Aluminum siding - would you paint?

[Gardenarian]

Well, it looks like we have a house in Ashland. Great house, perfect location - but I'm not crazy about the color, which is a faded blue/gray. It's aluminum siding, and if we don't paint, we'll never have to. I would love a color change, but then we are locked into painting again and again. (The siding is in great condition, and we wouldn't consider replacing it.)

Would you paint?
I have read that there are new exterior paints that are supposed to last a very long time. Anyone have experience with these?

I feel it's both bad for the environment and wasteful to paint it - but on the other hand, do I want to live in a dingy house the for rest of my life?

[catherine]

Congratulations on the house!!! Wow, things are moving along!

How about some new shutters/door color? I have a gray house with plum shutters and the plum adds some spark.

Maybe because my own house is gray, I think blue-gray sounds great!

[RCWRTR]

I would most definitely paint! Older aluminum siding with baked-on paint finishes tend to get chalky looking over time. While the aluminum siding itself is in good shape, the paint, well...not so much. Power washing, then applying 2 good coats of a high quality 100% Acrylic Latex paint will add instant curb appeal to your new home and may extend the life of your aluminum siding. Painting a house costs significantly less than re-siding a house. If you do the work yourself, you will save even more. I've done this myself, so I'm speaking (er, writing) from personal experience here. As a designer, I'll gladly offer my suggestions for exterior siding, trim, shutters, door, etc., if you are interested and can share a photo of your new home. Good luck!

[iris lilies]

No, I would never paint aluminum siding.

What's under the siding?

[ctg492]

I painted once years ago. I was not happy with my choice. It was kinda hold over till the siding could be redone. We moved before that. The house down the street just painted the old siding. Looks nice and fresh, but a flat paint would have hid the flaws better, that is my tip.

[frugal-one]

Just had our aluminum siding painted this summer. I LOVE it!!!! Just had one coat done and was told it should be good for at least 5 years. The neighbor across the street had theirs' done about 5 years ago (from the same guy) and it still looks good. I was surprised at the cost. It was much lower than I thought it would be. If you hate the color.... change it.... You will be happier!

[SteveinMN]

Our house has lemon-yellow aluminum siding on it. It was one of the negative points for me when I bought the place. But it remains lemon yellow after a dozen years. I just didn't want to climb on to the house-painting wagon because, as Gardenarian mentioned, once you start, you can't stop.

I figure when I'm inside the house, I don't see the yellow much. So I deal with it. I've thought about a power wash and even maybe some auto-finish restorer (if it's going to be yellow, it might as well be YELLOW). But I'd rather put that energy someplace else.

[iris lilies]

We aren't allowed aluminum or vinyl siding here as all of our properties are in historic districts.

We renovated one of our tiny houses with Hardy board exterior and painted it a soft yellow. It's very nice. All of the others are red brick. Don't let anyone tell you that brick is maintenance free, seems like something is always in need of tuckpointing.

Ok, I have to ask since I don't understand: If you are going to PAINT aluminum siding, why not tear it off and reveal the original wood, and paint that?

[kib]

Mmmm, I love the primed masonite siding, I painted it once in 2000 and it still looks good. Maybe not authentic, but work-wise, what a joy. Wood, I have to scrape and repaint the south side of the house every 3 years or so, and it still doesn't look too great. I'm imagining painted aluminum siding to be somewhere inbetween? - And yeah, our current 1959 wire cut brick is scary, I can imagine the whole house just melting in another 20 years.

[rosarugosa]

IL: Please tell more about Hardy Board. I've been seeing some type of synthetic clapboard this past year that looks really good. Is this it? I hate traditional aluminum and vinyl, but the maintenance of our cedar shingles is becoming a burden, and we currently have a crazy woodpecker pecking holes in our house!