Paint if…
- Panels are straight and tight; the problem is chalking or fading
- Only a few dents, which can be filled or the panels swapped
- You plan to sell in the next few years and want a fresh look
- The house is in a historic district where the profile should stay
Replace if…
Vinyl $5.50–$8.50 per sq ft installed
- Hail dents cover the storm side or several walls
- Panels are loose, rattling or pulled from the wall
- You find wet or rotted sheathing behind the panels
- You do not want to repaint again in 8 to 10 years
- You want insulation added to an old, drafty house
| Repaint | New vinyl | New fiber cement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rough cost, 2,000 sq ft of wall | About a third to half of vinyl | $8,000–$16,000 | $14,000–$28,000 |
| Looks good for | 8–10 years | 20–40 years | 30–50 years; repaint at 15+ |
| Fixes dents | No (small ones filled) | Yes | Yes |
| Adds insulation | No | Yes, with insulated vinyl or foam board | Yes, with foam board |
| Lets us check the wall behind | No | Yes, with tear-off | Yes |
How aluminum siding should be painted
Most failed aluminum paint jobs failed at the prep. The order that works:
- Wash off all the chalk. Low-pressure wash with a siding cleaner and a brush until a wiped hand comes away clean. Paint over chalk peels.
- Treat bare and oxidized spots. Sand white oxidation near downspouts and the ground and spot-prime bare metal with a primer made for aluminum or galvanized metal.
- Use 100 percent acrylic exterior paint. Two coats, applied when the panels are not hot to the touch. Satin or low-lustre hides waves better than gloss.
- Stay a shade lighter. Dark colors heat the metal more and show oil-canning, the waviness of long flat panels.
Hoosier Cladding is a siding and trim contractor. We repaint the sections we repair so they blend; a whole-house repaint is a painting contractor’s job, and we will tell you honestly if your siding is a good candidate for one.
Covering aluminum with vinyl
Vinyl can be installed over one flat, tight layer of aluminum, often with foam board between them, which saves the tear-off cost of $1,000–$3,000. We still open the worst spots first; if the sheathing is wet we tear off. Read whether new siding can go over old for the full trade-off.
| What | Price range |
|---|---|
| Standard vinyl siding, installed | $5.50–$8.50 per square foot of wall |
| Insulated vinyl siding, installed | $7.50–$10.50 per square foot of wall |
| Old siding tear-off and disposal | $1,000–$3,000 per project |
The services involved
Questions people ask
Will aluminum siding rust?
No. Aluminum contains no iron, so it cannot rust. It oxidizes instead, which shows as a white, powdery coating on bare spots. Oxidation is cosmetic and is sanded and primed before painting. The steel nails and some older trim pieces can rust and leave streaks.
What kind of paint works on aluminum siding?
A 100 percent acrylic exterior latex paint over clean, chalk-free panels, with bare or oxidized spots first primed with a primer made for aluminum or galvanized metal. Oil-based paint becomes brittle on metal that expands and contracts every day, and it chalks faster.
Is painting aluminum siding a bad idea?
Not if the siding is sound and the prep is done right; it is a common, cost-effective way to refresh it. It is a bad idea over loose, heavily dented or wet-backed panels, because paint only changes the color, and over chalk, because the paint will peel within a year or two.