So, you are wondering what type of material choice is perfect for your entry door. Well, your entry door is a pretty functional and important part of your home and you have to know about all decisive factors to consider before making a final decision about its material.
The first impression matters and same goes for your home in which the entry door plays a vital part. However, it’s not all a front door offers. It also protects you and your family from elements and harsh weathers; besides, it discourages intruders and burglars from trying their chance. So, getting the right choice is pretty important, especially for exterior facing doors.
But, what do you do to make an ideal choice? Well, with so many material choices, brands, products, and manufacturers out there; they all can make your head spin. The choice of material has to suit your preference, style, and budget. But to make it bit easy, you can narrow down the material choices into four basic options: wood, aluminium, uPVC, and Composite.
All these materials have their own pros and cons. So, we’ve put together this guide about their comparison to help you in your decision while shopping for your next entry door.
Feeling exited? Let’s jump straight in.
Wooden Doors
Are you looking for some traditional style of entry door that looks warm and natural? A wooden entry door is quite common and has a lot to offer, especially if you’ve love for natural materials. It’s a popular choice that can be customized to suit your desired size, shape, and style preferences. If offers wonderful appearance and unparalleled textures. Besides, you can put in some decorative glass accents or lights to personalize the design. Wooden doors are easy to work with and that’s the reason you can find variety of different types of wooden entry doors. Whether you need detailed carvings of a panel door or you want some sleek flat door, wooden doors are there for taking.
However, wooden doors do have some serious cons as well to consider. The biggest con is its sensitivity to the changing climates. It’s not as weather resistant as aluminium. Wooden entry doors tend to warp overtime because of outdoor elements and thus you have to replace your exterior wood doors more frequently. Notwithstanding, it can have reduced insulation values. Similarly, wooden doors with lavish designs and exotic wooden quality are quite expensive.
It is never recommended to get a wooden entry door if you’re living in areas with high humidity or if there’re enough rains. The wooden entry doors can’t withstand dampness as it can damage the finish coating. Thus, with wooden entry door, it’s always recommended to have a canopy installed to increase the life of a wooden entry door. Hence, if you’re more inclined for a traditional look, can give the care and maintenance to the door, and have got a hefty pocket; you can have a go with wooden entry doors.
uPVC Doors
If you’re looking for some cheaper solution for your entry doors, you may have go with the uPVC doors. They are cheaper than aluminium or timber in terms of investment cost that’s the reason it has growing focus for affordable living.
In past, the people shifted to uPVC instead of Aluminium because of low insulation value until that insulation leaf and breaks within frame that make aluminium go even beyond uPVC doors. Anyhow, uPVC doors are durable and more resistant to rot in comparison to wooden doors. They have a greater lifespan and require little maintenance. However, they tend to degrade over years but at much slower rate than timber and you need to change your doors after 20 to 30 years.
In terms of insulation value, uPVC are expected to offer an effective solution but like aluminium this all is variable and depends on the quality of material and manufacturing process.
Unlike wooden doors, uPVC doors are durable and strong. They offer pretty secure barrier for intruders and burglars. Modern doors are built with galvanized steel core that is extremely difficult to break. In terms of sound proofing, uPVC offers slightly better soundproofing but again that depends.
However, the biggest con of uPVC door is its limited options in terms of aesthetic styles and designs to choose from. So, you can’t expect to bring some awe-inspiring feature to your entry door with uPVC and overtime they’re susceptible to discolouration and wear out.
Aluminium Doors
Looking for high durability and weather resistance in your entry door? Well, no other material can beat aluminium in terms of sturdiness and longevity. It is of no doubt that aluminium doors can withstand the onslaughts of regular usage and are never affected by things like termite or temperature changes.
Although aluminium as a material is good conductor of heat and apparently you may think of it not good at insulation but modern aluminium entrance doors are made with an insulation leaf along with multiple-glazed panels that effectively prevent heat loss. It will reduce your energy bills due to outstanding thermal insulation and will make your indoor environment more peaceful because of acoustic insulation.
Aluminium as a material stands out among other materials like wood and uPVC because it is strong and is virtually maintenance-free. Its strength allows you to get bigger size entrance doors and frames thus allowing more natural light to pass through.
Because of its mechanical properties, it offers the highest insulation values. This makes aluminium an ideal material for entry doors that can keep cool winds from creeping into your cosy home.
Because of good quality surface finishes, aluminium doors are an excellent choice as it requires minimal care. You just need to clean the door by using an alkaline cleaning agent and no special treatment is needed.
In terms of security, aluminium doors offer enhanced anti-burglary features due to multiple locking systems.
Aluminium doors are well known for the contemporary and sleek looks. And you might believe that you must get a wooden door for your Georgian or Victorian house. But this is a thing of past; as now one can get traditional aluminium doors, mimicking the look of traditional wooden doors. So, you can get the look of rustic wood décor with all the benefits of aluminium doors.
However, modern well-made aluminium doors can be expensive due to manufacturing processes. But because of its ease of maintenance, draught proof properties and higher thermal value; it can pay for its cost down the road. You may get a cheap wooden or uPVC door but in terms of maintenance and long-term deterioration, you have to pay far more.
Composite Doors
Composite doors combine the benefits of different materials they are made with. It includes uPVC, wood, aluminium, glass, and steel. They do have a lengthy lifespan and offer many other benefits if properly installed. Modern composite doors are highly secure, durable, and require less maintenance in comparison to wooden and uPVC.
If you want the traditional charm of wooden doors but have a tight budget, a composite door can be an alternate choice. But again, composite doors do have a hefty price tag in comparison to uPVC but are not the most expensive.
Modern composite doors are strong, secure, and weather resistant. They won’t fade, warp or twist like wooden doors and provide excellent thermal insulation. Because of the excellent manufacturing process, they do have a long life and require less maintenance in comparison to wood or uPVC doors.
But with aluminium doors, you can enjoy greater strength, durability, and the modern look of powder-coated finish that you can’t get from a uPVC framed composite door. Because of a weak frame, composite doors are prone to rattling and shaking when the door shuts.
The bottom Line
Your decision about the material for the entry door is going to influence your life down the road. Picking a cheap material that won’t give you the best insulation value will make you bleed money in the long run at the cost of comfort. In contrast, sturdy and high-end material like aluminium can let you have an exceptional door that will take care of all your needs and would impress your visitors because of a welcoming look.
We, here at Glasswin Doors provide you with technologically advanced doors that are exceptionally designed and are highly-functional. You don’t have to get some fancy expensive flashy adornments for your entrance to stand out. Instead, our subtle and elegantly designed aluminium doors are made to inspire through sophistication.
They can exceed your insulation requirements and let you stand out among neighbors because of clean lines and high-quality workmanship. Our meticulously designed and crated doors offer a sight to behold along with maximum functionality. So, let’s get the entrance of your dream and call us now for a new beginning.
Call us now on 0330 122 4562 or email us at sales@glasswin.co.ukand we’ll be pleased to protect you and your future.
If you found this article useful, please read our other articles:
- Difference Between InFill Aluminium Front Door and Aluminium Panel Front door ?
- 10 Reasons to buy Aluminium Front Doors
