is designed for rough cuts on logs of wood, it can cause breakage of the vinyl siding. 

This is especially true when the vinyl is cold (Denise, n.d).

Best Circular Saw Blade To Cut Vinyl Siding 

The majority of circular saws cut the vinyl siding with a tiny-serrated blade. Place the circular saw with the tiny teeth blades and mount it backward on your saw to ensure you get the cleanest cut. 

Put on your safety eyeglasses, and mark the area you want to cut on your siding. Use the blade to adjust where you want to cut the siding.

 Use the table edge to direct you where to cut, begin by cutting off the excess siding slowly (Fitzpatrick, n.d.).

Best Saw Blade For Vinyl Siding

Particleboard covered with a thin film of plywood, plywood laminate, or laminated plastic is more difficult to cut than cut wood.

The majority of times, what you require, is a carbide saw blade with a toothed profile that can withstand the job.

 The Diablo D0740R blade, for example, provides enough teeth to create a smooth cross-section.

It shows the variation between rips and crosscuts, whilst at the same time angling them within the cross-sectional area to make ripping possible. 

In either case, the blade is designed to leave a smooth edge with little work of sanding or planing (PopularMechanics, n.d).

Best Grinder Blade For Vinyl Siding

Grinders melt the vinyl siding and glue any blade you use. If you like the grinder, use the diamond wheel blade to cut it. İt is a continuous rim blade that equally works for cutting tile. 

There are two types of grinding blades: abrasives blades that help cut metals and diamond blades, which are great for masonry works. 

While there is a serrated diamond blade rim, to get a cleaner cut you need a continuous rim. The difference between the two is clear because the serrated rim has openings (Reddit, n.d).