# Vinyl Siding Mounting Bracket?



## mcharkowski (Jan 25, 2004)

Accessory Warehouse sells these vinyl brackets, shaped like a couple of "clapboards" of vinyl siding on one side and flat on the other, for mounting DBS dishes. Has anyone tried these?

I'm moving into a new house that has vinyl siding and I don't want to do a roof mount (don't want holes in my brand new roof) and I think a pole mount is out of the question because of obstructions (trees).

If anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Here's the link to the viny siding bracket: Vinyl Siding Mounting Bracket

Here's a Picture:










Thanks for any help.


----------



## 88fan (Jan 22, 2004)

Hello there. I am an installer and the mount you show looks pretty cool for siding installation. However I'm sure its not cheap. Here is some ideas that I have done on installs. The cheapest way is to find some 1/2 inch plastic conduit and cut 4 pieces about 1/2 inch long each. Just place these between the mount and your siding. It will space the bracket out enough so as not to crush your siding. Also, it really does look Ok, or if you could find something already these dimensions that would work too. Alot of new construction homes are having trim pieces installed where the dish will go. All it really is is a square piece that you would normall mount an outdoor light or something on. Then they side around it. Just make sure you install a solid piece of wood behind it. Your dish wouldn't mount too well to a hollow piece of vinyl. This looks really well on nice homes. Hope this helps.


----------



## SSW_Exposure (Jan 28, 2004)

88fan said:


> The cheapest way is to find some 1/2 inch plastic conduit and cut 4 pieces about 1/2 inch long each. Just place these between the mount and your siding. It will space the bracket out enough so as not to crush your siding.


I usually use some large size nuts (from the nuts & bolt aisle in a hardware store). I think the size I use most are the 1/2" ones. Most of the time I put 2 behind the top 2 holes of the bracket, just below a 'ridge' of the siding. And then a 3rd in a center hole of the bracket close to below the next lower 'ridge'. If you were to use the bottom two holes most of the time you are on top of a ridge which still results in 'crushing'.

The other thing you need to think about is that your siding wants to 'move' (expand & shrink) with temperature change. To avoid problems with this, mount the dish at 'window level', where the siding pieces are shorter. Or on a short piece of siding near a corner.


----------



## bleeker (Feb 20, 2004)

I just used this very samne mount today, got it at accessorywarehouse.

Worked great for me.


----------



## Mike500 (May 10, 2002)

The key to mounting in vinyl siding is reinforcing the cavity under the siding.

As a professional installer, I found that the best way to mount in vinyl siding is a couple of cheap 2-1/2"x 12" pieces of 1/2" plywood and a tool called the "Malco" "side-swiper." $5 at Home Depot or Lowes. 

This tool lets you release the siding and to place the plywood into the cavities under the bulges of the siding. By releasing the bottom, you can see the nails that went into the studs and find the place to screw in the two center vertical screws.

While you're at Home Depot, pick up a small pack of Simpson Stong Tie 1/4"x3" 3/8" hex drive screws. They are a lot stronger than even 5/16" lags screws, and can be driven tight without predrilling into the wall studs. Four #14x 1-1/4" hardened hex head sheet metal screws from any hardware store (or the equivalent Simpson Strong tie 1/4"x 1-1/4" hex screws from Home Depot) will work great for the corners of the mounting bracket.

The plywood is needed, especially in new homes, where the sheathing may be thin cardboard of foam board. Even if the sheathing is osb, plywood or old wood siding, it helps to get a secure mount that doesn't move. The siding does not crush and stays in shape.

The "Side-Swiper" is also used to replace the siding.


----------

