Aluminium vs composite bifold doors
Author: David Ross - Sales Manager
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Aluminium and composite are both popular materials for bifold doors, both offering a reliable and durable option. However, there are a few differences between each to be aware of before you purchase a bifold door.
Here, we provide a complete guide to aluminium vs composite bifold doors, exploring the key benefits of each and factors such as appearance and cost.
In this guide:
Find out more about what composite bifold doors are and the materials they consist of.
Find out more about the key benefits of aluminium bifold doors.
Read about the key benefits of composite bifold doors.
We answer common queries on aluminium vs composite bifold doors.
What are composite bifold doors, and how are they made?
Composite bifold doors are often made from a combination of timber and aluminium.
There are three ways to construct external composite bifold doors:
- Use a timber frame and add an external aluminium cladding (known as aluminium clad-timber)
- Start with an aluminium bifold frame and add wooden strips on the side facing the interior (known as timber clad-aluminium)
- Timber and aluminium sandwiched around a foam core.
Aluminium-clad timber offer a number of superior specifications, including thermal insulation, as wood is a better insulator than aluminium. They also provide excellent noise reduction, as a solid timber frame will cut out more sound than aluminium. This makes aluminium-clad bifold doors the best choice for those living in noisy areas. If the frame is combined with triple-glazed glass, this also improves noise reduction.
- Thermal insulation — Wood is a better insulator than aluminium
- Noise reduction — A solid timber frame will cut out more sound than aluminium. This makes aluminium-clad bifold doors the best choice for those living near train tracks or under flight paths, especially when the frame is combined with triple glazed glass.
Vufold’s Ultra range of composite bifold doors feature resilient powder-coated aluminium on the outside and a beautiful oak-finish interior.
Looking for a durable, modern composite bifold door?
Our pick:
VUFOLD ULTRA COMPOSITE BIFOLD DOOR RANGE
FROM £1,037.00
Our composite doors combine the low maintenance and long life of aluminium on the outside, with the natural elegance and good looks of responsibly-sourced oak on the inside. It’s all wrapped up in our fabulous Ultra Composite bifold doors, which also come triple-glazed as standard to give them exceptional thermal performance.
Shop our full range of composite bifold doors here.
What are the key benefits of aluminium bifold doors?
Aluminium bifold doors are renowned for their excellent strength and durability. Aluminium is an environmentally friendly alternative to steel, while offering similarities in appearance. When compared to options such as uPVC and timber, it is also an incredibly low-maintenance option, saving you considerable time.
Aluminium is a solid option for all types of doors, however is extremely popular for bifold doors. Often designed in classic colours such as black, grey and white, aluminium bifolds are suitable for most types of properties and styles. With the trend of neutral, classic colours on the rise, aluminium doors are a great way to add a modern aesthetic to your home, while keeping up with recent trends.
Buying an aluminium bifold patio door can even increase the value of your home and serve as a long-term investment, as they offer impressive strength and reliability.
Read more about the benefits of aluminium bifold doors here.
Looking for a modern aluminium bifolding door?
Our pick:
STATUS ALUMINIUM BIFOLD DOORS
FROM £2,479.00
The Status is our most popular aluminium bifold door set, and it’s no mystery as to why. Not only are they fantastic value for such beautifully engineered bifolds, they’re available in a host of configurable options and feature a low threshold and slim sight lines to give you more light, and a better view. As if that’s not enough, our Express range is also available for delivery in just three days.
What are the key benefits of composite bifold doors?
Composite bifolds utilise the best qualities of the combined materials to create a durable, stylish and insulating bifold door that allows you to enjoy the natural light that bifold doors introduce to your home.
Key benefits include:
- Best of both materials — Timber provides excellent thermal insulation and noise reduction while aluminium offers weather resistance and added durability
- Low maintenance — Composite doors with external aluminium cladding require less maintenance than other techniques
- Excellent thermal insulation — Wood is a fantastic natural insulator. Timber frame composite bifolds will offer some of the best U-values in the country
- Added security — Vufold composite doors are engineered to be fitted with multipoint locks and, triple glazed toughened safety glass.
To compare composite bifold doors with other materials such as wood and aluminium, please read our guide.
Comparing costs: aluminium vs composite bifold doors
Composite bifold doors are often slightly more expensive than aluminium bifold doors. This is due to their incredible strength and durability. They also offer some of the best U-values in the market, and are known for their excellent thermal efficiency.
For reference – Vufold aluminium external bifold doors start at £1,959.00, whereas Vufold composite external bifold doors start at £2,814, at the time of writing.
Read our complete guide to aluminium vs composite bifold doors here.
Aluminium bifold doors vs composite bifold doors – differences in appearance
Aluminium provides a sleek, minimalistic style, and is a great choice if you are looking for a modern option. Composite bifold doors, on the other hand, can offer the best of both worlds, combining modern materials such as aluminium, with more traditional materials such as oak. A composite bifold door can be a great option if you want to combine both aesthetics, and enjoy the benefits of different materials.
Grey, white and other neutrals are particular popular options for aluminium bifolds. For composite bifold doors, the colours available depends on the materials used. Vufold composite bifold doors, for example, are designed from aluminium and oak, and are available in white or grey.
View our range of external aluminium bifold doors for more information on the design options.
Our take: aluminium bifold doors vs composite bifold doors
Our table below demonstrates which materials comes out on top for different buying priorities:
|
Key priority |
Our pick |
| Cost
|
Aluminium bifold doors |
| Durability
|
Composite bifold doors |
| Low maintenance
|
Aluminium bifold doors |
|
Style |
This depends on your preferred style. If you are unsure on whether to choose a modern or traditional option, we recommend composite bifold doors. Aluminium bifold doors offer a sleek and modern aesthetic. |
| Environmentally friendly
|
Composite bifold doors |
| Lifespan
|
Composite bifold doors |
| Thermal efficiency |
Composite bifold doors |
Are you still unsure which bifold door material to choose? Shop our full selection of high-quality internal bifold doors and external bifold doors here.
Frequently asked questions
What factors can determine the cost of a bifold door?
The average costs of bifold doors can vary depending on the size, material and whether you’re looking to fit them internally or externally. The cost of the doors you choose should be carefully considered to ensure that your budget will cover the right folding doors for your home.
Is thermal efficiency important when it comes to buying bifold doors?
Thermal efficiency ensures that your room stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Thermal efficiency is important as it means you will spend less energy keeping a room at a moderate temperature. Fortunately, hardwood is naturally thermally efficient.
To check a bifold door’s thermal efficiency, check the overall U-value.
How do you choose a secure composite bifold door?
Investing in a secure bifold door is key to ensuring the safety of your property. You can increase the security properties of your bifold door by focusing on the following areas:
- Locks - a multipoint lock offers up to three times the level of security of standard locks
- Glass - ensure your glass is either tempered (toughened) glass for added strength or laminated for impact proofing.
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About David Ross
David has over 20 years’ experience in the glazing industry across a variety of roles. He joined Vufold in 2012 and his mission is – ‘to make buying windows and doors as easy and stress free as possible’. He is committed to constant improvement and was instrumental in creating our innovative direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform to help grow and expand the business.
Read more about David Ross