Everyone Should Know this about Sliding Glass Doors
We all love the ease of use, beauty and feeling of openness that sliding glass doors offer to our homes and businesses. However, there may be a lot about this type of doorway that you may not know. So, we’ve put together a few important differences that everyone should keep in mind regarding vinyl clad, wood and aluminum framed sliding doors for their home, office or retail space.
| Aluminum vs Wood Frame Although you may find wood framed sliding doors being offered by some manufacturers, they do have their issues. First of all, being made of wood they are less secure than aluminum framed doors. Wood after all is easier to break, whereas aluminum frames will bend under stresses caused by attempted forced entry. Combined with tempered glass, aluminum framed entry doors are much more secure. As well, wood framed sliding glass doors are susceptible to rot, mold and mildew. Wood framed doors also shrink and expand as the weather changes. This shrinkage during the cold weather causes the door seals to not be nearly as effective at keeping out the cold or the heat. During hot weather, wood framed sliding doors will expand in their mounts causing them to bind. This expansion can create a safety hazard for your family or patrons. |
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Aluminum vs Vinyl Clad Few people realise that vinyl doors usually have a wood substructure. Although these vinyl clad framed doors may look great when they are first installed, eventually moisture will make its way to the interior. When water finds its way in, there is little chance of it drying out properly. This trapped moisture often causes more damage than typical unclad wood frames. During the colder months trapped moisture will freeze, forcing the vinyl cladding to separate more; allowing even more moisture in. During the hot months of summer, trapped moisture will “wick” up the wood under-frame and allow mold to grow and wood-rot to occur inside the vinyl clad frame. This rotting will cause the doors to become even more unstable as time passes. |
| Aluminum Framed Bias After reading this blog entry, you may feel we’re a bit biased toward aluminum framed sliding glass doors; and you would be right. All-in-all, when you’re considering installing or replacing your sliding glass doors we hope you’ll consider security and longevity as important factors in choosing aluminum framed sliding glass doors over other materials. |
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There are many other reasons you may or may not be aware of when it comes to choosing aluminum framed sliding glass doors. If you would like to speak to one of our knowledgeable professionals about all the other reasons that make aluminum the smart choice, please contact us. We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
