Aluminum siding in Boston is, and has been, a hot item for going on half a century or more now. Furthermore, thanks to advances in technology, many of the old complaints about aluminum (that it can be easily scratched, dented, and damaged, or that the color fades rapidly, for instance) have been lessened to the point where they are negligible concerns. In fact, technology has made aluminum siding in Boston an even better choice than in the past now that it can be purchased with insulating backing and is easier to install than ever. If you're in the market for a low-maintenance, cost-effective alternative to wood siding, then aluminum siding in Boston is an excellent choice.
Why Choose Aluminum Siding in Boston over more Traditional Siding Materials?
The easy answer here is durability and longevity. In a city that's been around as long as Boston (since 1630, to be exact), there are a lot of older homes still adorned with old fashioned wood clapboard siding. And in a city that has experienced steady growth over the past 400 odd years, there are plenty of other cheaper siding materials out there as well. The common fault of those other siding materials is that they have to be regularly painted or treated in order to stand up to Boston's brutal climate. And, to be honest, they have to be painted and treated a lot more than siding in many other areas of the country because Boston's weather takes such a heavy toll. Finally, if you do lapse on painting or treating wood or composite siding in a climate like Boston's, you're asking for trouble. From mildew to rot, most traditional siding materials simply won't stand up long to the barrage of climatologic factors that make up Boston's much ballyhooed weather.
The Answer: Boston Aluminum Siding
Compared to traditional siding, aluminum siding has many benefits when it comes to weathering the storm of Boston's many meteorological challenges. For starters it won't deteriorate, even if you neglect it. The paint will fade, and places where the siding has incurred dents or scratches will stand out, as bare metal is prone to do, but it will never rot, mildew, or suffer the many other problems that are commonplace with wood and composite siding. And since it's aluminum, rust isn't a problem, either. Of course, as a responsible homeowner you should plan to re-paint your aluminum siding every twenty years or so (half as often as is needed if you have wood or composite siding) in order to keep it, and your home, looking in tip top shape.
Boston Aluminum Siding and Insulation
One of the more exciting developments in aluminum and other siding products has been the introduction of insulating backings. These layers of foam insulation aren't enough to insulate your home on their own, but when installed along with traditional insulation they do add to the energy efficiency of your home. In a climate with winters like Boston's, any added energy efficiency is a plus, and can be counted as yet another added benefit to installing present day aluminum siding to your Boston area home.
Aluminum Siding in Boston vs. Vinyl and Steel Siding
If you're looking into siding options other than wood and composite materials that are vulnerable to the weather, you're sure to run into vinyl and steel siding as potential options as well. Both are excellent alternatives, and they offer many of the same benefits as aluminum when it comes to durability and low maintenance. In fact, you're sure to hear that when it comes to siding, steel and vinyl are often upheld as superior to aluminum siding. While that holds true in some areas in the country, aluminum still takes the cake in Boston's unique climate for several reasons. Vinyl siding is highly touted as being more durable than aluminum, which can be vulnerable to impacts and dents in areas where hailstorms and other extremely violent weather is common. In a cold weather climate like Boston, however, vinyl doesn't hold up as well. Vinyl can become brittle and crack in cold temperatures, which is the rule rather than the exception in Boston. And when it comes to steel siding, Boston's coastal location puts aluminum ahead of the game as well. Steel rusts, especially in areas where salt laden air is commonplace, making aluminum a better choice, again, when it comes to choosing cost effective and low maintenance siding in Beantown.
Finding Boston Aluminum Siding Contractors
By now it should be clear that aluminum siding is an excellent siding material to protect your home from Boston's combination of heavy precipitation, cold winters, harsh weather, and high humidity. All that's left is finding a contractor to do the job. As with any home improvement, you best bet is to bring in multiple contractors to evaluate your home and bid on the project. That way you can compare costs and competencies between the different contractors. Also, be sure to ask for references, and follow up on them. Talking to past customers is one of the best ways to ensure your contractor will stay on time, on budget, and perform quality work. If they've performed well in all those areas in the past, there's no reason to assume they won't do the same for your siding installation now. And finally, consider using a referral service like ServiceMagic. Let them do the work for you when it comes to providing contacts, pre-screening potential contractors, and providing you access to valuable customer reviews so that you know whether past customers have been happy with a given contractor's services. By following those guidelines in finding a contractor to install aluminum siding on your home, you can virtually guarantee that your installation of aluminum siding in Boston will go off without a hitch.

Matt Goering, formerly a carpenter and house painter, is a freelance writer for the home improvement industry who has published over 600 articles.