BAD VIBES

It is nice to be remembered as a handyman, like when an old client has a problem and calls for help. It is even nicer, when I can help. I did some work for Janet and her family some years ago, and when she had this problem, it was nice that she called. This is how she explained her problem:
“We recently bought a new house. It is a two-story home with vinyl siding. We love it and everything is great until the wind blows. Then the siding vibrates very badly, so badly it feels like the whole house is vibrating, and it is also very loud. We are in a new subdivision that is currently very exposed to any wind. On the side that vibrates, there are only a few windows, and the vinyl siding goes from the foundation to roof. We are desperate enough that we are thinking about having the home re-sided with some other material. We know others that have vinyl siding and they don’t have the noise and vibration that we do. Is this a bad siding, or can something be done to correct the problem?"

A common problem with vinyl siding is not the siding it self, but a problem with the instalation. It is not uncommon to find that the installers did not consider the wind direction when they lapped the siding. Common vinyl siding is hung loosely to keep it looking straight.
Common vinyl comes in 12-foot lengths. The laps should be made into the wind, so the wind does not get under it. Roofers, when installing the ridge cap frequently make this same mistake.
I have seen some success in making the vibration stop when the overlapped seams are caulked with silicon, but this is not always a positive cure, but it is worth a try before residing the house.
If new siding is the option, a seamless vinyl is a better choice. The seamless, besides being one piece, is anchored, not hung like conventional siding. Oh how things change.