If you live in a house built in Metro Detroit after World War II, there’s a good chance it has aluminum, vinyl, or vinyl over aluminum. When it’s time to re-side, most homeowners narrow the choice to vinyl or fiber cement, and a few ask whether aluminum still makes sense. Each has real strengths. Here’s an honest comparison for our climate.
The short version
| Vinyl | Fiber cement | Aluminum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold weather | Gets brittle; thicker panels resist cracking | Doesn’t get brittle | Doesn’t crack |
| Heat | Can warp near grills or reflected sun | Won’t warp or melt | Won’t melt |
| Wind | Good when nailed and locked correctly | Very good; heavy and rigid | Good, but dents |
| Hail and impact | Thin vinyl cracks; thick resists better | Very resistant | Dents easily |
| Upkeep | Wash yearly | Repaint eventually | Repaint once it chalks |
| Look | Many colors, can look plastic up close | Painted-wood look | Dated look to many buyers |
| Cost | Lowest | Highest of the three | Moderate, fewer options today |
Vinyl: the practical default
Vinyl is on more Oakland County homes than anything else for good reasons: it doesn’t need paint, it comes in hundreds of colors and profiles, and it’s the most economical to install. The catch is quality. Thin builder-grade vinyl fades, waves on sunny walls and cracks when it’s hit on a cold day. Premium and insulated vinyl solve most of that. If you choose vinyl, choose a thicker product and a contractor who nails it correctly. More in our vinyl siding guide.
Fiber cement: the durable upgrade
Fiber cement looks like painted wood, shrugs off heat and cold, and stands up to hail and woodpeckers better than vinyl. It’s the material of choice on many new homes in Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills. It costs more, takes longer to install and needs painting on a long cycle. In a freeze-thaw climate, installation details such as clearances from roofs and the ground matter a lot. See our fiber cement guide.
Aluminum: still around, rarely chosen new
Aluminum siding was everywhere in the 1950s and 1960s. It doesn’t crack or burn, and some houses still have the original panels. But it dents easily, and the factory finish chalks and fades. It can be cleaned and repainted, which can be a reasonable fix for a house in decent shape. As a new siding, it’s rarely chosen today; most owners replace it with vinyl or fiber cement. If you’re repairing a few dented pieces, our siding repair guide covers matching.
Steel siding resists dents better than aluminum and is gaining fans. Engineered wood offers a real-wood look at a lighter weight than fiber cement. Both are worth asking about.
How to choose for your house
- Budget-first, low upkeep: premium vinyl.
- Older, drafty home: insulated vinyl, or foam board under any siding.
- High-end look or historic style: fiber cement or engineered wood.
- Walls that get hit: by hail, balls or woodpeckers, consider fiber cement.
- HOA neighborhood: start with the approved list.
- Planning to sell soon: a neutral premium vinyl usually makes sense.
Don’t forget the trim
Whichever siding you pick, the trim makes or breaks the look. Window and door surrounds, corner boards, soffit and fascia are where older homes show their age first, and where water often gets in. Aluminum trim wrap, PVC boards and fiber cement trim all hold up better than bare painted wood. Ask each contractor how they’ll handle trim, and include it in your comparison. On many Oakland County homes, new trim and soffits change the look almost as much as the siding itself, for a fraction of the cost.
Whatever you choose, the installation matters as much as the product. House wrap, flashing and correct fastening make any siding last longer. When you’re ready, our main page on siding contractors in Oakland County explains how to get connected with a local pro.