How to Repair Aluminum Siding in an Afternoon

Aluminum siding was one of the most common types of siding in the United States from the 1940s to the 1970s. It’s fallen out of favor in newer homes—it gets dinged and scratched easily, and you’ve got to paint it once or twice a decade—but if you have an older home already clad in the once-popular siding, you may have to deal with the occasional damage.

But there’s no need to call up your local metal siding company at the first sign of disrepair. In fact, you can usually tackle small issues by yourself in an hour or two. Are you dealing with a hole, dent, or scratch? We’ll walk you through how to repair aluminum siding on your own.

Why Do I Need to Repair My Aluminum Siding?

Homeowners typically need to repair one of three main issues with their aluminum siding: holes, dents, and scratches. Repairing any of these issues on a small scale is easy for even DIY novices.

Note: More extensive damage across multiple aluminum siding panels may require a larger project (and professional help). If you’re planning to tackle large-scale repairs yourself, it is possible to learn how to remove aluminum siding—and how to install new aluminum siding—on your own. However, this type of work is best left to experienced DIYers with advanced siding repair skills.

Holes in Siding

Over the years, your aluminum siding will become pockmarked by holes as you run different phone, internet, and cable lines and as local roofers or other contractors work on various parts of your home’s exterior. Maybe you’ve removed an awning, or perhaps you’ve relocated where you hang your garden hose.

It’s always a good idea to hold onto spare aluminum siding panels after it’s installed, knowing you’ll likely create holes as your house undergoes different projects.

Dented Siding

Aluminum siding is particularly susceptible to dents because aluminum itself is light and malleable. After a heavy hail storm, check your siding to see where the house might be dented. Similarly, your aluminum siding can get dented if the kids are playing catch (and miss the ball), your lawnmower throws up rocks while you cut the grass, or a tree limb falls on your siding during a windstorm.

Scratched or Corroded Siding

Aluminum will naturally corrode over time, and the paint color will fade away over the years. This is the easiest issue to repair: Just sand down the corroded or scratched section, prime, and paint.

How to Repair Holes in Aluminum Siding

Fixing a hole in aluminum siding is an easy job that doesn’t require specialized tools. Most homeowners should be able to tackle the job in an hour or two with tools they already have around the house.

1. Smooth Out the Damaged Area

Holes in aluminum siding are never smooth. Jagged edges typically point outward; you’ll need to flatten or remove these before you can begin the patchwork.

Grab a hammer and tap the pointed edges of the hole until they point inward (toward the house). Alternatively, you can cut away the rough edges of the hole with tin snips or a utility knife.

2. Get Siding for Your Patchwork

You’ll need a replacement piece of aluminum siding to use as your patch. If you kept leftover siding from when it was originally installed, grab a piece to begin cutting.

If you don’t have any spare pieces of siding, purchase a small replacement piece that matches your current siding. Some older aluminum siding may no longer be manufactured, however, so you may need to settle for an imperfect match. Just go with something close.

In that case, you can remove a panel of siding from an inconspicuous part of your home (like the back of the garage or shed or an area covered by a bush). Replace that siding with your “imperfect match” siding, and use the siding you pulled from the inconspicuous area for your patch job, assuming it’s in an area of higher visibility.

3. Cut the Patch

You’ll want the patch siding to be longer than the hole in the damaged panel—about 4 inches on either side of the hole. For instance, if the hole in the existing aluminum panel is 3 inches wide, you’ll want to cut a piece of siding that is 11 long (4 inches on one side of the hole, 3 inches for the actual hole, and 4 inches on the other side of the hole).

After cutting the panel to size, use tin snips to remove the nailing flange on the replacement aluminum siding.

4. Caulk the Siding

Apply butyl caulk around the hole in the existing aluminum siding. Then apply caulk in vertical lines about 3 inches out from each side of the hole.

5. Install the Replacement Panel

Slide the patch under the siding above the panel you’re patching and press the patch into place. Duct tape the patch to the surrounding aluminum to let the caulk dry.

You can remove the duct tape after 24 hours; the patch should hang in place, covering the whole completely.

How to Fix Dents in Aluminum Siding

Small dents are even easier to repair—you don’t have to find replacement siding, as long as the dented area is salvageable. (If it’s not, you’ll need to replace the entire panel.) Here’s how to repair aluminum siding with a small dent:

1. Drill a Small Hole

Drill a small hole (about ⅛ of an inch) into the dented area.

2. Drive a Screw Into the Hole

Next, thread a self-tapping screw through a washer, then drive the screw into the hole, but not all the way.

3. Pull on the Washer

Using your fingers only, tug on the washer, and the dent should “pop” back into place. You don’t need much force.

Once you’re satisfied that the dent has been fully popped out, you can remove the screw.

4. Patch the Hole

Small screw holes are easy to patch—unlike larger holes that require replacement siding as the patch, you can usually use an auto-body filler for the patch job. Just apply with a plastic scraper.

5. Sand and Paint

As the patch dries, you can shape the filler with your plastic scraper. Once it completely dries, sand it down to make the patch smooth. Apply a coat of primer and then paint it to match the rest of your siding.

How to Repair Scratched or Corroded Aluminum Siding

The easiest aluminum siding repair job is fixing scratched or corroded siding. As long as there are no holes or dents, all you need to do is:

1. Sand the scratched or corroded section.

2. Apply a primer.

3. Paint it to match the rest of the siding.

Maintaining Aluminum Siding

Aluminum siding may not be as popular now as it was in its heyday, but it can still look nice—and last a long time—if you keep up with maintenance. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Always check for dents after big storms and repair as necessary.

• Patch holes as soon as you create them.

• Clean your aluminum siding once or twice a year (you can hire a power washer company near you if you don’t want to handle this task).

• Paint your aluminum siding every five to 10 years. Budget accordingly: This one’s an expensive project if you hire professionals. Painting aluminum siding costs between $3,125 and $8,300.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

Repairing aluminum siding is an easy task if you have a free afternoon, some basic tools (drill, hammer, tin snips), and a little bit of patience. Larger projects—like painting or even replacing aluminum siding—may be better left to professional siding contractors, depending on your schedule, expertise, and confidence working around the house.