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Siding · You can handle this one

Cracks in vinyl rather than dents

Older vinyl goes brittle with UV and fractures instead of denting. Replacement panels for discontinued profiles are often unobtainable, and that decides whether a repair is realistic.

Quick answerNew vinyl flexes when it’s hit. Old vinyl, after years of sun, loses that flexibility and cracks or shatters instead, especially in cold weather. A few cracked panels can be swapped out one at a time with a cheap unlocking tool. The real question is whether you can find panels that match. You can handle this one yourself. No call needed.

A crack in vinyl is a small hole in your rain screen. It won’t flood the wall overnight, but it lets water reach the housewrap behind it. Replacing the panel, or at least sealing the crack, keeps a cosmetic problem from becoming a wall problem.

1Why old vinyl cracks

  • UV exposure. Years of sun make vinyl stiffer and more brittle. Sunny walls are usually the worst.
  • Cold. Vinyl is more brittle in cold weather. A hit that would dent it in summer can crack it in winter.
  • Impacts. Hail, mower stones, balls and ladders are the usual causes.

2How to check what you’re dealing with

  1. Count the cracksA few isolated cracks are a repair. Cracks across many panels on a sunny wall mean the vinyl is near the end of its life.
  2. Press near the crackIf the panel is stiff and makes a crisp sound, the vinyl has gone brittle.
  3. Look for a matchCheck for leftover panels in the garage or attic. Note the profile and exposure, and take a sample piece to a supplier.
  4. Look behind itIf you can see the wrap through the crack, check it’s intact and dry.

3Fixing it

Do it yourself

  • Use a siding unlocking tool to unhook the panel above
  • Pull the nails, remove the cracked panel and slide in the new one
  • Nail in the center of the slots and leave the nails slightly loose so the panel can move
  • If no match exists, borrow a panel from a hidden wall and put the closest match there

Hire a pro

  • The damage is on a second story
  • Many panels are cracked and you’re weighing a re-side
  • The cracks came from a storm you are claiming

If you can’t get a panel right away, a clear exterior sealant over the crack is a stopgap. It’s not a repair.

Work in mild weather

Brittle vinyl breaks more easily when it’s cold. Do the swap on a warm day, and don’t lean a ladder against the siding.

4What drives the cost

A panel or two is a small materials cost. The price grows when no match exists and a full wall has to be redone, or when widespread brittleness makes repair impractical.

Siding cost

5Questions

Can I glue a cracked vinyl panel?

You can seal it as a temporary fix, but the crack will show and can grow. Replacing the panel is the real repair.

What if I can’t find a matching panel?

Move a panel from a hidden spot, such as behind a deck or on a side wall, to the visible spot and put the closest match where no one looks.

Does cracking mean I need new siding?

Not for a few cracks. If cracks keep appearing across a whole sunny wall, the vinyl is near the end of its life.

Written by Jaylan Jones. I Like To Exterior Services earns a referral fee when a call connects to a contractor. See our business-model disclosure.