Aluminum vs Vinyl Siding: What Rhode Island Homeowners Should Know

A lot of Rhode Island homes still have aluminum siding from the 1960s and 70s. When it is time to replace it, the question I usually get is whether to go back with aluminum or switch to vinyl. Here is the plain comparison.

How They Compare

• Dents and impact: aluminum dents from hail, ladders, balls and lawn equipment, and dents stay. Vinyl flexes instead of denting, though it can crack in a hard hit in very cold weather.
• Fading and chalking: painted aluminum oxidizes and chalks over time and eventually needs repainting. Modern vinyl holds its color better, especially in lighter colors.
• Maintenance: vinyl needs washing and little else. Aluminum needs repainting once the finish breaks down.
• Noise: aluminum can ping and rattle in wind and rain. Vinyl is quieter.
• Availability: aluminum siding is now hard to find and few crews install it. Matching or patching an existing aluminum wall is difficult.
• Fire: aluminum will not burn. Vinyl will melt and burn, so clearances at grills and heat sources matter.

What Matters More Than the Material

Siding is the rain screen, not the waterproofing. The house wrap, window and door flashing, and roof-to-wall details behind it decide whether the wall stays dry. When old aluminum comes off, we often find no house wrap at all, old tar paper that has broken down, or rotted sheathing at windows and corners. That gets fixed before anything new goes on.

Should You Cover Over Aluminum?

Installing new siding over the old is sometimes offered to save money. I don’t recommend it. It hides whatever damage is behind the old siding, makes it impossible to properly wrap and flash the wall, and builds up the wall thickness around windows and trim. Taking it down to the sheathing is the only way to know what you have.

Our Recommendation

For most homeowners replacing aluminum, vinyl is the practical choice. We install CertainTeed vinyl, along with fiber cement and cedar shingles for homeowners who want a different look. Most full-home siding replacements we complete in Rhode Island average about $17,800, depending on the size of the house, the material and how much repair is needed behind the old siding.