Cut Hole Through Wall With Aluminum Siding

I want to install a bathroom vent fan that vents to the exterior of the house straight through the wall.

Cut hole through wall with aluminum siding.

Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade. Cut metal with your circular saw. Hot metal chips will fly everywhere. Be sure to work slowly in order to maintain the proper form.

It may not be an obvious choice but fitted with the right blade a circular saw is a great metal cutting tool. When using a hole saw to drill the hole in aluminum siding keep the saw slightly tilted to one side to reduce the chances that the hole saw will bind while cutting the hole. Step 2 cut the width. Cut hole in aluminum siding for bathroom vent fan my house has aluminum siding.

Tons of companies make similar tools. In our test it cut through rebar like a hot knife through butter. You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in. I have an ancient dewalt 660 with a circle cutting attachment.

While cutting at the width of the aluminum siding make use of straight tin snips. Cut across the contours of the aluminum siding with a radial arm saw. 6 pull the wall cap and duct out of the wall. Apply a thick bead of silicone adhesive.

Here s one that claims to come with a circle cutting attachment for 15. Use the panel to reduce the risk of snags while cutting. Remember that any imperfections to your cutting will be covered by the thimble. It s basically a smallish router and used all the time for cutting holes in drywall shower walls etc.

Then using a jigsaw cut on the line from hole to hole until you have completed the circle you may need to find blades that will go all the way through otherwise you will need to repeat this process from both sides which is a bit of a pain. If you notice that the saw binds pull the hole saw away from the siding tilt the hole saw in a different direction and restart drilling the hole. Use a nibbler to cut in a straight line. Drill pilot holes through the screw holes on the wall cap and through the mounting block siding and wall.