How to Remove Vinyl Siding for the Installation of a Door Home Guides. Becker Cpa 2015. The doors finish trim molding will cover imperfect cuts in the vinyl. Cutting vinyl siding to install a new exterior door is a tedious job, but its one that most moderately handy homeowners can manage. Vinyl siding comprises long, interlocking panels, special trim called J channel that finishes the ends of rows, and other trim pieces that vary based on the house and the brand of siding. After installing the new door, you will need new J channel trim around the door to finish the cut ends neatly. Consult with your siding manufacturer to learn whether other proprietary siding components are necessary when installing a door. Cut the Vinyl. Pry off trim molding surrounding the existing door, if applicable, with the flat end of a pry bar. Mark the perimeter of the opening for the new door onto the vinyl siding with a carpenters pencil in the location where the door will go. If you are widening an existing doorway to install a larger door jamb and door, align the bottom or threshold of the door opening with the existing threshold. Score the flat sections of the siding panels with a sharp utility knife, following the pencil lines that you traced for the perimeter of the new door. Drag the knife along the pencil lines several times until you cut through the vinyl. Cut through the curved, interlocking sections of the siding with metal snips, using the cuts that you made with the utility knife as access points through the vinyl for the snips. Make additional cuts along the pencil lines with the utility knife and snips as necessary. Separate the vinyl siding that you will keep around the outside of the new doorway from the siding that you need to remove to install the door, leaving no portion of the two sections connected. Many homeowners choose vinyl siding because it is relatively inexpensive, easy for a doityourselfer to install, resists insects and rot and never needs painting. In. Remove the Siding. Slip the curved end of a vinyl siding zip tool into the seam between two horizontally interlocking runs of siding that you need to remove. You might need to wiggle the tool to work it into the seam. A zip tool is a small, flat metal bar with a curved end. The curved end of the tool unlocks and separates the seam between two sections of siding. Pull the zip tool along the seam left to right, unlocking the panels along the joint. Repeat to unlock each row of siding inside the perimeter of the new doorway. Vinyl Siding A Wood Shed Plans For Folding Bookcase Vinyl Siding A Wood Shed Build Music Studio Desk Plans Diy Fold Up Bunk Bed Plans. Slip the forked end of a pry bar under the nail heads that fasten the rows of siding to the house. Pry out the siding nails and remove the siding. Things You Will Need. Pry bar. Carpenters pencil. How To Install J Channel Under Existing Siding' title='How To Install J Channel Under Existing Siding' />Utility knife. Metal snips. Vinyl siding zip tool. Tips. In many cases, it is better to reserve cutting the siding until just before installing the door. If you prepare the wall inside the house for the new door before cutting the siding on the outside of the house, the siding protects the opening in case you are interrupted and have to stop, or if inclement weather arises. If you are experienced with a circular saw, you can cut the siding along the pencil lines much more quickly. Set the blade to a shallow depth, make a plunge cut in the siding and cut along the pencil lines. Progressive Download Vs Streaming Download. Wear eye protection if you cut the siding with a circular saw. Warning. Age and cold weather make vinyl siding brittle. If the siding isnt flexible, cut as much of it with the utility knife as you can before using snips, or use a circular saw. Snips are more likely to break the vinyl if it is brittle. About the Author. Lee Carroll, a writer based in east Tennessee, has authored numerous law and DIY home improvement articles and essays. In addition to holding a degree in paralegal studies, she has more than 1. Photo Credits. Thomas NorthcutDigital VisionGetty Images.