What Should I Do? Re-Paint Aluminum Siding or Restore Original Clapboard???

Hello everyone! My 112 year old colonial home is in need of paint. It has 30+ year old aluminum siding that is very chalky and in need of paint. Underneath the aluminum siding is the original wooden clapboard siding.

I'm not a big fan of aluminum siding on older homes. The aluminum siding is so smooth it is virtually featureless and sterile looking. The clapboard has a more natural look in my opinion.

It looks like I have two options:
1. Repaint the aluminum siding. I will need to prep it properly to deal with the chalkiness but it is a relatively easy job. Paint and material will cost me about $1,000.

2. Remove the aluminum siding and restore the original clapboard. Lots of labor involved. Removing the aluminum siding won't be that bad but stripping the 10 layers of 110yr old lead paint will be a pain. I'll probably have to buy a infrared paint stripper to safely do this. The condition of the clapboard underneath is unknown. Total cost for paint and materials is about $1,500 after I cash in the aluminum scrap.

The difference in price is not a deal breaker...but I'm more concerned about home value. Will the insane amount of labor restoring the original clapboard make my home worth anymore? Or is it more of a curb-appeal type of thing?

It probably isn't worth the extra effort to restore it if it isn't going to make a difference. What do you think???

BTW....I live in an average town and in an average neighborhood. The homes around me have every type of siding imaginable. T1-11, vinyl siding, asbestos shingles, aluminum, clapboard, and wooden shingles. So I won't be the odd duck either way.

 

While I prefer the look of real wood as opposed to vinyl or aluminum siding, I'd suspect the majority would opt for the aluminum siding. The paint job on the aluminum should last longer than any paint job you could put on the wood. A typical aluminum siding paint job [done correctly] should last 10+ yrs while painted siding is more apt to be in the 3-5 yr range.

Removing the aluminum and restoring the wood siding would give the house more historical significance, not sure if that would make much difference in your neighborhood

 

I hear you on not liking the look of aluminum siding but it's so much less work than wood I'd put up with it.