# Best way to cut through siding? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645 "2008-05-26T13:26:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/1 "2008-05-26T13:26:14Z")
So I’m planning to install a door from my garage to my backyard. As for framing the door there’s plenty of tutorials online and they are all about the same, so I’m not worried about that part. The part I’m worried about is cutting the opening. The garage (and house) has aluminum siding on it. The options I have available are a sawzall, a circular saw or a rotozip. The rotozip would be hard to keep straight and would probably take an hour and three bits to do the job. The cirular saw was my first thought but I’m worried about kickback as I work my way up. Does the sawzall seem like the way to go? Oh, and just a hacksaw bit I’m guessing? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/2 "2008-05-26T14:04:01Z")
I cut through an alumminum door to put a doggie door in with a sawzall. It was not fun but it worked. I suspect that siding would give up a little easier than a door Be carfull that there are no wires in the wall. Pull down drywall first. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/3 "2008-05-26T14:37:22Z")
The tool of choice for a carpenter would be the sawzall. ---
**Author:** ![Mongo\_Ponton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Mongo\_Ponton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mongo_Ponton)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/4 "2008-05-26T15:06:49Z")
Smooth plywood blade turned backwards in a circular saw. Wear your saftey glasses as it will spit out little pieces of aluminum. They’ll sting a little but they won’t cut you but I wouldn’t want to get hit in the eye. It will give you a nice clean edged cut very quickly. Think carefully about where exactly you want to cut. You’re going to want to put some j channel around the perimeter of the door and the siding should have about a quarter inch to move around in the j channel. ---
**Author:** ![MiZoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/54ee81/32.png) [@MiZoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MiZoom)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/5 "2008-05-26T15:11:44Z")
The circular saw is best, except of course for the very corners, where a sawsall finishes the job. ---
**Author:** ![Mongo\_Ponton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Mongo\_Ponton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mongo_Ponton)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/6 "2008-05-26T15:14:55Z")
Oh, and it makes the most horrible screaching noise you ever heard in your life. Maybe some ear protection. But you’ll be done in 3 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/7 "2008-05-26T16:09:12Z")
Best choice is an angle grinder fitted with a metal cutoff wheel. A mechanic at an architectural door company showed me that setup, and it was wonderful how smooth and controllable it was. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/8 "2008-05-26T18:26:52Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] Best choice is an angle grinder fitted with a metal cutoff wheel. A mechanic at an architectural door company showed me that setup, and it was wonderful how smooth and controllable it was. [/QUOTE] That’s what the guy at Lowes suggested. :smack: I didn’t even think of it because I don’t own one. However I do have access to one. That will probably be the tool of choice. Oh and luckily this is an unfinished garage so no drywayll, no wires, no pipes. Nothing in the way except the siding and that backboard stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/9 "2008-05-26T19:30:37Z")
eye protection Eye Protection **EYE PROTECTION!** Sorry didn’t mean to yell, but dammit wear your eye protection. ---
**Author:** ![Unix\_Geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unix_geek/32/19368_2.png) [@Unix\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unix_Geek)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/10 "2008-05-26T19:47:10Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] eye protection Eye Protection **EYE PROTECTION!** Sorry didn’t mean to yell, but dammit wear your eye protection. [/QUOTE] And here is why: [http://www.firesteedsoftware.com/eye\_safety.wmv](http://www.firesteedsoftware.com/eye_safety.wmv) Really funny video by a buddy who basically lost an eye doing work around the house. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/11 "2008-05-26T20:34:21Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] eye protection Eye Protection **EYE PROTECTION!** Sorry didn’t mean to yell, but dammit wear your eye protection. [/QUOTE] I always do. Well after the last time I was using a circular saw in an odd position and wound up with a face full of sawdust I do. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/12 "2008-05-26T22:06:34Z")
Any construction, yes you need to wear eye protection. Even sports. I played water vollyball back on the 10th of May. It got a little cloudy. And one fellow wondered why I was still wearing my sun glasses. I wear them for good reason. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/13 "2008-05-27T03:05:26Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] That’s what the guy at Lowes suggested. :smack: I didn’t even think of it because I don’t own one. However I do have access to one. That will probably be the tool of choice. Oh and luckily this is an unfinished garage so no drywayll, no wires, no pipes. Nothing in the way except the siding and that backboard stuff. [/QUOTE] Yeah-ever since then I probably use the angle grinder half the time for cutoff work. If you have a friend who can help you, let them hold a piece of 1 x lumber as a straightedge. Slide the wheel guard along the edge of the lumber for a nice, straight, cut. For sure on the eye protection. If you’ve ever had a cutoff wheel fracture, pieces go everywhere, fast. You’ll pick bits out of your hair, later. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/14 "2008-05-27T03:45:19Z")
[QUOTE=Unix Geek] And here is why: [http://www.firesteedsoftware.com/eye\_safety.wmv](http://www.firesteedsoftware.com/eye_safety.wmv) Really funny video by a buddy who basically lost an eye doing work around the house. [/QUOTE] Okay, I have to ask, since it wasn’t explained well in the video… A) Did he say donkey cunt? B) Why did his trimmer start so well and mine never does (shush I know it was warmed up) c) HOW did he stick a pliers in his eye? I’ve never worn saftey glasses while using a pliers, I’ve never considered it, I’ve never said “Boy, I might stick this in my eye if I’m not careful” Other things yes, pliers, no. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/15 "2008-05-27T07:54:51Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] For sure on the eye protection. If you’ve ever had a cutoff wheel fracture, pieces go everywhere, fast. You’ll pick bits out of your hair, later. 🆒 [/QUOTE] I had a cutoff wheel on a dremel shatter a week or two back. Afterwards, thinking about rattling sound made by small pieces of cutoff wheel hitting my safety goggles was kind of re-assuring and scary at the same time. Particularly when from the little cut in my forehead I know how fast the little bastards were moving. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cut-through-siding/450645/16 "2008-05-27T13:59:55Z")
Even if they don’t shatter, when you are using them, they will throw little pieces of hot aluminum everywhere. Not to mention little pieces of worn away grinding wheel.