Here at Look Garage Doors, several topics of debate come up in our office on a regular basis. These range from comparatively trivial questions such as which is the best James Bond movie and who is best at darts, to more professionally focused topics like the best way to approach a repair job. One that keeps coming up is what is the best material for making garage doors?We all have our preferences and there are arguments to be made in favour of steel and timber. They all have their advantages, but today we wanted to focus on one material in particular; aluminium.
The Benefits Of Aluminium
Aluminium is something of an underdog in the world of garage doors. It tends to get overlooked in favour of steel and is rarely mentioned, but it’s an incredibly versatile and useful material. Our roller garage doors are made with aluminium and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback. Ask the average person to think of an aluminium product and they’ll likely imagine a can of their favourite fizzy drink. Because those cans are comparatively thin and easy to crush, it’s easy to assume that aluminium is a flimsy type of metal but in truth, it’s incredibly strong. It’s almost as resilient and hardwearing as steel, so will withstand accidental impacts and attempted break-ins alike. Cast those mental images of squashed Pepsi cans out of your mind, an aluminium garage door is far thicker and tougher. If you install an aluminium roller door, you won’t need to worry about dents or home security. Additionally, aluminium is lighter than steel. This gives it a flexibility that is ideal for roller doors and it puts less strain on the structure of your garage. When the door is fully opened and retracted, the overhead bracket will have no trouble supporting the weight, even for a prolonged period. If you have a habit of spending entire days working in your garage with the door open, there’s less risk of any long-term damage or the ceiling starting to sag.
Environmentally Friendly Garage Doors
It’s also worth pointing out that aluminium has several environmental benefits. It’s one of the most abundant naturally occurring metals on the planet and is easy to reuse. Recycling aluminium requires only 5% of the energy to produce it from raw materials and saves 97% of the greenhouse gas emissions created during the production process. Plus, there’s no limit, aluminium can be recycled time and again. If you install an aluminium garage door, there’s a good chance the metal was previously used in other products and has been repurposed. For the ecologically-minded homeowner, aluminium is an obvious choice. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s also an effective insulator. It’s cold to the touch so is often thought to lose heat easily, but it’s more thermally efficient than people realise and can help to keep a house warm. This means you’ll rely on your central heating less and limit your carbon footprint. Getting a lower energy bill is a pleasant bonus as well. With all this in mind, it’s understandable that some of our team think aluminium is the best. The other materials have their benefits too and our office debates are likely to continue, but if you’d like to know more about aluminium roller doors, get in touch. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have or discuss a project, let’s see what we can create together.