What Is the Best Material for Patio Doors?

What Is the Best Material for PatioFrenchwood patio door separating interior and outdoor living area of home. Doors?

If you’ve spent even five minutes researching patio doors, you’ve likely discovered products offered in a variety of materials. And while virtually all manufacturers claim that their patio doors are the best choice for your home, very few can support such declarations. This guide is intended to help you weed out the bad apples and come to a definitive conclusion on which patio door material is best in terms of:

Durability

Your patio doors are likely to be exposed to a wide range of weather elements, from extreme heat and heavy rain to low temperatures and even snow, depending on where you call home. And not all patio door materials are made to withstand Mother Nature. Patio doors made from real wood, for example, are porous and likely to absorb moisture, which can lead to rotting if not regularly treated.

To avoid having to regularly maintain your patio doors, investing in a patio door material like Fibrex® is a wise decision. Made from a 40/60 blend of wood fibers and thermoplastic polymer, respectively, Fibrex® is a composite material exclusive to Renewal by Andersen® that is designed to resist rotting, warping, and corrosion, regardless of the weather conditions.

Energy Efficiency

No homeowner likes inflated energy bills. And while a patio door material like aluminum is economical, it does little in terms of energy efficiency. Aluminum, by nature, is a poor insulator. So, as you can imagine, patio doors made from aluminum aren’t very effective at slowing heat transfer, which surely won’t help your efforts to make your home more energy efficient.

Conversely, Fibrex® has proven to be 700 times more effective at blocking thermal transfer than aluminum. And because patio doors made from this engineered lumber retain their rigidity in virtually all climates, airtight seals remain airtight.

Environmental Friendliness

Having a “greener” home is a goal many homeowners aspire toward, and investing in eco-friendly patio doors is one way of accomplishing just that. However, the degree to which your patio doors are environmentally friendly heavily depends on their composition—while some patio door materials aren’t “green” at all. Take vinyl patio doors, for example. Due to the way it’s manufactured, vinyl has been known to emit volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) into the environment, which can lead to a compromised air quality over time.

Another patio door material that isn’t exactly the “greenest,” and one that may come as a surprise, is real wood. As mentioned before, wood is prone to rot when it is not treated or stained regularly. These preservative treatments may also release VOCs into the atmosphere.

So, what patio door material is environmentally friendly? Once again, the answer is Fibrex®. A portion of the thermoplastic polymer used to fabricate Fibrex® patio doors is reclaimed, and because no wood-preserving treatments or paint is necessary to maintain the beautiful look of these doors, VOC emissions are reduced.

Finding a Trusted Source Offering Fibrex® Patio Doors

If you want your next pair of patio doors to not only enhance your home’s aesthetic, but also contribute to its performance, Fibrex® is the ideal material to go with. Homeowners living in the Greater Green Bay area who have made the wise decision to invest in Fibrex® patio doors can turn to RBA of Greater Wisconsin. We are the area’s exclusive provider of Andersen® products and our Certified Master Installers are renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship. Get in touch with us today to get started with a complimentary in-home consultation.

Hear From Our Customers

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Oshkosh, WI

RBA did an excellent job and fast! 5 windows in 3 hours from the time they arrived, did the work & cleaned up. It was as if they had never been there, other than having these excellent replacement windows in place!

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