Whether you’re shopping for a new home build or for a siding replacement project, you’ll probably have lots of questions about different siding types and which may work best for your home. Aluminum siding is a great option that doesn’t get a lot of attention — but is it the best siding for your home?
Read below for an in-depth look at aluminum siding pros and cons. Discover how it compares to other siding materials — including steel siding.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Aluminum Siding?
No matter what type of siding you choose, they all have their own unique pros and cons. While aluminum siding has some big benefits, there are also a few drawbacks that you should be aware of.
Aluminum Siding Pros
Aluminum siding has a great list of advantages. These include:
- Affordability
- Durability and weather resistance
- Moisture resistance
- Fire resistance
- Recyclability
Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Affordability
Aluminum siding is not the most inexpensive siding available — that honor goes to vinyl siding, which costs between $4.50 and $8.20 per square foot. TruLog steel siding, another type of metal siding, costs roughly the same at $4.25 to $8.50 per square foot.
So while aluminum is more expensive than vinyl and steel at $5.60–$10.30 per square foot, it’s less expensive than other types of siding. For example, wood siding can cost between $6.90 and $13.90 per square foot, and stucco can be between $9.30 and $16.90 per square foot.
Durability and Weather Resistance
Aluminum siding is among the more durable types of siding available. Unlike vinyl siding, it won’t warp, crack, or shift due to extreme temperature shifts or high winds. It also has greater impact resistance than materials like vinyl or stucco.
Moisture Resistance
One of the standout qualities of aluminum cladding is that it’s impervious to moisture. By contrast, natural wood can develop mold, mildew, and rot quickly, and even if it doesn’t rot, it can absorb moisture, causing it to warp and crack. Even materials like fiber cement siding can start to chip and flake after years of exposure to moisture.
Pest Resistance
For many siding products — wood, stucco, fiber cement, and even vinyl — pest damage can pose a real threat. Wood-based siding is subject to damage from pest-destroying insects. Insects won’t damage vinyl siding, but rodents like mice or chipmunks sometimes chew through it. Aluminum is a tougher material that won’t suffer damage from insects or rodents.
Fire Resistance
Metal siding of all types — including aluminum and TruLog steel siding — typically have a Class A fire resistance rating. That means the siding will offer good protection to your home against hazards like blowing sparks from wildfires.
Recyclability
Aluminum is 100% recyclable — and it’s a valuable metal, which means most gets collected and sold to metal reclamation facilities. About 65% of all aluminum used in the United States ends up being recycled. The percentage of aluminum siding that is recycled is likely much higher since homeowners and remodeling companies can get hundreds of dollars from the sale of used aluminum siding removed from just one home.
Only steel is recycled more often. Up to 81% of steel gets recycled at the end of its lifespan. By contrast, while vinyl siding is technically recyclable, in actuality, it generally ends up in landfills because few recycling facilities are equipped to handle it. Meanwhile, materials like wood siding or stucco generally aren’t recyclable at all.
Aluminum Siding Cons
Most types of siding have their drawbacks — and aluminum is no exception. The biggest cons include:
- Risk of corrosion
- Easy to scratch or dent
- Fading and discoloration
- Moderate maintenance
- Low insulation
- Comparatively short lifespan
Below, we’ll examine each of these in turn.
Rust Risk
Aluminum won’t rust — at least not in the technical sense, since rust is defined as the corrosion of steel specifically. However, aluminum does corrode — and it can happen relatively quickly due to scratches, dents, or using improper fasteners and other components. Because this can be such a sneaky problem, we’ll address the question of rust and corrosion in greater detail below.
Dents and Scratches
Another big drawback to aluminum is that it’s a soft metal, which makes it prone to dents and scratches over time. Everything from hailstorms to branches from nearby trees and shrubs can leave their mark. Not only does this take away from the pristine look of new siding, but it can also remove the protective aluminum oxide coating that prevents corrosion.
Fading and Discoloration
If you choose aluminum siding, be prepared for it to change color over time. The sun’s UV rays will fade the paint color.
What’s more, aluminum siding is highly prone to developing a chalky look after several years of exposure to the elements. This residue is a layer of naturally occurring oxidation that doesn’t harm the siding — but most homeowners find the cloudy look undesirable.
By contrast, alternatives like TruLog steel siding will go the distance without requiring repainting — and TruLog steel is backed by a 30-year paint protection warranty to give you peace of mind.
Maintenance
In terms of upkeep, aluminum siding is a relatively low-maintenance option, but there are alternatives — like TruLog’s steel siding — that require even less maintenance.
Unlike steel siding, aluminum siding does require repainting every 10-20 years, depending on how quickly your climate causes the paint to fade and develop a layer of chalky residue. While some homeowners may not mind because it gives them an opportunity to switch to different color options, for most, this is an expensive and labor-intensive drawback.
Insulation
While aluminum siding is cost effective to purchase compared to some other materials, it doesn’t come with the kind of insulation properties that you’ll need to save money on energy bills. Other alternatives offer insulating foam layers that greatly increase the R-value (and thus, the energy efficiency) of the siding.
For example, TruLog steel siding has an R-value of 4, as does insulated vinyl siding, while fiber cement siding has an R-value of 2.5. Meanwhile, most aluminum siding doesn’t come with an insulating layer, which means it has a much lower R-value of 0.61.
Lifespan
Aluminum siding has a decently long lifespan of about 20 to 40 years before corrosion and damage become bad enough to require replacement, but there are other siding options that offer equivalent or even better lifespans. For example, fiber cement siding can last up to 30 to 50 years, and steel siding lasts up to 70 years or more — all while costing less and requiring less in maintenance.
Does Aluminum Siding Rust?
As noted above, aluminum siding materials won’t rust in the traditional sense, meaning that you won’t see the red, bubbly corrosion that is commonly found on materials like steel car fenders. That type of rust is a form of corrosion that is specific to iron and iron alloys like ungalvanized or non-stainless steel.
Aluminum does have its own form of corrosion, however. It can manifest as darker stains or a white, chalky crust, and it damages the metal beneath.
Where aluminum siding is concerned, corrosion can happen relatively quickly if the material becomes scratched or dented, or once the protective paint layer gets chipped. Most brands coat their siding products with a layer of aluminum oxide that provides protection against rust. However, with time — and through scratches and dents — that layer can wear away, and when that happens, it exposes raw aluminum to the elements, allowing corrosion to begin.
Aluminum can also suffer from galvanic corrosion, which is typically a product of improper installation. Galvanic corrosion happens when an electrically conductive metal like an iron nail or a copper fitting comes into contact with the aluminum.
Is Aluminum Siding Good?
Aluminum siding can be a great choice for your home’s exterior. Compared to alternatives like natural wood, vinyl, or stucco siding, it offers more in the way of durability, and it has lower maintenance needs than wood or stucco. It also comes at a more affordable price point compared to popular siding options like wood.
However, if you want a truly high-quality siding alternative that goes the distance in all weather conditions, it may not be the best siding available. In a head-to-head comparison of aluminum siding pros and cons versus steel, steel siding holds several advantages that aluminum just can’t match — and you can find out more about those below.
How Does Aluminum Siding Compare to Steel?
Aluminum siding and steel siding are comparable in many areas — for example, both offer excellent moisture and fire resistance — but there are many aspects where steel offers bigger advantages. Review the chart below to discover how aluminum siding pros and cons stack up against TruLog steel siding.
| TruLog Steel Siding | Aluminum Siding | |
| Material cost | $4.25 – $8.50 per sq. ft. | $5.60 – $10.30 per sq. ft. |
| Durability | Excellent — won’t warp, crack, or shift due to temperature changes or high winds and comes with a Class 4 impact rating | Good — but can scratch and dent more easily than steel |
| Moisture resistance | Excellent | Excellent |
| Pest resistance | Excellent | Excellent |
| Fire resistance | Non-flammable with a Class A fire resistance rating | Non-flammable |
| Recyclability | Up to 81% is recycled at end of lifespan | Up to 65% is recycled at end of lifespan |
| Rust risk | Virtually nonexistent — galvanized alloy and protective coatings prevent rust and corrosion | Oxide layer staves off corrosion, but wear and tear plus galvanic reactions can eventually start corrosion |
| Fading and discoloration | Protected by a 30-year paint protection warranty against flaking, peeling, cracking, fading, and chalking | Expect a chalky residue to develop within 10 to 20 years, depending on climate |
| Maintenance | Extremely low — just rinse dust and dirt away once or twice yearly | Low to moderate — needs yearly cleaning and should be repainted every 10 to 20 years |
| Insulation | R-value of 4 | R-value of 0.61 |
| Lifespan | 50-70+ years | 20-40 years |
TruLog Steel Siding: A Better Alternative to Aluminum
Aluminum siding can be a good choice for your siding installation project — but TruLog’s steel siding is even better. In a close examination of aluminum siding pros and cons, it’s easy to see how steel wins out as not only the more affordable option but also the more durable material. Additionally, it comes with fewer maintenance needs, a longer lifespan, and a protective finish that won’t fade, peel, or rust.
To learn more about what TruLog steel siding can offer you, download our free catalog and check it out.
