Aluminum siding is a popular choice for homes because of its low maintenance and relatively low cost. Like every siding choice, however, aluminum siding has its disadvantages. Primarily, it can be easily scratched and dented because it is so soft. Aluminum in its pure manufactured state is too soft to use for things like siding so it is combined with other metals and used as an alloy in manufacturing aluminum siding. Nevertheless, it is still a very soft material. Fortunately, aluminum siding is relatively uncomplicated to repair. If your siding has nicks, dings, dents, or scratches from errant baseballs, rocks, hailstones, or shrubbery that is too close to the house, follow these easy steps to repair those damaged areas and restore your aluminum siding to like new condition.

Preparation

Aluminum makes an excellent choice for long lasting low maintenance siding

1. Clean your siding thoroughly. A pressure washer works best for this. Do not get the end of the pressure washer wand too close to the siding or you can damage it.
2. Let the siding dry thoroughly.

Repair the siding

1. If the damage is on the lower edge of a siding panel or in the part of the panel that is “to the weather”, scribe a line on either side of the damaged area and along the top of that same area to form a rectangle or square.
2. Using a metal straightedge as a guide, cut along the lines with a sharp razor knife.
3. You can also use a power tool like the zip tool or roto-cutter. Set the bit or blade of any power tool to cut very shallow so you do not cut into the sheathing underneath the siding.
4. Remove the damaged piece of aluminum siding.
5. Cut a piece of new siding the same shape as the damaged one and approximately 2″ to 3″ larger all the way around.
6. Cut the nailing flange away from the top edge of the new piece of siding.
7. Apply a good quality silicone or polybutylene caulking compound to the edges of the siding adjacent to where the damaged area was removed.
8. Lay the repair piece into the wet caulking compound and push upward until the bottom of the new piece snaps into the bottom edge of the existing siding panel.
9. Press the new piece firmly into the caulking.
10. Clean all the excess caulking compound with the appropriate solvent.

Tips

You can use duct tape to hold the repair in place until the caulking cures. You can also brace something like a two by four against the repair to help hold it if it is close enough to the ground.

After the caulking compound has cured properly, you can apply a good quality primer designed for use on aluminum and cover that with one or two coats of acrylic paint. Make sure the coats are thinned well for proper adhesion and long wear.

If the damage is small, you can simply pull the dents out with small screws, then fill the holes with auto body filler, sand them smooth, and touch up the paint as described above.

Vinyl siding has many benefits: It is clean, easy to maintain, and does not need to be painted. It is, however, relatively fragile. Vinyl siding turns brittle in cold weather and can break, crack, or shatter easily if it is bumped or struck. Repairing vinyl siding is an easy task for the experienced do-it-yourselfer, requiring only one special tool that can be found in many hardware stores and home centers. It is called a zip tool. It is simply a handle with a bent blade that has a J-type hook on the blade end. The hardest part of repairing vinyl siding is finding the proper color to replace the broken or damaged piece. If your vinyl siding is relatively new, this may not be a problem, especially if you have extra siding left over from the initial installation. If, however, your siding is older, you may have a good bit of trouble finding the proper color material to make your repairs. There are companies that specialize in finding color matched vinyl siding in these instances. You can also remove a piece of siding from an inconspicuous place on your building for the repair, and then replace that piece with vinyl that is as close a match as you can find.

Repairing vinyl siding is not difficult

Removing damaged vinyl siding panels

1. Vinyl siding has a locking channel along the bottom, another locking channel along the top edge, and a nailing hem along the very top edge of each panel.
2. Cut the siding on each side of the damaged area with a sharp razor knife and a square.
3. Cut the bottom locking channel, and the upper nailing hem with a straight pair of tin snips.
4. Using your fingers, pull the bottom edge of the siding panel free.
5. Slide the tip of the zip tool under the locking channel along the upper edge of the siding panel you want to replace. Disengage the locking channel by pulling the zip tool down and out as you slide it along the joint. You may need to use the zip tool on the bottom locking channel too.
6. Now the siding panel is held in place only by nails inserted in the nailing hem. Pull those nails and the damaged panel will come free.

Replacing the siding panels

1. Cut a new section of siding that is about 3″ or 4″ longer than the damaged section.
2. Trim a couple of inches off the nailing hem on the new panel.
3. Trim an equal amount off the bottom locking channel on the replacement piece.
4. Slide the new piece into position and push up on it to lock the bottom channel in place.
5. Nail through the nailing hem into the sheathing. Be sure not to seat the nails. Leave enough room under the nail heads so the siding can expand and contract.
6. With one hand, slide the zip tool under the bottom locking channel of the upper siding panel above your repaired piece. With the other hand, press the upper panel against the wall until it snaps into the upper locking channel of your repaired piece.

Tips

Be careful when working with older vinyl siding that you do not accidently crack or break surrounding panels as you lift and separate the damaged one.

Choose a warm day to do a vinyl repair. The heat will help to soften the vinyl making it somewhat less likely to be further damaged.

Stucco is an old style of siding that is still popular in many parts of the country. Its make-up has changed substantially over the years, however, and this is what complicates patches and repairs. Until the advent of the twentieth century, stucco consisted of a wide variety of natural ingredients depending on the skill and expertise of the plasterer. After the dawn of the twentieth century, plasterers began to use more and more manufactured materials in stucco. Today, stucco is primarily a mix of Portland cement, builders sand, and water. If your home is an older one with a stucco exterior finish, you may need to conduct tests to determine the make-up of the stucco. Hydrochloric or muriatic acid will dissolve lime, for example, where it will not affect stucco made from Portland cement. Once you have determined what the components of your stucco are, you can proceed to make the necessary repairs. Moisture is the major culprit in causing damage to your stucco. Water seepage from the roof or splashing up from the ground gets underneath the stucco-usually through hairline cracks, seams, and joints-and causes bulges, splits, cracks, and holes to develop.

Preparation

Stucco makes a beautiful siding product but it requires careful maintenance.

1. Determine if the damaged area is a vertical crack or a horizontal one. Vertical cracks around chimneys, doors, windows, parapets, and other architectural penetrations may well indicate a problem with the foundation.
2. For repairing small cracks and holes, clean the damaged area thoroughly. Remove any loose stucco.
3. Cut the edges of the damaged area on a slight bevel toward the house with a sharp chisel.

Repairs

1. Inspect the substrate and determine its soundness.
2. If necessary, replace any loose or broken wood lath.
3. Install a piece of tarpaper in the base of the damaged area for waterproofing.
4. You can also use a piece of expanded metal if the original stucco used that as a base.
5. Wet the surfaces of the existing stucco and keep them wet while applying the new stucco mix.
6. Apply a 3/8″ layer of stucco in the damaged area pressing it into the underlayment or substrate.
7. Scratch grooves in the surface of the first layer to provide a key for the second.
8. Let the first layer dry thoroughly for at least one day.
9. Apply a second layer of stucco mix about the same thickness as the first, scratch it, and let it dry.
10. Apply a thinner finish coat of stucco.
11. Texture the finish coat with a soft bristle brush to match the original.

Tips

Do not attempt to repair stucco in warm weather. Wait for a cloudy cool day.

You can buy stucco repair products or mix your own from one part Portland cement, four parts builder’s sand, and water. Do not make the mix too runny.

Keep the stucco wet during the period of repairs.

You can use a masonry caulk product to repair small hairline cracks but usually the repair will show to one degree or another.

Do not repair a lime stucco mix with a Portland cement one. They have different shrinkage rates and will develop new cracks and damage over time.

Consult a professional for help in matching finishes and colors. The older the home, the more necessary this may become.