Find out what is behind it before you sign anything
The most expensive mistake on a re-side is signing a contract before anyone has looked behind the panels. On stock of this era we routinely find original wood siding still in place, no housewrap or building paper, rot at the base of walls and around window openings, and on anything predating 1978, lead paint on the wood underneath. On the older county stock, asbestos-cement shingle under the aluminum is a real possibility — if we find it, work stops and it goes to a licensed abatement contractor before anything else happens. Every one of those changes the scope, and a contractor who quoted without knowing will either eat the difference or come back with a change order. We open a test section at the inspection so the number you get is the number.
Your three real options
Repaint what you have
Viable when the metal is sound and undented. A proper job means pressure wash, chalk removal, a bonding primer made for oxidised aluminum, and two coats of a quality acrylic. Done right it buys ten to fifteen years. Done as a quick spray-over, it peels inside two.
Insulated vinyl
The most common path, and modern insulated vinyl is genuinely better than the thin product that gave vinyl its reputation. You gain real R-value on a wall that likely has none and you end the repainting cycle permanently.
Fiber cement
The premium option. It holds paint, resists impact, does not dent, and reads correctly on the older architecture common in Dundalk. It costs more up front and it is heavier to install, which shows in the labour.
New aluminum still has a place — trim capping, soffit and fascia, cornice work, and homes where you are matching an existing aluminum envelope you intend to keep. We will tell you when that is the right answer.
How it works in Dundalk
- Free inspection and photo report within 24 hours, including an opened test section so you see the wall assembly rather than guessing at it.
- Three priced options, side by side, with what each does and does not solve, in writing.
- If a storm caused it, we build the documentation and meet your adjuster on site.
- Installation with the wall done properly — housewrap, flashing at every penetration, rot addressed before anything gets covered back up.
Areas we cover
- 21222
- 21219
- 21220
- Dundalk Village
- St. Helena
- Turner Station
- Colgate
- Eastfield
- Gray Manor
- Watersedge
- Sparrows Point
- Edgemere
Free Dundalk aluminum siding replacement inspection
Photo condition report within 24 hours. No obligation — the report is yours either way, even if you never hire us.
Permits, jurisdiction and review in Dundalk
Dundalk work is permitted through Baltimore County's Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections. Dundalk is unincorporated Baltimore County. County permits, county inspectors — not the city, even though the mailing address and the ZIP make it look like Baltimore to anyone unfamiliar with the line.
We pull the permit. If a contractor asks you to pull your own permit for roofing work, that is a signal about their licensing, not a convenience for you. We carry MHIC #111971 in Maryland, and the number is on every proposal so you can verify it before you sign.
Where we work in Dundalk
Crews cover Dundalk Village, St. Helena, Turner Station, Colgate, Eastfield, Gray Manor, Watersedge, Sparrows Point and Edgemere, across 21222, 21219, 21220. The planned blocks are tight, with shared alleys and rear parking pads that limit dumpster placement. The detached streets are straightforward.
Related in Dundalk: roof repair, roof replacement, storm damage, aluminum siding repair, aluminum siding replacement. See also what drives roof replacement cost here and how a Maryland roof insurance claim works. Water coming in right now? Emergency leak response.
Dundalk siding replacement questions
Should I replace the aluminum or repaint it?
If the metal is sound and undented, a professional repaint is a legitimate option and buys roughly ten to fifteen years for a fraction of the cost. Replacement is the right call when panels are dented or punctured, when oxidation has gone past the point where coating will bond, when the trim and corner posts have failed too, or when you want insulation a decades-old wall does not have.
Aluminum, vinyl, or fiber cement?
Vinyl is the cheapest and most common replacement, and modern insulated vinyl is a real improvement on what gave vinyl its reputation. Fiber cement costs more, lasts longer, holds paint and reads correctly on older architecture. New aluminum still makes sense for trim capping, soffit and fascia and where you are matching an existing aluminum envelope. We price all three side by side instead of steering you.
What is behind the siding on a Dundalk house?
This is aluminum country. The post-war stock was clad or re-clad in aluminum on a huge scale and most of it is original, which puts it well past the point where the factory finish holds colour. Under it we routinely find the original wood siding, no housewrap, and on the older streets asbestos-cement shingle. Aluminum dents rather than cracking, which means storm damage is real and documentable even when the panel is still shedding water.
Will insurance pay for it?
It can, when the cause of loss is a covered peril rather than age and wear. The wrinkle with aluminum is matching: when a damaged panel cannot be matched, some policies contemplate a larger continuous section so the wall is uniform. That argument has to be made with evidence. Whether it succeeds is your carrier's determination under your policy.