If your home has aluminum siding, what’s behind it is often a surprise. Here’s what we typically find when it comes off, and what it means for a re-side.
Aluminum siding went on a lot of Colorado homes between the 1950s and the 1970s, and most of it is still there. If yours is one of them, what sits behind those panels matters more than the panels themselves. Here’s what we typically find when aluminum comes off, and what it means if you’re thinking about replacing it.
What We Usually Find Underneath
On a Colorado home with original aluminum siding, here’s what’s typically back there, in no particular order.
Fanfold Insulation Board
Thin foam board, usually a quarter to half an inch, is fixed to the wall before the aluminum goes on. It was sold as insulation, and it adds roughly R-1 to R-2, which is modest. Its real job was to give the panels a flat surface to sit against.
The Original Siding
A lot of aluminum went on over existing wood siding rather than instead of it. That’s worth knowing because it means two layers come off, the wall underneath hasn’t been seen in fifty years, and the original siding may be hiding damage nobody has looked at.
Sheathing, Or Not
Plywood or board sheathing on most homes, though some older construction has neither, with siding fixed straight to the studs. That changes what a re-side involves considerably.
Often No Water-Resistive Barrier
This is the one that matters. House wrap wasn’t standard until the 1980s, so many aluminum-sided homes have building paper, or nothing at all, between the siding and the sheathing.
That’s the single biggest improvement a re-side delivers on a home of this age: a proper drainage plane behind the cladding, which is what actually keeps water out of your wall.
Occasionally, Asbestos
On homes built before the 1970s, aluminum was sometimes installed over asbestos cement siding. It’s not a hazard while it’s intact and undisturbed, but it changes how the removal has to be handled. See our guide to asbestos siding replacement if that’s a possibility on your house.
Are Aluminum Sidings Worth It?
Aluminum siding is a popular choice for homeowners for several reasons:
- It won’t rot, rust, or feed insects. Aluminum is non-combustible and chemically stable, so the material itself lasts decades. What ages are the finishes: older enamel coatings, chalk, leaving a powdery residue that comes off on your hand, and that’s usually what prompts a repaint or replacement.
- It comes in various colors and styles: Aluminum siding is available in a wide range of colors, so you can find an option that best suits your home’s style. It is also available in various finishes, such as matte, gloss, and texture.
- Complete replacement can modernize the exterior: If your aluminum siding is aging or broadly damaged, a complete replacement evaluation can identify the right scope and create the opportunity to update the home’s color, style, weather barrier, and exterior performance.
- Hail is the honest caveat. Aluminum is soft, and it dents more readily than almost any other cladding. Heavier gauges hold up better, but on the Front Range, this is the main reason aluminum lost ground to harder materials.
- It is recyclable: Aluminum siding is 100% recyclable, making it a very eco-friendly option.
Aluminum suits homeowners who want low upkeep and don’t mind the look, and individual damaged panels can be replaced without redoing a whole elevation, though matching a decades-old color is difficult. On cost, aluminum sits below fiber cement and above vinyl. And it’s worth saying plainly that aluminum has effectively no insulating value, so if your home is cold, the siding isn’t the fix. The insulation behind it is.
If you are considering aluminum siding for your home, it is essential to consult a professional siding contractor to get an accurate estimate of the costs. They will also be able to advise you on whether or not aluminum siding is the best option for your home.
Thinking About Replacing Yours?
If your aluminum is chalking, dented across an elevation, or you simply want to know what’s behind it, that’s worth finding out before you spend money either way. We’ve been taking aluminum off Colorado homes since 1999, and what we find underneath varies more than people expect.
Contact GS Exterior Experts for a free estimate, and we’ll tell you what’s there before we quote the work.
