Aluminum siding was initially used in home building in the 1930s because it was a cost-effective, long-lasting, and low-maintenance alternative to wood siding.
Aluminum is dent- and insect-resistant. Because metal is non-flammable, it is frequently selected in areas where brush fires are common. Metal panels don’t require much upkeep today, and a quick power wash is all required.
The color is added in the manufacturing facility. Customers select the color they desire from the options available, and the enamel gives a durable, long-lasting finish. A 15 to 25-year guarantee often backs the enamel coating on aluminum panels against fading or chalking.
If you take proper care of your aluminum siding by keeping it clean and limiting impacts, it will survive for over 50 years.
While this is frequently the siding of choice for people seeking an industrial aesthetic, it may also be used differently. Because of its endurance, homeowners often use it for soffits and roofs.
Because the sun never shines on the bottom of the eaves, these components will never need to be painted and will not be damaged by hailstones or foot traffic.
Steps to Make Aluminum Siding Corners
We’ll teach you how to construct a smooth aluminum siding corner for siding that is no longer manufactured.
When you acquire a house, it can miss some siding corners. Because the siding appeared to have been produced in the 1960s and 1970s, you might need to be forced to make aluminum siding corners because no one has spare repair parts being manufactured.
Step 1: gather supplies and tools to make aluminum siding corners
You will require the following materials:
- Aluminum coil stock (you can use 6″ x 10′)
- Spray paint for metal priming.
- Power Grab Adhesive
These tools are required to make aluminum siding corners:
- Sharpie
- Sheet metal pliers
- Two bar clamps
- Tin snips
- 2 or 3 pieces of square scrap lumber
Step 2: pattern time
Now comes the difficult part. To make aluminum siding corners, you need to take a corner of the home and use it as a template. You’re in luck if a corner is already unfastened or falling on the ground (which does happen).
Otherwise, you’ll have to remove one from the house. The worst thing is that there is generally a blind nail at the top of the corner keeping it in place. Now that we’ve cut the corner, use the pliers to flatten it to produce the template.
Cut a piece of coil stock and outline the blank using the old flattened corner. Then, with the tin snips, cut off the blank.
Step 3: To make aluminum siding corners, we start bending
Now that we’ve cut them out, let’s bend a few of the blanks into a corner. Remember that the bends must be made in precise order, or you may have problems bending the lip.
Step 4: bending – lengthwise
The first curve you will make is a lengthwise bend. Make sure the piece is centered along the width of the scrap. Clamp it down tightly. Then, bend the overhanging section to a 90-degree angle using your hands.
This is the only bend where it doesn’t matter whether you bend toward or away from yourself. Sure, you could bend another scrap piece, but it didn’t help much with this rudimentary bending jig.
Step 5: bending – lip 1
We may now bend the initial portion of the inner locking lip. Take your sheet metal pliers and begin on each side. To construct the bottom of the inner locking lip, make an inside 90-degree bend. Repeat the process on the opposite side.
Step 6: bending – lip 2
We’ve reached the final turn on how to This is how you make aluminum siding corners. Using your pliers, create the last 90-degree bend toward the interior section of the piece, starting at either end.
Step 7: the final corner
We’re finally finished, and this is how you make aluminum siding corners. You may put the corners on your house.
Instead of nailing up the new corners, attaching them using construction adhesive is quicker. This is also the time to prime the parts, which should be done with either an automotive spray can primer or a high-grade bonding primer.
How to Replace Damaged Corners of Aluminum Siding
Aluminum siding’s corner edges, or end caps, are frequently scuffed. You cut a sudden bend and run into them with ladders, lawnmowers, garden hoses, bikes, and you name it.
End caps are simple to replace. All you need are replacements, aluminum nails, a pry bar, a utility knife, transparent silicone adhesive, and siding paint.
Follow these steps to replace damaged aluminum siding corners:
- Remove the damaged caps.
- Remove all of the nails beneath using a pry bar or pliers.
- A screwdriver or cat’s paw can also be used to elevate the heads sufficiently to grip with pliers or a claw hammer.
- Slip a new cap under the bottom edges of the panels above it, beginning at the bottom and making your way up the corner.
- Secure the cap.
- Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to put on the next cap.
- Do this until all but the last end cap are secured.
- Cut the nail strip off the end cap with the utility knife.
- Apply silicone glue to the rear of the cap.
- Slide it in like the others.
- Press down so that the adhesive adheres to the wall.
If you want to replace your entire siding, we recommend you read our guide about replacing aluminum sidings.