We have a satellite dish attached to the side of the house from the previous owner, and it's unused. As it's sort of an eyesore, we'd like to remove it. What is the best way to do this? It seems straight-forward to get it off the wall (it's at head-level), but what should we do with the holes left behind? I'm not sure what the composition of the siding is, or the composition of what is beyond the siding. What's the appropriate product for filling that hole? Also, the cable goes up under the gutter into the attic above the garage. It's possible I might be able to pull it up but I'll have to look at the access I have. I suppose I might be able to just cut it at the gutter level as well. Looks like a simple job, but just want to make sure I've got the right idea before going out and buying supplies.
Cleanest way to remove and patch holes from this unused satellite dish on side of house
siding
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The purpose of the extension on a frost free faucet is to get the valve itself in a heated space inside of your home so that it could never freeze (see the below diagram). If you only have an inch or so of insulation that's being penetrated by these plumbing pipes, it's likely that the valve would still reach the freezing point inside of your wall. So any type of build out on the outside of your home to mount the faucet is defeating the purpose of the extension. The proper way to use this type of faucet would be to build out something on the inside of your home, which I'm guessing isn't possible, or at least unattractive in your situation.
Therefore, I'd recommend getting in the habit of shutting off the water on the inside, possibly replacing the shutoff valve with a quarter turn ball valve so that it's quick, easy, and obvious when it's been done. You want to open the outside faucets when the water has been shut off so that the lines are empty when they do eventually freeze. After they've been left to drain for a day, I cover my outdoor faucets with insulating covers. This is also a good time to drain the hoses and bring them into a protected location (e.g. a garage or shed).
Both vinyl and aluminum have similar issues regarding thermal expansion. The siding must be installed with a gap to fixed objects in order for there to be room for expansion. If this is not done, the siding will expand against the obstruction. Not being able to move in that direction, it will buckle along it's length, causing unsightly bulges.
Therefor, J-channel is a common element in installation of both materials and is readily available in both aluminum and vinyl. I would consider J-channel the best solution, but it does involve more work than simply re-caulking.
Best Answer
Once you remove the dish you can simply fill the holes with silicone caulk. The key is to keep moisture and insects from getting under the siding. There are various colors to choose from. You're not going to get a perfect match but those holes aren't large so probably not a big deal. The cable can be clipped off at the soffit or pulled out completely.