How to Repair Dents in Aluminum Siding

Aluminum is the ideal siding material because it is so easy to maintain and because t provides such a high level of protection from weather. It is, however, fairly susceptible to dents. Anything from a stray baseball or large hail can damage aluminum siding. Not to worry though, because we’re going to walk you through the process of repairing dents to your aluminum siding.

Repair aluminum siding is actually a lot like repairing a damaged or dented car fender. The process is simple and merely consists of pulling the dent out, giving the area a good sanding, and applying a mixture to actually repair the dent. After that you’re free to paint it.

Before we get into the actual step-by-step process, it’s important to note that this procedure isn’t necessary for all aluminum siding damage. Slight scratches and such can easily be repaired with steel wool.


Repairing Dents in Aluminum Siding: A Step-By-Step Process

Repairing dents in aluminum siding is a pretty easy process and won’t take more than a couple of hours to complete. You will want to do this work on a nice, dry, clear day.

Let’s get into the detailed instructions:

  1. Drill a hole or two into the center of any aluminum siding dents and then force some screws through the siding. Don’t force the screws all the way through, because you’ll be pulling on them to straighten out your siding. Grab your pliers, use them to grip the screws and gently pull till the dents are as level as possible.
  2. Now we need to fill the dent so remove the screws and rough up the surface with some sandpaper or steel wool. Use auto body putty or filler to fully smooth out the surface. A drywall knife is the ideal tool for this step. Use it to smooth the putty or filler into the dent.
  3. Let the auto body putty/filler dry and then sand the area again to remove any imperfections. Sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block or even an emery cloth will allow you to easily accomplish this task.
  4. Now it’s time to paint the aluminum siding. As we mentioned in our tutorial on how to paint aluminum siding you will want to prime the area before you paint aluminum siding. Read more in the previously mentioned tutorial to find out why a pint of paint thinner mixed with a gallon of oil based primer is the best mixture to prime aluminum siding. Apply the paint primer and wait for it to dry.
  5. Complete the process by applying a couple layers of high-end acrylic paint to the area. Remember to sand the area a little bit once again before you paint the second layer into to ensure the paint will adhere as best as possible to the aluminum siding.

You’ll likely want to contact the manufacturer of your aluminum siding if you haven’t painted it before to get the correct color tone. Read some of the other articles on Aluminum Siding.com for more information about the specifics of painting your aluminum siding and why aluminum is the ideal siding material.