How to Explain Aluminum Siding Without Making It Sound Old-Fashioned

One of the fastest ways to lose a potential aluminum siding sale is to introduce the product by talking about how long it has been around.

Yes, aluminum siding has a long history in residential construction. But homeowners aren't buying history. They're trying to choose an exterior product that makes sense for their home today.

That's why contractors should present aluminum siding around its current features, appearance, available profiles, coordinated accessories and suitability for the project—not nostalgia. At Suburban Wholesale & Supply, we believe aluminum deserves to be presented as one legitimate option within a professional siding presentation.

Don't Start With "They've Been Making This Forever"

Longevity can eventually support your presentation, but it shouldn't be your opening argument.

Avoid opening with statements such as:

• "This is what everybody used before vinyl."
• "Your parents probably had aluminum siding."
• "They've been making this stuff forever."
• "You don't see as much aluminum anymore, but..."

Every one of those statements forces the salesperson to overcome an objection they just created.

Instead, introduce aluminum based on the homeowner's needs.

Present Aluminum as a Choice, Not a Relic

Homeowners don't need a history lesson. They need help comparing today's exterior choices.

Aluminum siding can be presented alongside vinyl, steel and composite cladding as another option with its own strengths and tradeoffs.

The conversation becomes:

• What appearance does the homeowner want?
• What level of maintenance are they comfortable with?
• What material characteristics matter to them?
• What profiles and colors fit the house?
• What is their budget?
• How long do they expect to remain in the home?

Now aluminum is being evaluated on the same basis as every other siding option.

Show the Product Before You Explain the Product

Don't make the homeowner picture aluminum siding from memory.

Put a current sample on the kitchen table.

Gentek's current aluminum siding offering includes Deluxe Aluminum Siding and Woodgrain Series 2000. These products provide contractors with different profile, texture and design possibilities that can be physically demonstrated.

Let the homeowner touch the panel, look down the profile, compare finishes and see actual colors. A physical sample can immediately replace an outdated mental image with the product you're actually proposing.

Talk About Design First

Appearance should be one of the first parts of the aluminum conversation.

Gentek Deluxe Aluminum Siding features a deep 1/2-inch butt height designed to produce pronounced shadow lines. Woodgrain Series 2000 offers a woodgrain texture for homeowners who prefer a different exterior character.

Those are visual differences you can demonstrate.

Discuss:

• Profile
• Exposure
• Shadow lines
• Texture
• Color
• Trim combinations
• Soffit and fascia coordination

You're no longer selling "aluminum." You're designing an exterior.

Explain What Aluminum Actually Is

Many homeowners have never thought about why aluminum is used in building products.

The Aluminum Association notes several characteristics that make aluminum useful in building and construction, including durability, corrosion resistance, recyclability and a favorable strength-to-weight ratio.

Those are more meaningful talking points than simply telling someone aluminum siding has existed for a long time.

Sell the Complete Exterior System

Another way to modernize the conversation is to stop treating siding as an isolated product.

Aluminum can be part of a coordinated exterior that includes siding, soffit, fascia and trim.

Gentek offers aluminum soffit and fascia products that can be incorporated into a broader exterior design. Its Hi-Tensile aluminum soffit is available in solid and vented configurations, giving contractors another opportunity to discuss both appearance and ventilation.

When you put siding, soffit, fascia and trim samples together on the table, the conversation feels much different than showing one small piece of siding.

Don't Pretend Aluminum Is Perfect

Credibility matters.

Aluminum has characteristics homeowners should understand before purchasing. It can dent from significant impacts, scratches can affect the finish, and product selection, installation and maintenance all matter.

Don't hide those realities. Explain them.

A salesperson who acknowledges legitimate tradeoffs usually sounds far more credible than someone insisting their product has no disadvantages.

Don't Bad-Mouth Vinyl to Sell Aluminum

This is especially important for contractors who offer multiple siding materials.

If your company installs vinyl siding too, tearing down vinyl during an aluminum presentation creates a credibility problem.

Instead say:

That's a consultant's answer rather than a commission-driven answer.

Stop Using the Word "Still"

Listen to how salespeople sometimes describe aluminum:

"Gentek still makes aluminum siding."

One little word changes the entire presentation.

"Still" implies the product somehow survived past its expected expiration date.

Instead say:

Same product. Completely different positioning.

Use Modern Visualization Tools

Aluminum shouldn't be presented exclusively through an old-fashioned sample book.

Gentek provides exterior visualization tools that allow homeowners and contractors to explore combinations of siding, trim, roofing and other exterior elements.

Use digital visualization to explore the design, then use actual product samples to confirm the final color and finish selection.

Who Should You Show Aluminum To?

Don't show aluminum simply because you want to sell more aluminum.

Show it when the homeowner's priorities and project make it worthy of consideration.

Potential conversations may include homeowners who:

• Prefer metal siding
• Want to compare several cladding materials
• Like the available aluminum profiles or finishes
• Are interested in a coordinated aluminum siding, soffit and fascia system
• Want a low-maintenance exterior option
• Have an existing home where aluminum deserves consideration

Qualify first. Recommend second.

A Better 60-Second Aluminum Introduction

Here's the kind of presentation contractors should practice:

That's enough.

You haven't apologized for the product. You haven't exaggerated its capabilities. And you haven't told the homeowner what they should like.

You've earned permission to demonstrate it.

The Biggest Aluminum Sales Mistake

The biggest mistake may not be saying the wrong thing.

It's failing to show aluminum at all.

If the salesperson assumes aluminum is outdated, that assumption gets made for the homeowner before the homeowner ever sees a sample.

A better salesperson understands the available products, asks good questions, demonstrates legitimate choices and allows the customer to participate in the decision.

Get the Samples and Product Knowledge You Need

Contractors throughout Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island and the surrounding Quad Cities can use Suburban Wholesale & Supply as a resource for siding products, samples, literature and product knowledge.

If aluminum isn't currently part of your siding presentation, talk with the Suburban Wholesale team. Learn the product, get current samples and understand where aluminum belongs in your good-better-best sales process.

Sources & Additional Resources

• Gentek Building Products — Deluxe Aluminum Siding: Deluxe Aluminum Siding
• Gentek Building Products — Woodgrain Series 2000 Aluminum Siding: Woodgrain Series 2000
• Gentek Building Products — Aluminum Soffit & Fascia: Aluminum Soffit and Fascia
• Gentek Building Products — Warranty Information: Gentek Warranty Resources
• Gentek Building Products — Product Literature and Resources: Gentek Building Products
• The Aluminum Association — Building & Construction: Aluminum in Building and Construction