Atlanta experiences its share of rough weather, so it's important that you install quality siding that can protect your home from everything from thunderstorms, heavy rains, high winds, hail, and even tornadoes and the leftovers from hurricanes and tropical storms that come up from the gulf. With that kind of a climate, there are not many siding materials that you can count on to fit the bill. Atlanta metal siding, however, is one of them. Metal siding in Atlanta is one of the toughest siding products on the market, and when you take into account advances in protective coatings and the introduction of seamless steel siding into the mix, it's tough to find a siding product that is better suited to dealing with the weather events that north central Georgia throws at Atlanta metro area homes.
Atlanta Metal Siding is the Answer to Weather in the A-T-L
At first glance, Atlanta's climate seems like a fairly moderate one. Aside from the occasional one or two inch snowstorm and a few weeks out of the year when you might want to break out a heavy coat, the climate in Atlanta seems pretty even keel. Compare that to Minneapolis-St. Paul, with an average annual temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and Boston, where Nor'easters, offshore storms, and occasional hurricanes are to be expected, and it's easy to see why homeowners look the other way when it comes to Atlanta's climate. Look a little closer, however, and it becomes clear that pleasant year round temperatures are deceiving. Atlanta weathers major thunderstorms, tornadoes, and tropical depressions that can all present major affronts to Atlanta homes (read up on what the leftovers of Hurricane Opal brought to Atlanta in '98, and the damage caused by Dunwoody tornado in '98, if you have any doubts). That mix of weather requires a siding that sports a combination of toughness, protection, and longevity that is rare in the siding world. Fortunately, metal siding in Atlanta meets all the criteria.
Atlanta Metal Siding and Durability
When it comes to siding materials that take a licking and keep on ticking, steel siding tops the list. After all, it's made of steel. We're talking the stuff that armored cars and bank vaults are made of. Of course, there's no steel siding available that comes in 6 inch gauge, but even at a fraction of an inch, steel siding still resists impacts from hail and debris carried by high winds better than anything else on the market.
Atlanta Steel Siding and Protecting your Home
The durability of steel siding in Atlanta is an instant plus when it comes to protecting your home from the elements, but the benefits of metal siding go beyond that. Seamless steel siding, if you can afford it, seals your home up better than any other siding material, period. That's nothing to scoff at considering Atlanta's average of 50 plus inches of precipitation a year. Seamless steel siding is cut on site to perfectly fit your home's measurements, without splices and joints that can allow moisture to work its way behind the siding material, where the real damage occurs. Undoubtedly you're asking yourself "what about the drought years that started in 2006?" Droughts are temporary. Ask the residents of Denver, Colorado. As recently as 2004, they were taking 5 minute showers and prohibited from watering their lawns. Not so anymore, and the same is true of Atlanta. After all, it's a humid subtropical climate, according to the Kloppen Classification scale, and that means moisture is going to be an issue for Atlanta metal siding as the years roll by.
Atlanta Metal Siding and Longevity
Finally, if you're a money wise homeowner (and most Atlantans are), you're concerned with longevity. After all, what's the use of shelling out for superior performing siding if you're going to have to replace it every few decades? Steel siding is manufactured for the long haul. Rust used to be an issue, especially if the paint was scratched and bare metal was exposed. The introduction of baked-on coatings to the home building industry has changed that, however. Baked-on paint coatings have all but eliminated the potential for rust to develop on your steel siding, and they've also increased the lifespan of steel siding by reducing the color fading that was a problem with earlier versions of this siding material. Even newer baked-on vinyl coatings have only added to the long-lasting reputation of metal siding in Atlanta, and it adds another benefit to this siding that has long been a concern for homeowners: looks. Vinyl allows for intricate textures to be molded onto the siding, creating the tight grains and texture associated with wood siding to a level never seen before.
If you think metal siding in Atlanta might be the right fit for your home, talk to several siding contractors in Atlanta about what it's going to take to clad your home in this highly regarded material. In fact, since contractors in Georgia aren't required to obtain a license, talking to several contractors is not only your avenue to getting the best deal on your siding, it's also the best way to weed out "contractors" who are in over their heads when it comes to installing siding on your home. 
Matt Goering, formerly a carpenter and house painter, is a freelance writer for the home improvement industry who has published over 600 articles.