Baltimore Aluminum Siding

There are so many siding alternatives on the market today that it can be intimidating to narrow down your options. Talk to any purveyor of siding in the city of Baltimore and its outlying areas and you're likely to get an earful about vinyl, steel, cedar shake, brick, and even stone. But what about aluminum siding? After all, it wasn't so long ago that aluminum siding in Baltimore dominated the industry and was the only choice for those looking for a maintenance-free siding alternative. While it doesn't command the same share of the Baltimore market that it once did, aluminum is still out there. And for Baltimoreans looking for a relatively inexpensive, maintenance-free siding alternative, aluminum siding in Baltimore remains an excellent option.

Aluminum Siding in Baltimore
Of course, you won't see a lot of row houses in the city clad in Aluminum siding. Brick and formstone are the materials of choice in Baltimore proper. Out in the greater metro area, however, aluminum sided homes are akin to blue crab in Chesapeake Bay: you won't find as many as in years past, but they're not what you'd call hard to find, either. Why do Baltimoreans continue to turn to aluminum for their siding needs? Stand by for a list of the benefits of B-town aluminum siding.

Baltimore Aluminum Siding vs. Other Sidings
It wasn't coincidence that prior to the introduction of vinyl and steel siding, aluminum siding stole the show. Compared to wood plank siding, aluminum siding is virtually indestructible, since it never rots, splits, splinters, or cracks. Even compared to vinyl and steel siding, two of its biggest competitors, it has its advantages. Aluminum doesn't rust like steel siding is prone to do, and it won't grow brittle when the mercury drops, which continues to be an issue with vinyl siding. That makes aluminum an ideal fit for Baltimore's mixture of year round heavy precipitation and high humidity, and well suited for those occasional cold spells that drop the temperature to well below freezing.

Painting Aluminum Siding in Baltimore
This has been both an Achilles heel and a selling point for Baltimore aluminum siding in the past. Early generations of aluminum sported notoriously cheap paint jobs that powdered and faded quickly relative to other siding materials (with the notable exception of vinyl). If you already have aluminum siding and notice a chalky substance forming on your siding panels, then it's time to think about re-painting. It won't be too long until the paint begins to fail. Make sure you research into painting aluminum siding before you jump into this one, though. It's important that you prep the surface correctly and buy paint specially made to adhere to aluminum, otherwise you'll be doing it all over again before you know it. On the other hand, the paint-ability of aluminum siding has long been one of its distinct advantages over its greatest rival, vinyl. While vinyl can be repainted it rarely takes well, meaning once vinyl siding fades there is very little you can do to restore it to its original luster. Aluminum sided homes, however, can be repainted again and again. As long as your siding remains undamaged, all you need is a brush and a can of paint to get it looking like new.

Baltimore Aluminum Siding: Care, Maintenance, and Repair
While aluminum siding in Baltimore is referred to as "maintenance free," that doesn't mean it should be neglected. Annually washing your aluminum siding with a scrub brush and garden hose, or a low powered pressure washer, will extend the life of your siding and its paint job. The other thing to keep an eye out for is any loose or damaged siding. If you notice any issues, replace the panel as soon as possible. Aluminum siding in Baltimore creates an almost perfect seal against the elements when it's in good shape. If the siding grows loose or gets damaged in some way, however, water can get behind the siding and cause serious problems, including rot, mold, mildew, and fungus. All can be a major problem in Baltimore, where the annual precipitation rate is over 40 inches and where the lowest monthly rainfall total is still over three inches (at 3.06 inches). Compare that to Denver, CO with an annual precipitation rate of 15 inches, and you can see why you never want to put off repairing damaged or loose aluminum siding in Baltimore for very long.

Fair Warning about Aluminum Siding in Baltimore
Undoubtedly you're wondering why aluminum has lost ground in the national siding industry if aluminum is such an incredible siding material? The answer to that question is durability. The one shortcoming of aluminum siding is its susceptibility to blemishes caused by impacts. That doesn't mean a baseball or hailstorm will do in your siding from a performance standpoint, but as far as looks go you'll have to replace damaged panels if you want them to look new again. In that respect, you might want to think about a more durable alternative (vinyl or fiber cement siding) if you think your home might be at high risk in the impact department. Nonetheless, the positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to installing aluminum siding on your Baltimore home.

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