November 2007
Vinyl siding: Measuring up
A retailer or installer will calculate how much vinyl siding your home requires. Here's how you can get a rough idea beforehand of what you'll need and spend without climbing a ladder:
• Multiply the height by the width of each rectangular section on your home, going by what you can measure from the ground.
• Multiply the approximate heights and base widths of your home's gables and other triangular parts. Then multiply each of the triangular totals by 0.50.
• Add the figures to get the total square footage. To allow for waste, don't subtract for windows, doors, and other areas that won't be covered.
• Divide the total square footage by 100 to estimate how many squares you'll need.
• For cost, multiply the total squares by the price per square. Because vinyl siding usually comes in 200-square-foot packages, you may have to buy more than you need.
A retailer or installer will calculate how much vinyl siding your home requires. Here's how you can get a rough idea beforehand of what you'll need and spend without climbing a ladder:
• Multiply the height by the width of each rectangular section on your home, going by what you can measure from the ground.
• Multiply the approximate heights and base widths of your home's gables and other triangular parts. Then multiply each of the triangular totals by 0.50.
• Add the figures to get the total square footage. To allow for waste, don't subtract for windows, doors, and other areas that won't be covered.
• Divide the total square footage by 100 to estimate how many squares you'll need.
• For cost, multiply the total squares by the price per square. Because vinyl siding usually comes in 200-square-foot packages, you may have to buy more than you need.
