Aluminium doors and windows are commonly used in modern construction. They embody many properties that make them ideal for all types of residential, industrial and commercial construction, leading to their immense popularity in the building industry. Continue reading to learn all about aluminium doors, their properties, advantages, limitations and types of aluminium doors based on design, operating mechanism and finish.
Overview of Aluminium Doors
Aluminium is a naturally occurring metallic element found mainly in rocks in the Earth’s crust and discovered in 1825. Due to its many desirable qualities, it became a material used to make various household items, leading to a rapid increase in its production in the 20th century. Aluminium swiftly became an integral material in construction projects too and is widely favoured among different door and window options by property owners and builders across the world. Aluminium doors are available in various colours, finishes and types, and are also highly durable, making them very popular in modern construction.
Types of Aluminium Doors
Aluminium doors, commonly called ‘alu doors’, can be categorised based on various factors, some of the important ones being:
Types of Aluminium Doors Based on Mechanism
- Aluminium Hinged Doors: These are simple aluminium shutter doors with 2-4 side hinges fixed to one side of the frame, allowing the door to swing 90-180° outwards or inwards.
- Aluminium Folding Doors: Two or more shutters fold into each other, reducing the area they take up when kept open. Side hinges fixed between each shutter facilitate this movement.
- Aluminium Sliding Doors: Two or more tracks fixed to the top and/or bottom frame allow the shutters to smoothly slide over one another. Although the effective opening size is reduced, aluminium sliding glass doors can allow more light inside.
- Aluminium Pivot Doors: These consist of a vertical member fixed in the shutter and the door rotates along its axis. They are ideal when an opening is required around both sides of the shutter.
- Aluminium Sliding Folding Glass Doors: With tracks, hinges and pivots, these doors allow maximum opening sizes and smooth movement.
- Aluminium Roller Shutter: Commonly referred to as aluminium shop front doors, these shutters typically have a pulley mechanism that allows them to be rolled up.
Types of Aluminium Doors Based on Design
- Aluminium Glass Door: Glass panels with specific properties, such as high-strength, toughened and high thickness can easily be fixed to aluminium doors and frames. Aluminium frame glass doors allow maximum natural light in spaces.
- Aluminium Louvre Doors: Louvres provide protection against excessive solar rays or rain coming from specific directions and can also be used to increase cross ventilation.
- Embossed Aluminium Doors: Customised patterns and designs can be embossed on aluminium shutters. This is especially useful for aluminium front doors.
Types of Aluminium Doors Based on Finish
- Painted Aluminium Doors: Although cheaper, manually painted aluminium doors are less durable.
- Powder Coated Aluminium Doors: Powder coating involves spraying dry paint powder with an electrostatic gun to produce an extremely premium and durable finish.
- Aluminium Doors with Material Finish: Aluminium doors and frames that can mimic natural materials like wood and stone are now available in the market.
Although less common, other finishes like PVDF coating, anodizing and bright dipping can also be done for aluminium doors. All these finishes can be done to obtain matte, semi-matte, satin or glossy surfaces as required.
Benefits of Aluminium Doors
- Durability: Wooden doors can rot, peel or experience cracks. Steel doors can corrode and rust. Good quality aluminium doors do not rot, crack, rust, peel, warp or swell and are extremely durable with no or minimal maintenance requirements.
- Sealing and Security: Aluminium doors are typically manufactured with high-precision engineering, forming zero to minimal gaps when fixed in walls. This efficiently prevents the entry of air, moisture and sound, while the high strength also guarantees impenetrable security.
- Frame Sizes: An aluminium door frame has high strength and can easily span large openings with minimal profile thickness. On the other hand, steel and wooden doors require thicker frames, which considerably reduces the effective opening size.
- Fire Resistance: While materials like wood and PVC doors can catch fire, aluminium is non-combustible and does not aid the spread of fires in buildings.
- Sustainability: Since aluminium is a naturally occurring metal, minimal carbon emissions are produced during the manufacture of these doors. It can also be fully recycled at the end of its lifespan, thus promoting sustainable building practices.
Limitations of Aluminium Doors
- Cost: Although cheaper than typical wooden doors, aluminium doors can be much more expensive than steel and uPVC windows and doors. Mechanisms such as sliding, folding and sliding-folding doors with glass are especially costly due to the premium hardware fittings involved.
- Scratches and Water Stains: Aluminium doors are vulnerable to scratches and dents, which are difficult to repair. In high humidity regions, they can also witness water stains and mould growths that only increase with time.
- Thermal Insulation: Aluminium is a very good conductor of heat, meaning that there can be heat loss or gain through these doors. Energy efficiency of HVAC equipment can be negatively affected due to this heat exchange.
- Labour Requirement: Aluminium doors need skilled labour to ensure proper fitting and sealing of gaps. This can further increase the initial cost of the doors.
Aluminium Doors Prices
Some of the common prevailing rates for Aluminium doors in India are:
Aluminium Hinged Doors:
- ₹500 – ₹2000 per square feet (with complete 6-10mm glass panels and aluminium frames)
- ₹300 – ₹1200 per square feet (with aluminium panels and frames)
Aluminium sliding doors prices:
- ₹700 – ₹2000 per square feet (with complete 6-10mm glass panels and aluminium frames)
- ₹500 – ₹1500 per square feet (with aluminium panels and frames)
Aluminium sliding folding doors prices:
- ₹1000 – ₹5000 per square feet (with complete 6-15mm glass panels and aluminium frames)
However, these prices are only indicative and can vary significantly based on the location, specific project requirements, design, type, brand and market trends.
Using Aluminium Doors in Residential and Commercial Projects
Choosing the right type, design and brand of aluminium doors requires careful analysis of project requirements and market trends. Brick & Bolt, a design-build company in India, collaborates with the leading manufacturers and suppliers of aluminium doors to ensure the best quality in its projects. End-to-end construction services are provided with the aid of qualified construction professionals, who conduct 470+ quality tests for every project to guarantee premium quality. Reach out to Brick & Bolt today to get the best aluminium doors for the construction of your dream residential or commercial project!
Hemali Patel