Which Frame Would Suit a Replacement Sliding Door?
After a certain amount of usage, any sliding patio door will start to run less smoothly over its rollers. Jams become more common, and you may find that locking your door isn't as easy as you once did. In such cases, a sliding door replacement is often preferable to a repair because it can be cheaper to buy a new one than to fit the necessary parts to fix your current one. What's more, a sliding door replacement is likely to last many years, whereas a repair would only postpone the problem over the course of the next couple of years. Therefore, if you are looking for a sliding door replacement for your patio, the big question you should be asking is what sort of frame you want. Read on to find out more about the main choices available today.
Wood
To begin with, wooden frames are a perfectly practical choice for replacement sliding doors. Wood is a natural material which can be sourced ethically all over the country. It is also capable of holding the weight of large sliding doors, too. This will be a consideration if you have a larger than average door or if you want a triple-glazed unit. Either way, the weight of the glass can be great, which puts the frame under more strain. Wooden frames can cope, but on the other hand, wood needs to be painted every few years to keep it in prime condition.
UPVC
If you want the cheapest framing material for your sliding door replacement, then it is likely that UPVC will be the best option. Although you can obtain it in many different colours, you can see white UPVC all over Australia because it is a very practical and inexpensive framing material. This type of thermoplastic will last a very long time and requires very little by way of maintenance either. In fact, all you need to do is to wipe it over with a cloth when you clean the door's glazing. Bear in mind, though, that UPVC frames tend to be quite wide, so you will not be able to maximise the amount of sunlight that can enter into your home.
Aluminium
Aluminium frames are extremely versatile because they can be used for both sliding door replacements as well as for new window frames. One of the big benefits of aluminium is that it is lightweight so it means sliding your new door back and forth is consequently easier. What's more, this metal can be powder-coated so that it will fit in with the rest of your window frames seamlessly. Moreover, aluminium very strong so you will also benefit from lower-profile frames since less of the material will be needed to mount the glass. As a result, you can obtain larger panes in your doors, which will improve light flow.