UPVC Patio Door Alternatives
A decision that many home designers stress over is choosing what type of material their patio doors will be made of.
The two most common types of materials used in a patio door are either UPVC (Unplasticised Poly Vinyl Chloride), wood (oak, pine, beach), or metal (usually aluminum).
In the older days, wooden doors and sometimes metal doors were the more common choice because that was really all that was available back then.
These days though many people are choosing UPVC for their doors because it has many advantages that the wooden or metal door does not.
The reasons that UPVC has become the more popular choice in material for doors nowadays is mainly because it is low maintenance, and also because it has handy insulating qualities.
Because it is made of plastic, UPVC does not rot or deteriorate like wood sometimes does, and it is also has draught proof weather strips built into its frame.
In addition to this, UPVC has a wide choice of appearances to choose from, and also has a good choice of handles and locks. This material does have some disadvantages though. UPVC has a poor structural strength compared to other materials like wood unless it is steel reinforced, something you should always ask.
- How about a stable door design: www.doubleglazeddoorsfitted.co.uk/stable-doors
Another common option, wood, also has its own advantages and disadvantages. Wood is the most easily repaired material of all the different possibilities. Also, it is the best natural insulator; great for those cold winter nights. Finally, wood is a very strong and sturdy material, which means you don’t need to worry about damaging it.
Wood also has many disadvantages though. It needs decorating about every 5 years, because it can easily loose colour when exposed to intense weather conditions. It is also very expensive, and you will be hard-pressed to find a supplier in the first place. Also, wood is very prone to rotting if you don’t take proper care of it.
The final common material for a door is metal. Aluminium is usually the metal of choice, and just like the other two types, it has many advantages and disadvantages that you should take into consideration.
Aluminium does not rot or rust, and it also has a weather strip built into its frame. Also, this metal has a high structural strength compared to materials like UPVC, and this allows slimmer frames to be produced. In addition, aluminum has a good choice of paint colours, and a wide choice of handles and locks, just like UPVC.
This material is a bad insulator though; it transmits unwanted cold/heat into the house. It is also more expensive than plastic is, and it just like wood, it is hard to find a supplier in the first place.
When you analyze these three different materials, it is obvious why UPVC is now the most popular choice for patio doors.
UPVC does not rot, it is durable to weather, and it has a wide variety of appearances and also locks and handles, which allow flexibility in security. It is also has good insulating qualities, and finally it is cheaper than both wood and metal.
The other two materials may have been popular in the past, but these days UPVC is the only way to go at www.doubleglazeddoorsfitted.co.uk
