Before you replace anything, find out what is behind it
The single most expensive mistake on an aluminum re-side is signing a contract before anyone has looked behind the panels. On a home from the 1958-1978 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. Every one of those changes the scope, and a contractor who quoted you 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 the aluminum you have
Viable when the metal is sound and undented. A proper job means pressure wash, chalk removal, a bonding primer made for oxidized 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.
Replace with insulated vinyl
The most common path, and modern insulated vinyl is genuinely better than the thin product that gave vinyl its reputation. You gain a real R-value on a wall that likely has none, you end the repainting cycle permanently, and the material cost is the lowest of the three.
Replace with fiber cement
The premium option. It holds paint, resists impact, does not dent, and reads correctly on the older architecture common in Ellicott City. It costs more up front and it is heavier to install, which is reflected in the labor.
New aluminum still has a place — on trim capping, soffit and fascia, and on 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 Ellicott City
- 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. Repaint, insulated vinyl, fiber cement, with what each one does and does not solve, in writing.
- If a storm caused it, we build the claim. Documented damage, matching analysis, and we meet your adjuster on site.
- Installation with the wall done properly — housewrap, flashing at every penetration, and the rot addressed before anything gets covered back up.
Areas we cover
- 21042
- 21043
- Valley Mede
- Font Hill
- Dunloggin
- Burleigh Manor
- Historic Ellicott City
Free Ellicott City aluminum siding replacement inspection
Photo condition report within 24 hours. No obligation — the report is yours either way, even if you never hire us.
Siding replacement across Ellicott City and Howard County
We work throughout Valley Mede, Font Hill, Dunloggin, Burleigh Manor and Historic Ellicott City, covering 21042, 21043. Because we hold a Maryland general contractor license, rot, framing, window replacement and roof-edge work found during a re-side get handled by the same crew under one contract instead of becoming your problem to coordinate.
Related work in Ellicott City: all siding services, window replacement, gutters, soffit and fascia, roof replacement.
Ellicott City siding replacement questions
Should I replace my aluminum siding 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 to add the insulation that a fifty-year-old wall does not have.
What do you usually find behind aluminum siding?
On a house of this age, the aluminum is often a jacket over the original wood siding. Behind it we commonly find no housewrap at all, gaps at penetrations, rot around windows and at the base of walls, and on anything built before 1978, lead paint on the original wood. None of that is a reason to panic — it is a reason to open a test section and know the scope before you sign anything.
Aluminum, vinyl, or fiber cement?
Vinyl is the cheapest and the most common replacement, and modern insulated vinyl is a real improvement over what was sold in the 90s. Fiber cement costs more, lasts longer, holds paint and is the choice when you care how the house reads. New aluminum still makes sense for trim capping, soffit and fascia, and on homes where matching an existing aluminum envelope matters. We price the options side by side rather than steering you.
Will insurance pay for aluminum siding replacement in MD?
It can, when the cause of loss is a covered peril like hail or wind rather than age and wear. The complication with aluminum is matching: when a damaged panel cannot be matched, many policies contemplate replacing a larger continuous section so the wall is uniform. That argument has to be made with evidence, which is exactly what the photo report and the on-site adjuster meeting are for.