![\"aluminium](\"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/aluminium-bifold-doors.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLast updated on July 22nd, 2020 at 01:13 pm<\/p>
Modern doors are constructed from a broad range of materials. Two of them stand out as especially popular, namely: aluminium and timber. Both have their relative strengths and weaknesses, which make them suitable for certain applications and not for others.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s assess some of the key characteristics, and see whether aluminium or wooden doors will make a good match for your home.<\/p>\n
One of the apparent disadvantages of aluminium is that it\u2019s thermally conductive. As such, heat energy will pass more easily from one side of the door to another \u2013 or at least, this was the case when aluminium doors were first hitting the market.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, aluminium doors come with internal insulating material that vastly improves their energy performance. In the case of exterior, glazed doors, the strength and thinness of an aluminium frame means that more of the door\u2019s surface area is devoted to the glazing itself, which means superior energy performance.<\/p>\n
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Another consequence of the thinness of an aluminium frame in a glazed door is that more light will pass from one side of the door to another. This will make your interior appear brighter and more spacious.<\/p>\n
Timber, however, is a naturally good-looking material, particularly when it\u2019s treated with an attractive stain. You\u2019ll get different aesthetics from different sorts of timber \u2013 so be sure to check out the available options before making your decision. Aluminium tends to make for a modern, clean look that makes a great match for contemporary homes, but might look out of place in a Georgian cottage. As ever, it\u2019s important to consider the surrounding d\u00e9cor before committing to a decision.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, a high-quality aluminium door will tend to be more affordable than a high-quality wooden one. This is because of the natural cost of the material. While it\u2019s possible to track down affordable timber alternatives, these tend to be the cheaper, flimsy sort that aren\u2019t generally worth bothering with \u2013 particularly if the door in question is an exterior one. If a bargain seems too good to be true, then the chances are that it is; if you\u2019re in doubt, inspect the door you\u2019re considering in person.<\/p>\n
Aluminium is incredibly strong, which is what allows frames made from the material to be made extra-thin. The strength of a timber door will vary according to the sort of timber being used. Fast-growing softwoods like pine are more easily broken than slow-growing hardwoods like solid oak. Another concern that\u2019s worth bearing in mind is that timber has a tendency to warp over time, as heat and moisture penetrate the fibres and distort them.<\/p>\n
In practice, most external doors are made from a combination of different materials designed to counteract these weaknesses and ensure a basic standard of strength. Put simply, a quality manufacturer will be able to put together a durable door using either aluminium or timber.<\/p>\n
![\"wooden](\"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/oak-bifold-doors.jpg\")
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In order to protect timber from nicks and scratches, and to ensure that it looks suitably fantastic throughout its lifespan, the top layer of treatment will need to be refreshed. This means sanding down, cleaning and re-applying. This process usually requires a summer\u2019s day (as the finish will need to dry out), and might take an entire afternoon.<\/p>\n
Aluminium doors, by contrast, need no such special attention; they\u2019re powder-coated at factory level with a shining, robust layer of paint. This limits your choice of finish, but it does mean you won\u2019t need to perform any maintenance beyond the occasional wipe-down with a wet cloth.<\/p>\n
Neither aluminium nor timber doors are fragile, provided that you opt for high-quality. Both sorts of material should be able to last for decades, given the right maintenance. So, whichever you opt for, you\u2019re more likely to replace for aesthetic reasons than out of necessity.<\/p>\n
With that said, if you allow a door to fall into disrepair, it\u2019ll eventually need replacing. Hinges will need to be lubricated, as will the complex track mechanisms that allow a bifold door to move back and forth. The seals that sit around your door will also need to be periodically replaced so that they can exclude draughts. We\u2019d suggest taking a pro-active approach to this sort of repair: it\u2019ll take just minutes to whip out a can of WD40 and make sure things are moving as they should.<\/p>\n
Given that external doors are a likely point of entry for would-be intruders, and it\u2019s important that we take security seriously. With that said, you door\u2019s security is more likely to be determined by the locks you have fitted than by the material itself. External doors will require a five-lever mortice deadlock, whether they\u2019re made from timber or aluminium.<\/p>\n
Again, we should distinguish between the different sorts of timber door available. Hollow-core doors are inexpensive, but they won\u2019t provide the security necessary to repel a determined intruder. On the other hand, a composite door with a timber facing will provide all of the security of a solid metal door, with the attractive finish of an oak one.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve looked at some of the differences and similarities between the two materials. So which is better for a door: aluminium or wood? The answer will depend on where you\u2019re installing the door, and, of course, your personal taste. As long as you choose a well-made door, you\u2019re sure to be pleased with the results whether it\u2019s made from aluminium or timber!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Last updated on July 22nd, 2020 at 01:13 pmModern doors are constructed from a broad range of materials. Two of them stand out as especially popular, namely: aluminium and timber. Both have their relative strengths and weaknesses, which make them suitable for certain applications and not for others. Which is Better – Aluminium or Wooden […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":697,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trivia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=694"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":993,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694\/revisions\/993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expressdoorsdirect.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}