Anyone have ideas to patch a hole in steel siding?

[Brian Elfert]

I have seamless steel siding on my house. I cut an 2 1/4" hole a few years back for a pipe to discharge sump water. That plan didn't work and now I have a hole in my siding. Any ideas to patch the hole short of replacing the siding? It would probably be $1000 to replace that piece of siding as it is close to 30 feet long and it happens to have about a dozen penetrations as that is the side of the house with all the utilities.

My best idea is to enlarge the hole and install another electrical outlet, but not sure if I could do that. There are special plastic pieces installed under the siding anywhere there is an electrical box. I don't know if I can just plop an electrical box on the siding. (The siding is flat so no issues with angles.)

[Matt Meiser]

Extra exterior faucet? Make a trim piece from Azek or similar to make it look like it belongs.

Put a pipe back in and cap it, plant a bush in front.

[Erik Loza]

Make a sheet metal patch and then JB-Weld it in place?

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Michael Mahan]

Make a sheet metal patch and then JB-Weld it in place?

Erik Loza
Minimax USA
that and 4 sheet metal screws at the corners,
use silicone or roofing patch if you ever want to remove it instead of the JB Weld

[Jeff Erbele]

I would not replace a 30’ piece with a dozen penetrations. If it is like the seamless siding I had two houses ago, each piece is interlocked to the piece above and below it. It is a major project, if not a major pain. Plus you need to get the seamless siding company to come out for one piece, install the correct rollers with your siding design and pattern with a coil of steel the same color as yours. In theory your siding should not fade, but good luck with it not being noticeable.

I’m not sure what you are talking about regarding pieces of plastic behind outlets, but I think one could install a weather proof electrical box with screws, drilling clearance holes (holes slightly larger in diameter than the screw sized used), and screwing into the sheathing behind the siding.

If you don’t need another exterior outlet or faucet, or if installing one of those comes with other major obstacles, I think I would consider a blank cover for a weather proof outlet and silicone it over the hole and be done with it. Skip the gasket supplied with the cover; you don’t need it and it adds nothing useful. Or skip the silicone, use the gasket and screw the cover to the exterior of the house. Pick one.

I would buy a can of expanding foam insulation and fill the hole, let it cure and scrape off any protrusion.
I suppose you could paint the cover to match the siding, but that could cause an eye-sore later, if not done perfectly, the correct type of paint applied properly.

Other ideas include a large fender washer and toggle bolt or an expanding rubber plug without obtrusive / protruding hardware.
https://www.google.com/search?q=expanding+rubber+plug&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Finding a fender washer with an OD greater than 2 1/2" and a small ID of around 1/4 - 3/8" may be a feat.

If the hole is close to an outside faucet, a hose hanger would not look out of place, depending on the height of the hole.

The less whacky, the less noticeable, the better. If nobody looks at it twice or ever comments about it, you did it right.

[Mac McQuinn]

How about a simple disguise such as dryer vent, cable TV junction box, security camera or perhaps something usable such as a micro solar panel feeding a light for the area?
Mac

[Brian Elfert]

I looked at installing a dryer vent cover last summer, but they all have a pipe sticking out. I should see if the pipe can just be removed. This is really nice (and expensive!) Dutch lap style siding so I don't want to just install a metal patch over the hole.

I have attached a picture of a J box that is used where there are electrical outlets. The picture is actually for a hose bibb, but you get the idea.

[Matt Meiser]

What if you trim off that back flange and silicone the whole thing in place?

[George Bokros]

What if you trim off that back flange and silicone the whole thing in place?

If you have wood sheeting behind the siding you could screw the box to the sheeting after trimming off the back flange then install the outlet. If not wood sheeting then I would try Matts' suggestion.

George

[Mel Fulks]

Fiberglass or plastic half cannon ball held in place with magnets. Widely used at tourist sites.

[Bill Edwards(2)]

And if you had a dent in your car?

BONDO (or something similar)

Check with some place like NAPA for paint touch up.

[David Weaver]

the standard where I grew up was to patch holes with old license plates.

Of course, that was for wood siding and it was to keep rats out of corn, not to preserve good looks.

I would just make a patch and put it on with silicone. It may stay on, and if it doesn't, you can redo it without much damage (perhaps with silicone and short sheet metal screws).

[Kev Williams]

How big is the hole? If not too big, how about a plastic RV dryer vent? I believe they're 6x6"...You can lose the pipe on the back side, the louvers just lay down flush, you can paint it, and just a few dabs of silicone will probably hold it on, no extra screw holes... it will actually look like it 'has a use' without being overly conspicuous... ;)

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/vent.jpg

[Garth Sheane]

I wouldn't try to patch it so that it can't be seen. A disguise would be better. Make a nice cap out of a piece of tin, or even wood, and paint it. There may come a time when that access when come in handy. Anyway, don't make it look like a patch ... make it look like an access port.

[Brian Elfert]

Patch really wasn't the right word to use. Covering or disguising the hole is a better term. There is no way to patch the hole without it looking tacky. I'm going to look at some dryer vent covers this evening. I would like to see if I can find something that matches what I have already.

[Brad Adams]

I would have the siding company roll me a short section of the same color siding and just over lap the hole with a 4" or so section. Get a matching color caulk and seal it on with that. No fasteners needed. You will have to cut a little off the top where the nailing strip is. Do a neat job of trimming and it won't be that noticeable. If you have a short section laying around from the siding job, it would be when easier.

[Brian Elfert]

I'm torn between just covering the hole with a dryer vent or installing another electrical outlet. There is a outlet just around the corner about 8 feet away so I don't really need another electrical outlet. I would make the outlet live if I added another one so there would be a cost for wire and materials plus more time spent.

[Matt Meiser]

If you stick a dryer vent on with silicone, it should be pretty reversible down the road. For that matter, stick a blank outdoor electrical box cover on with silicone. Everyone will just assume its a junction box.

[Brian Elfert]

I had purchased a dryer vent, but I realized after opening it that the top and bottom edges are curved so that didn't work. I ended up buying an old style outside outlet cover and just installed that flush over the hole. It fit perfectly. There is no outlet, but there is a real outlet close by.