Vinyl Siding Accessories

Vinyl siding accessories include everything from door and window trims to gutter wraps, soffit panels and more. In fact, no siding replacement or installation project is complete without siding accessories to dress things up and finish up all the loose ends. Many accessories can be found in a vinyl installation kit, but you may find that you have to buy some accessory parts separately. You might also save money by buying only the accessories that you need.

“Despite the name, vinyl siding accessories are still very much a necessary part of any vinyl installation project. Here is a list of some accessories you may want. Also see our additional article on vinyl siding accessory installation.”

A List Of Common Vinyl Siding Accessories

Soffits
The material used to cover the underneath of the overhang of your roof or eaves. Soffits should be installed lengthwise from the wall to the fascia. The soffits generally use the same color as the fascia, especially when they are easily noticed. They are typically made out of aluminum rather than vinyl, but either material can be used. Soffits are especially important for the venting of your roof as they allow the intake of air up into the eaves and roof.

Soffit Channels
These are used to keep the soffit panels attached to the wall.

Gable Vents
The design of gable vents vary widely, but they all share the common purpose of increasing the ventilation in the roof of your home. You can find gable vents in a variety of architectural details and styles, as well as a variety of different types of materials.

Utility Vents
Vent openings are incomplete without the finishing touches of siding accessories. Utility vent covers help to give your vents a polished, finished look.









Molding And Trim Accessories
These help improve the look of the corners, making it look professionally installed and more resistant to the weather. Without trim and molding siding accessories, the wind could easily rip the siding right off of your walls. Or you might have problems with moisture due to an inadequate weather barrier. Important types of trim include starter strips, F and J Channels, drip caps and the molding that goes around your doors and windows. Trim around your windows and doors helps to provide a finished look and hold the siding into place. Under sill trim is absolutely necessary to lock the siding into place.

J and F Channels
These are a type of trim that goes around your doors and windows that leaves a channel for the siding to lock into.

Starter Strips
These are another type of trim, and a good example of an accessory that is absolutely essential, and not just a decorative touch. You need starter strips to begin the first row of the siding. You have to install and level a starter strip all the way around your home before you start to actually install the vinyl siding. This is what you lock the first panel into. Without it, your siding will not stay in place.

Decorative Accessories And Additional Features
Some types of accessories are mainly for appearances or can provide additional features that you are looking for. For example, shutters are used mainly to improve the look of your home, although you can also buy ones that are functional as well. Mounting blocks or lighting blocks are used to mount meters, lighting or around any rough openings that you may have to have in your siding. Lastly, you can choose any number of architectural details such as window and door décor or house numbers that spruce up the look of your home.

Inside And Outside Corner Posts
These posts are used to finish the edge where two corners meet. The siding from each wall comes together and locks into the post channels. You will need to match the channel openings to your type of vinyl siding. You can also choose more decorative types of outside corners, such as keyed corners, which have a very distinctive architectural style.