uPVC or Aluminium Bifold Doors? Our tips for choosing the right one for your home
When it comes to choosing doors for your home, there’s a lot of decisions to be made. Even when you’ve decided on the type of door you want, this only leads to another decision; what material do you want the door to be made of? If you’ve decided on bifold doors, there’s two major materials to choose from: uPVC and aluminium. Which one should you get? It depends on your home and preferences as each material has their own pros and cons.
For a lot of people, the first thing they look at when comparing two products is the price. If you’re on a strict budget, uPVC is going to appeal more to you as it’s almost half the price. However, you should also think of the bigger picture, as aluminium will last you a lot longer thanks to its durability. This means that over time, you could end up paying more to maintain or replace your uPVC bifold door whereas an aluminium one costs more upfront.
Aesthetics
Everyone wants their home to look its best and your choice in door plays a massive part in this. Aluminium certainly has the advantage in this situation. Not only are they customisable with more colours and various finishes, the thinner frames also allow for more glass, leading to more light being let in and a better-looking door. uPVC, on the other hand, has larger frames with fewer options when it comes to customisation.
As briefly mentioned when discussing cost, uPVC doors will require more maintenance than their aluminium counterpart. Whilst both materials are certainly durable, aluminium has a longer working lifespan than uPVC and because they’re usually powder coated, won’t require repainting. Aluminium bi-folds are also able to be coated with a weather resistant finish, meaning they’ll be able to withstand any kind of weather. uPVC, on the other hand, can get scratched more easily and may start to look tired after years under the sun.
Thermal Efficiency
Thermal efficiency is an area where uPVC excels in comparison to aluminium. Aluminium is a highly conductive material, which means heat passes through it with ease, leading to the doors themselves being cold to touch and not being as good at keeping the heat within your home. uPVC is a lot better at stopping heat from passing through. Thanks to developments over time, aluminium can be altered to increase thermal efficiency to match the level of uPVC using various methods. When it comes to a base model however, uPVC reigns supreme.
Strength and Security
Obviously, as a homeowner, you want to make sure your home is as secure as possible. In most cases, your bifold door is going to be located at the rear of your home so it’s particularly important that the door will be impenetrable to any home invader. The strength of the frames is also important as they’re tasked with supporting the panes of glass. Aluminium is stronger than uPVC, which allows it to support the glass even with thinner frames. Whilst both materials will keep your house secure, if you’re looking for the strongest material available, aluminium is for you.
In summary, whilst aluminium may appear to be the best, it all depends on your budgetary situation. You can’t go wrong with either but with a higher upfront cost and perhaps even more money to match the thermal efficiency of uPVC, aluminium is ideal for those looking to go all out but for a higher cost. When looking to buy doors, windows, conservatories and orangeries for supply and installation, you won’t be disappointed with Fitter Windows.
Bifold Door Prices Harlow, Essex
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