The British playwright, Tom Stoppard, once wrote, “Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.”

There’s no denying that doors make a statement. They can be an exit or an entrance, inviting or imposing, open or closed. The type of doors that you have in your home make a statement about who you are, how open you are, and the integrity of your home.

Traditionally, doors have been made of wood and steel. However, thanks to modern innovation, doors are now made from many different materials. Some are natural, some are synthetic, and other doors use a hybrid of both synthetic and natural building materials.

The five most common doorframe materials used for modern doors are:

• Fiberglass
• Aluminum
• Vinyl
• Wood
• Hybrid

In today’s post, we’re going to take a quick look at the pros and cons of each material and explain why some builders prefer one door material over another. Let’s take a look!

The 5 Most Common Doorframe Materials

In days past, homeowners would take pride in the strength and integrity of their doors. The larger, heavier, and more imposing the door was, the greater the statement that it made. Today, however, it seems like most consumers are more concerned with aesthetics. They want doors that are both strong and lightweight, open yet durable.

To one degree or another, all of today’s most common doorframe materials fit into this broad categorization. However, each material has some specific drawbacks and advantages over the others. So, if you’re in the process of buying a new door or building a new folding door system, then this should help you decide which type of folding door material is best for you!

1) Fiberglass

Fiberglass is arguably one of the most common materials to build front entrance doors out of. It’s strong, durable, and incredibly cheap to manufacture. Fiberglass never molds or rusts, is incredibly easy to clean, is moisture-resistant, and can withstand hard impacts.

When you add on the fact that fiberglass doors can be painted almost any color imaginable, you get an incredibly versatile doorframe material. That being said, fiberglass isn’t exactly what you’d call a “high-end” compound. For this reason, it tends to be used more in lower-cost doors. You’ll almost never see fiberglass used to engineer expensive folding doors or multi-slide door systems.

2) Aluminum

Aluminum is the most plentiful metal on earth and is quickly becoming one of the most popular doorframe materials. It has an incredibly good strength-to-weight ratio which makes it ideal for creating lightweight yet strong doorframes.

A good aluminum doorframe can be designed to hold extra-thick hurricane-proof glass, stand up to gale-force winds, and withstand moderate impact… all while maintaining a sleek, low-profile appearance. Like fiberglass, aluminum is naturally corrosion-resistant due to the fact that it has little to no iron particles.

Aluminum doors are typically powder-coated from the factory or anodized using electrolysis to create a natural finish that will last the lifetime of the door.

3) Vinyl

Vinyl or PVC is becoming increasingly more popular in low-cost folding and porch door construction. The biggest advantage to vinyl is that it’s lightweight and practically maintenance-free. It doesn’t corrode, fade, or scratch, and can be easily cleaned.

The only disadvantage to a vinyl doorframe is that it’s not a very strong material. This means that it’s not a good choice of material for those looking for heavy-duty or weatherproof doorways. Its lack of structural integrity also imposes size limitations, as it can only support so much weight before it buckles under pressure.

4) Wood

Once, almost all doors in the world were made out of wood planks. Today, however, wood is primarily viewed as a high-end, luxury building material. For example, wood folding doors are some of the most expensive on the market due to the fact that natural hardwoods are quickly depleting and the cost of lumber has skyrocketed with the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Aside from the cost aspect, though, the main advantages of wood are that it’s incredibly strong and is a great natural insulator. Other than that, though, it requires constant maintenance. It will need to be treated for mold at least once or twice a year, and will need to be sanded down and re-stained once every 3 to 5 years.

5) Hybrid

Hybrid doorframe materials are very popular these days, as they combine aspects of strength and styling. Most hybrid doorframes feature an aluminum skeleton with vinyl plating or wood plating on the exterior. This gives the door the strength of a metal backbone while providing a stylish, low-maintenance appearance.

What’s The Best Material For Folding Doors?

Most consumers and builders agree that aluminum is the best material for folding doors. It’s lightweight, strong, and can support both small residential folding doors and extra-large commercial folding door systems alike. Plus, the fact that it’s incredibly low-maintenance is a huge plus!