Exterior Planning: How Much Siding Do You Really Need?

Calculating how much siding your home needs is an important part of your exterior upgrade, particularly in preparing a written estimate. While your siding contractor does the actual math, knowing how to estimate the amount of material needed for your project can help you make smart decisions.

Exterior Planning How Much Siding Do You Really Need

In today’s blog, V. Nanfito Roofing and Siding gives an in-depth discussion on calculating the siding material your home needs.

Wall Square Footage

Before anything else, you need to know your home’s wall square footage. Rectangular walls are the easiest ones to measure, as you will just need to multiply the width against the height. That said, gables and irregular walls can be difficult to compute. All openings, including windows and doors, must also be measured. To know the wall area that requires vinyl siding, subtract the combined areas of all the openings from the wall square footage and you have the answer.

Linear Area Factor

Since siding doesn’t lay flat out, you also need to factor in dressing and overlaps. For example, you have chosen an 8-inch wide beveled siding with an exposed face of 6.5 inches (0.5-inch dress and 1-inch overlap). To determine the lineal area factor, divide 12 inches (1 foot) by 6.5. The answer would be 1.84615385 or 1.85 when rounded off.

Total Amount of Siding You Need

Multiply the wall square footage against the lineal area factor to come up with the amount of siding you need. Let’s say you ended up with 220 square feet of footage. When you multiply it by the previous lineal area factor of 1.85, you’ll get 407 square feet of siding. Of course, you will need to add a bit of headroom for errors and other essential components. Seek the help of a trusted siding contractor for more precise measurement.

V. Nanfito Roofing and Siding provides top-quality siding, roofing, and gutters for local homeowners. Give us a call at (203) 639-1634 or complete our contact form if you need help with your exterior upgrade. We’ll be ready to assist you.