Why the aluminum is there in the first place
The four things we find behind it
- Original wood siding, usually intact. Sometimes in good enough shape to restore, which is worth knowing before you cover it again — particularly in neighborhoods where original materials affect value.
- No housewrap or building paper. Extremely common on this vintage. The wall has been relying on the wood and the aluminum with nothing in between managing water. Any modern re-side should correct this.
- Rot, concentrated in predictable places. The base of walls where splash-back hits, around and under window openings, at the intersection with decks and porches, and anywhere a downspout has been discharging against the wall for decades.
- Lead paint, on anything pre-1978. Residential lead paint was banned in 1978. Older wood siding under aluminum frequently still carries it, and it is often in better condition than exposed painted wood because it has been protected.
What the lead paint issue actually means
It is a process requirement, not a catastrophe. The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires that contractors disturbing painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing be certified and follow containment and cleanup practices. Maryland has its own registration and inspection requirements for affected rental property under state lead law.
In practice this means the contractor has to be RRP-certified and has to work in a way that contains the dust. What it should not mean is a surprise. A contractor who quotes your re-side without addressing a pre-1978 build date is either not planning to comply or is planning to hand you a change order once the walls are open.
The asbestos question
Less common under aluminum than people fear, but worth knowing: some homes of this era have asbestos-cement shingle siding rather than wood underneath, and asbestos was also used in some sheathing and insulation products. It is identified by testing, not by looking, and if it is present it changes who is allowed to disturb it and how.
The practical takeaway
Open a test section before anyone gives you a final number. It takes minutes, it is non-destructive to the rest of the wall, and it is the difference between a fixed price and an estimate that will move. We do this at the free inspection as a matter of course on any home from this era, and we tell you what is there whether or not the answer is convenient for us.
Get it looked at, free
We inspect across Maryland — Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, Anne Arundel, Frederick, Carroll and Baltimore counties. Free inspection, photo report within 24 hours, and the report is yours to keep whether or not you hire us.