Common Aluminum Siding Repair and Problems
One of the biggest problems many of us see with our aluminum siding is that it gradually fades, damages, and dents. The fading is usually one of the most straightforward repairs to make; all you have to do is paint the aluminum siding the same as another wood siding. If the damage or dent is too significant, or if you want to keep the aluminum siding you have, there are other options you may want to consider.
Aluminum Siding Repair can usually be fixed by applying a thin layer of caulk over the dent. You can purchase aluminum siding repair caulk from any home improvement store, or if you are looking for something a little more unique, you may also want to think about using some scrap metal from another part of your house. Using aluminum siding repair caulk around the dented areas will seal the area and make it much easier to clean later on.
There are a few other things you can do with your aluminum siding repair problems. In some cases, you can actually replace several panels instead of just replacing one panel. This is an option that is available when the damage is far less severe than a total replacement. When you replace just one panel, you may have to do extensive cleanup work and you may end up with more damage then you initially thought. If you replace several panels, you can often avoid having to cleanup this mess at all. If the damage is very severe, you may end up having to replace several sections anyway; however, doing so will often cost far less than paying to have your panels replaced.
Before you attempt to do any aluminum siding repair or replacement, you need to find out what the value of your home is and compare it to the price of replacement. Many people are under the impression that aluminum siding repairs are extremely pricey. However, the actual price is actually much lower than people tend to believe. The actual value of your home will be calculated by a appraiser and will be based on a variety of different factors including the condition of your home, age, type of siding and whether it was painted or vinyl-coated.
The next step in aluminum siding repair is to figure out where the dents are located on your panels. You will first need to locate the exact spot where you noticed the dent. Once you have located the dent, you should have a small piece of paper, which can be used to take pictures of where the dented area is. You will then want to take these pictures to an auto body shop and have them look at the damage.
Some aluminum siding repair may require you to use a special siding lock tool, which is a nail gun or screw gun. In order to repair these types of dents, the door and window frames need to be replaced. This is something that needs to be done by a professional because of the potential for damage to your home. Using a regular household staple and applying the aluminum siding repair to all of the door and window frames is the best way to ensure that the repair will hold.
The final step in aluminum siding repair involves applying a layer of caulk to the area. If there was water leakage, you will also want to double check the wall and floor boards to make sure that they were not affected. If they were, the siding should be waterproofed with another layer of caulk. However, if the damage is minor, you can save money by repairing the vinyl siding yourself. You will need to purchase a caulk gun, caulking gun, and possibly an impact driver. These tools will make the job go a lot easier.
For aluminum siding repair, you will first need to locate the dent or small hole. With your caulk gun, press down on the dent until you can no longer see the hole through the caulk. Then, with your caulking gun, apply some nylock tape to the top of the dent to keep water out of it. Leave the dent in place for a day or so. You can fill the hole with some filler and sand it down if needed, but you may find that the small holes are too big to be filled with filler and sand.