Aluminium vs wooden bifold doors | Comparing benefits, cost, appearance, and more
Author: David Ross - Sales Manager
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Timber and aluminium are among the most popular materials used for bifold doors. While timber is a traditional, classic option for bifold doors – aluminium is hugely popular due to its incredible strength and reliability.
Find out how aluminium and wooden bifold doors compare with each other, including a comparison of strength, durability, prices, aesthetic, and more.
In this guide:
Read the benefits of choosing aluminium bifold doors.
Find out more about the key benefits of wooden bifold doors here.
Find out how aluminium and wooden bifold doors differ in terms of appearance and aesthetic.
Read how much you can expect to pay for wooden and aluminium bifold doors.
We answer frequently asked questions on aluminium and wooden bifold doors.
What are the key benefits of aluminium bifold doors?
Aluminium bifold doors are renowned for their excellent strength and durability. While steel bifold doors were previously a hugely popular option – aluminium has become a firm choice among many homeowners, as it is an environmentally friendly option at a fraction of the price of steel doors.
Aluminium is a great option if you are looking for a modern internal or external bifold door. Often designed in neutral colours such as black and white, aluminium bifolds also go well with any style of home. With the use of neutral colours and minimalistic designs in the home rising in popularity, buying a simple, classic-style aluminium door allows your home to stay up-to-date with recent trends.
Buying an aluminium bifold patio door can ultimately be a long-term investment, as they have an incredible life expectancy and may even increase the value of your home. Aluminium also requires little-to-no maintenance, and unlike a timber door or a uPVC bifold door, will only require cleaning occasionally with soapy water.
Read our complete guide to aluminium bifold doors here.
Looking for an energy efficient, aluminium door?
Our pick:
STATUS ALUMINIUM BIFOLD DOORS
FROM £2,489.00
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 wooden bifold doors?
Wooden bifold doors are a traditional, solid option for any home, providing a rustic feel. Timber bifold doors are also naturally thermally efficient, and are the most environmentally friendly material when it comes to bifold doors. If you are environmentally conscious and are looking for a wooden door, we recommend our timber bifold doors range.
Another key benefit of wooden bifold doors is that they’re often considerably less expensive than aluminium bifold doors. Timber doors can make an excellent option if you’re on a tighter budget and want to enjoy the benefits of timber.
Aluminium bifold doors vs wooden bifold doors – differences in appearance
Aluminium provides a sleek, minimalistic style, whereas wood provides a more classic style. You may want to choose a bifold door that showcases the natural tones of woods such as oak, or you might prefer a lighter shade, such as white finish.
Alternatively, you can choose an aluminium door if you want to add a contemporary feel to your home, and although black is often the most popular choice – aluminium doors can be manufactured in many different colours to match your home. Grey, white and pastels are some other popular colour choices for aluminium bifolds.
View our range of external aluminium bifold doors for more information on the design options.
When choosing an option for your home, factors such as the furniture in your home and garden should also be considered. For an internal bifold door, for example, you may want to choose a wooden option if you’d like to match your door with your wooden furniture. As wooden bifold doors also come in various shades and types of woods, you can also match the tone of wood with your home’s interior.
Looking for an energy efficient, aluminium door?
Our pick:
MASTER WOODEN BIFOLD DOORS
FROM £1,688.00
Elegant, slim sight lines complemented by a classic white or on-trend anthracite grey finish highlight out our Master bifold doors as exceptional. These bestselling wooden bifold doors are superbly-engineered from slow grown hardwood and use a smooth stainless-steel top hung roller system that makes them easy to install and even easier to operate.
Shop our timber bifold doors range here.
Read our complete guide to the types of wooden bifold doors here.
Aluminium bifold doors vs wooden bifold doors – cost comparison
Due to their excellent durability and strength – aluminium bifold doors often cost more than options such as timber and uPVC. The price of aluminium bifold doors also depends on the supplier, and the price variety can be very large depending on the design, size and configuration of the door, and any accessories included. At Vufold, aluminium bifold external door prices range from £1959 to £8999 at the time of writing. For more guidance, you can read our guide to bifold door prices.
Wooden bifold doors are often slightly less expensive than aluminium bifold doors. As a rough guide – Vufold’s external wooden bifold door prices range from £2109 to £4659, with the wooden internal bifold doors prices ranging from £849 to £1789 at the time of writing.
A final comparison – aluminium vs wood
Our table below demonstrates which materials comes out on top for different buying priorities:
|
Key priority |
Our pick |
|
Cost |
Timber bifold doors |
|
Durability |
Aluminium bifold doors |
|
Low maintenance |
Aluminium bifold doors |
|
Style |
This depends on your preferred style – if you are looking for a more traditional option, we recommend wooden bifold doors. For a modern, sleek option – consider aluminium bifold doors. |
|
Environmentally friendly |
Timber bifold doors |
|
Lifespan |
Aluminium bifold doors |
|
Thermal efficiency |
Aluminium 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
How long do bifold doors last?
This depends on factors such as the material of the bifold door, and the manufacturer you buy from. Vufold features bifold doors that come with a guarantee of up to 15 years.
Are aluminium doors better than wooden doors?
Aluminium bifold doors are generally more durable than timber doors, and can require less maintenance. However, there are also many benefits to wooden doors. For example, wooden bifold doors are more environmentally friendly than bifold doors, and are often less expensive.
Why choose aluminium folding doors?
Bifold doors with an aluminium frame are extremely durable and secure, making them an ideal option if strength is your key priority.
Are bifold doors easy to break into?
High-quality bifold doors, such as Vufold’s selection of bifold doors, come with excellent security options and are made from strong, durable materials. This ensures they are highly secure and are not easy to break into.
Related content
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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