Choosing the Right Exterior Folding Doors: Balancing Aesthetics and Functionality

In architectural design, doors hold a unique place where aesthetics and functionality intersect. At EZ-FOLD-A-DOOR, we appreciate how a well-chosen door can drastically enhance the look and feel of any space.

Understanding Door Materials: Pros and Cons

Choosing the right material for your exterior folding doors is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also of practicality, durability, and energy efficiency. Understanding the pros and cons of each material can make your decision easier and ensure that you choose a door that fits both your style and needs. Here's a brief comparison of popular materials used in exterior folding doors:

• Standard Efficiency Architectural Aluminum

  Pros: Renowned for its strength and contemporary appeal, architectural aluminum is rust-resistant, cost-effective, and requires minimal maintenance over time. Our aluminum exterior folding doors, designed to withstand even the harshest environments, including coastal areas, come standard in black, bronze, charcoal, and silver without additional cost, providing a flexible choice for design aesthetics.

  Cons: Despite its impressive durability, standard aluminum lacks the natural insulation properties of some other materials, potentially requiring additional insulation measures for energy efficiency. Aluminum can also be susceptible to scratching and denting. However, to combat this, we further enhance the durability of our aluminum doors by first anodizing the surface, then applying a Fropon PVdF resin coating, one of the best products available today, manufactured under license with Arkema using their Kynar500 material. This treatment helps resist scratching and denting, ensuring your doors stay looking their best for longer.

• UPVC

  Pros: UPVC offers robust durability and excellent thermal insulation, aiding in maintaining indoor temperatures and reducing energy consumption. It's also resistant to rot and corrosion, ensuring longevity even in adverse weather conditions.

  Cons: Over time, especially under strong sunlight, UPVC can become discolored. While it can mimic the look of natural materials like wood, it doesn't match the authentic texture. UPVC comes standard in white, and changing the color could incur a high cost.

• High Energy Efficiency Architectural Aluminum

  Pros: This advanced form of aluminum shares the same durability and sleek aesthetic as standard aluminum, but with superior energy efficiency, even outperforming natural insulators like wood. Our high-energy efficiency aluminum exterior folding doors are also designed to endure the toughest environments, including coastal areas. They come standard in black, bronze, charcoal, and silver colors, with no additional cost, giving you a wide range of design options.

  Cons: While this material has enhanced insulation properties, there may be other materials offering even greater natural insulation. Furthermore, similar to standard aluminum, high-energy efficiency architectural aluminum can also be prone to scratching and denting. To address this, like our standard aluminum, this variant is also anodized and coated with Fropon PVdF resin, produced under license with Arkema using their Kynar500 material, ensuring resistance to scratching and denting.

• Wood

  Pros: Wood doors offer a classic, warm aesthetic and can be custom stained or painted to match any design style.

  Cons: Wood doors require regular maintenance to prevent warping, cracking, or rotting. They are generally more expensive, sensitive to environmental conditions, and heavier than doors made of other materials. Additionally, while wood can be sourced sustainably, there are concerns about deforestation and environmental impact. Given these potential drawbacks, we at EZ-FOLD-A-DOOR do not offer or recommend wood for our exterior folding door systems. We are committed to providing our customers with products that offer the highest standards of durability, functionality, and ease of maintenance.

Color Customization: Making a Statement with LG Film and Fropon Resin

The color of your exterior folding doors can dramatically affect the overall appeal of your space. At EZ-FOLD-A-DOOR, we offer a diverse range of color options to suit any design aesthetic. To provide our customers with an expansive color palette and superior color durability, we've partnered with LG, a leading name in color film technology, and Fropon, a top-tier resin provider. With LG's high-quality films and Fropon's robust resins, we offer hundreds of custom colors that adhere seamlessly to our doors. LG film is available for all frame series at an additional cost, providing a vast range of hues and patterns that can transform the aesthetic of your doors. On the other hand, Fropon resin is exclusive to our aluminum series, enhancing their durability and offering an appealing selection of colors. Both LG film and Fropon resin are known for their robust color retention, weather resistance, and easy maintenance. Whether you're looking for a bold statement piece or a subtle complement to your existing design, our customization options allow you to bring your design vision to life. You can select from our broad spectrum of hues, confident that the finish will stay vibrant and withstand the elements for years to come.

Safety and Durability: Essential Aspects of Our Doors

Remember, a door isn't just about aesthetics or functionality - safety and durability are crucial aspects that should never be overlooked. When selecting an exterior folding door, safety and durability are paramount. EZ-FOLD-A-DOOR is committed to ensuring that all our doors exceed standard safety measures and are built to last. One such safety feature that we incorporate into our designs is our patented interlocking double seal system. This innovative design ensures all outer edges and spaces between doors are stormproof, enhancing the doors' weather resistance and longevity. But our commitment to safety doesn't stop there. Understanding the potential dangers posed by folding doors, especially to children, we've integrated Finger Safe Seals in our door designs. These seals prevent fingers from getting caught or pinched when the doors are operated, making them a safer choice for households with children or pets. With EZ-FOLD-A-DOOR, you don't have to compromise on any of these.

Conclusion

In this article, we've explored the pros and cons of different door materials, the importance of color customization and safety features, and how EZ-FOLD-A-DOOR addresses these areas in our high-quality exterior folding doors. Choosing the right exterior folding door can dramatically enhance your space's aesthetic appeal while ensuring functionality and safety. If you need more insights or advice on selecting the right exterior folding doors, feel free to reach out to us or explore more on our website. We're here to help you make informed decisions.