Hang a Window Box on Vinyl Siding

HOW to INSTALL a  WINDOW BOX to VINYL SIDING

 

 Gutter Gardens™ MAKES A DURABLE window Box that will never fail. GUTTER GARDENS™  is not responsible for damage to old/fragile vinyl or for improper mounting based on the setting at your location.

 Find a seam under the window. Stick your fingers into the seam and pull down on the outside piece until it unlocks. (They do make a zip lock tool especially for this you can buy at a box store for less than $10 ) Once the siding is loose, check for under-layment. If it’s solid wood (as in the window frame made with 2 x 4s) you can attach the planters where you want them. If it’s foam, find the studs and mark them.

 

 

(OR another method is to find the studs from the inside of the house, mark them on the inside windowsill…then transfer the stud locations to the outside window sill to align the screws.)

 

Punch or drill ¼ “holes (slightly larger than the shank of the provided screws) into the siding where the studs line up. The siding has to be able to move and using holes the same size as screws restricts the movement and can cause buckling in hot weather-especially if you use more than one screw in a piece of siding. Relock the siding after marking the studs and pre-drilling pilot holes. If the siding is flexible, you can use a hole punch where the screws go…this will help avoid cracking the siding with a drill. The holes should be ¼”. Re attach the siding with the pilot holes lined up w/ the pre-drilled/punched holes.

 When attaching the planter, don’t bind the siding. 

We recommend using a clear, silicon sealant/caulk around the screws.This will keep moisture from getting behind the siding.

We’ve included a sample shim w/ a punched hole you may want to use to reinforce the area behind the vinyl. Vinyl patterns vary so experiment with what type of weatherproof shims might work best if your siding requires extra support. Similar shims are available at Home Improvement stores.

Included in purchase of Window Box:

• Enough 1 ½”-2” long hex head/slotted stainless steel screws for mounting approx. every 12 inches. Try to use holes nearest endcaps as they hold the most weight.
  • Pre-drill pilot holes using a 1/8” drill bit.
• 1 bracket for center of planters over 36” long. This bracket grabs the top lip and then attached by screw into the center stud.
• Enough 1” OD Nylon and stainless steel washers for the screws. The nylon washer should touch the back of the planter with the SS washer on top of it and the screw on top of/through the SS washer.
• 1 extra rivet to place in hole in the top of an end-cap to use if the filtered drainage becomes clogged. This is a new feature we have added to accommodate those rare situations where the planter is not draining well…just poke the rivet up through the drainage holes on the bottom of the planter. Sometimes the potting mix will clog the drainage holes.

There are a number of You Tube videos that suggest various other methods of installing a window box onto vinyl siding. And other videos on how to drill pilot holes.  You might want to review them prior to beginning this project.