If you’ve been shopping around for a set of new folding doors for your home, then you’ve probably noticed that there are three key building materials that are used to manufacture doorframes, including:

• Vinyl.
• Aluminum.
• Natural Hardwood.

No matter what manufacturer you look at, vinyl folding doors are generally going to be the “budget” option. Most people automatically assume that this means vinyl is less durable than other materials and that the doors won’t last quite as long.

While vinyl is a little bit less durable than aluminum or hardwood, it still has a number of other benefits that may cause you to re-think your opinion of it. Below, we’ll spend a few minutes breaking down the pros and cons of vinyl so you can decide which doorframe material is best for your home!

What Are The Benefits Of Vinyl Doors?

Technically, vinyl doors are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride). That’s the same material that your home’s PVC plumbing pipes are made from. At the end of the day, if it’s suitable to carry water through your walls, then it’s probably not a bad choice of material to use for a door either. That being said, here are the top benefits of vinyl doors.

Great Strenght-To-Weight Ratio

Vinyl is incredibly lightweight, which makes it a great choice for older homes where the structural integrity of the doorway may be in question. Due to the lighter-weight doorframe, you may not need to spend as much money re-structuring the supports in your home’s load-bearing walls.

Despite its light weight, though, vinyl is fairly strong. Sure, it’s not quite as hard as wood or aluminum, but it can stand up to most weather and light storms without any problems. There’s a reason why most windows and house siding are made from vinyl!

They’re Low-Maintenance

Vinyl is incredibly low-maintenance. With wood folding doors, you’ll have to worry about keeping the wood mold and moisture-free. This means that you’ll have to constantly reapply and touch up the stain on the doorframe. Even aluminum, which is fairly low-maintenance will still need to be re-painted from time to time.

In contrast, vinyl folding doors will never need to be re-painted or re-stained. This is because they’re dyed from the factory, so the color isn’t just on the surface; it goes all the way through the material.

 They’re Affordable

One of the biggest advantages of vinyl doors is that they’re incredibly affordable. In some cases, they can be up to 25% cheaper than aluminum or hardwood doors. This is because vinyl simply needs to be poured into pre-existing molds, rather than custom-milled with precision tools.

They Don’t Scratch Easily

Hardwood and aluminum both scratch easily, which means they’re not a great choice for people who have pets that may like to scratch at doorways. Even if your pet manages to scratch the surface of the vinyl, it can easily be repaired by applying heat from a heat gun to the scratched area to level out the surface.

What Are The Drawbacks Of Vinyl Folding Doors?

While vinyl certainly has a number of benefits, there are also some drawbacks that could make or break your decision to purchase vinyl doors over aluminum or hardwood folding doors.

They Can’t Be Used For Extra-Large Doors

For one, vinyl can’t be used to manufacture extra-large folding door systems. This is because vinyl doesn’t have as great of structural integrity as aluminum and wood do. When vinyl is used to create larger doorframes, the frames may be too flexible and can twist and bend, making for a weak door. For this reason, vinyl doors usually aren’t any taller than 6 or 7 feet.

Vinyl Cracks Easily

While vinyl can stand up to scratches a lot better than aluminum and wood, it can become quite brittle, especially when it’s exposed to sunlight for a couple of years. This means that vinyl doors may become cracked easily if you slam the doors too hard or bang into them with heavy furniture.

There Aren’t Many Color Options

If you’re somebody who enjoys an artistic “pop,” then you may not like vinyl doors. This is because vinyl can only be dyed a few different shades (which are all rather boring), such as:

• Beige/tan.
• Black.
• Grey.
• White.
• Brown.

In contrast, aluminum doors can be painted almost any color you can imagine and wood folding doors can be stained a wide variety of different shades and color tones.

Conclusion

While vinyl folding doors aren’t quite as durable as aluminum or hardwood doors, they definitely require the least amount of maintenance. Due to their low cost, they’re also a great entry-level folding door for those who aren’t willing to shell out thousands for more expensive doorframe materials.