Aluminum Siding Repair

Aluminum is an extremely popular siding materials that are being used for better home improvement by homeowners. This is because of several advantages associated with using of aluminum siding on exterior walls of the house. It not just provides protection to the walls from the weather, but it also insulates the house effectively. It is an inexpensive material with high durability. The best part is aluminum siding repair and maintenance does not require much effort.

How to Repair Aluminum Siding?

Among the different types of house siding materials, aluminum siding is a better choice as it can sustain damages due to exposure to weather elements and other external factors. Some common forms of damages include dents, dings, holes and minor scratches. Following are the common methods of repairing aluminum siding:

Minor Scratch Repair
Slight scratch marks often appear on the surface of aluminum siding due to accidental rubbing of sharp objects against it. When these marks become visible, then it looks very ugly. You can fix this problem with a slight touch up, with paint. Identify the area of scratch marks and apply a coat of rust resistant primer suitable for aluminum metal on it. Wait for an hour so that the primer dries up thoroughly. Then apply a good quality acrylic paint on the primer coated aluminum surface to cover up the scratches.

Dent Repair
First of all, locate the center point of the dent and drill a small hole there. Insert a screw partly into the drilled hole. Hold the head of the screw with the help of a pair of pliers and pull the screw carefully. This will help the dented surface to pop out. If the dent is big enough then you can drill two holes and put two screws into them and pull them one by one. Take out the screw from the hole and sand the area with a sandpaper. Wipe off the sanded dust, and fill the drilled hole by applying automotive body filler. Allow the filler to dry and then add a coat of metal primer on the repaired section. When the primer is dry, paint the repaired surface with two coats of acrylic paint.

Corroded Surface Repair
If the siding undergoes corrosion, then white residues fall from it and make the surface rough and damaged. To tackle this problem, scrub the siding thoroughly with fine steel wool to get rid of all the loosely bound debris and then wash off. Let the siding dry up completely. Then apply a coat of primer followed by an acrylic paint. Make sure that the paint is applied only after the primer coat has dried up.

Siding Replacement
If any portion of the siding has sustained severe damage, then there is no choice but to replace the section with a new strip of siding. This aluminum siding repair job is slightly more difficult as compared to those that have been discussed above. Mark the damaged section of the siding with vertical lines and cut out carefully, the lower portion of the damaged siding only keeping the upper part intact using tin snips and utility knife. Measure the size of the entire damaged part and find out a replacement siding whose size is 6 inches more than the length of the damaged part. This will enable the replacement patch to overlap with the main siding by 3 inches on each side. Cut off the nailing strip from this piece. Apply a generous amount of polyurethane caulk or silicone sealant on its side and bottom edges. Similarly, spread it on the damaged part of the siding panel too. Now, slide the replacement patch into the damaged cut out area, and fit it under the upper and lower rows of the main siding panel.

Do not forget to protect yourself with appropriate protective gear like goggles, facials mask, gloves, etc. If you feel the repair work that involves siding replacement is a tough job, do not hesitate to hire a professional.