When building or renovating, choosing the right windows and doors is a crucial step: factors such as living comfort, efficient energy use, security, aesthetic appeal and much more depend on this decision. One of the most common dilemmas concerns the material, and it’s easy to ask: are aluminium or wooden windows and doors better?
This article compares the two materials, highlighting their features, advantages, limitations and differences.
Are aluminium or wooden windows and doors better?
There is no single answer to this question: it depends on factors such as the style of the house, the performance required, exposure to the elements and the time available for maintenance. Both materials have specific main features, although in recent years aluminium has undergone such technological development that it has become an extremely comprehensive solution.
To help you make the right choice, it may be useful first to analyse the features of the two materials, then compare them on the key parameters that influence the choice of window and door.
Main features of aluminium
Aluminium is now one of the most widely used materials in the manufacture of windows and doors, thanks to its high performance and great versatility. It is a lightweight yet very strong metal that can be easily worked to produce even complex and large-scale windows and doors.
Among its main features:
- high resistance to atmospheric agents;
- long-term steadiness, without warping;
- long service life even in harsh conditions;
- minimal cleaning and maintenance requirements.
Thanks to thermal-break systems, aluminium windows and doors achieve excellent levels of thermal insulation, thereby contributing to energy savings and greater living comfort. Furthermore, it is a fully recyclable material, a feature that makes it particularly attractive from an environmental point of view.
Main features of wood
Wood is a natural material that has always been used for window and door frames, valued above all for its natural insulating properties and aesthetic appeal.
Among its main features:
- natural thermic and acoustic insulation;
- a warm, welcoming and traditional aesthetic;
- the possibility of bespoke machining and custom finishing.
At the same time, however, wood also has certain limitations that cannot be ignored.
For example, it is a material that is sensitive to moisture, sunlight and climatic variations. For this reason, it can tend to swell, shrink or warp over time if not properly maintained. And indeed, the main drawback of wooden windows and doors is precisely this: they require constant maintenance (paints, wood preservatives, protective treatments) if you want to ensure they last over time. All this makes them less practical than more modern solutions, made from PVC but above all from aluminium.
Aluminium or wooden windows and doors: a comparison of 10 key factors
When choosing a window and door, and to recognise when a product is truly of high quality, there are 10 factors that must be considered very carefully. We will list them below, comparing the typical features of aluminium and wood for each one.
1. Aluminium vs wood: thermal insulation
Thermal insulation1is one of the very first elements to consider: it is a priority to choose windows that prevent heat loss and avoid the annoying build-up of mould and condensation.
Wood is a naturally insulating material, thus guaranteeing excellent performance in this regard. When using wood for window and door frames, you can be sure that this material will retain heat or air-conditioned air inside the home, preventing it from escaping to the external environment.
The same applies to aluminium window and door frames fitted with thermal breaks, a state-of-the-art technology that has now been extensively tested and mastered by companies such as METRA Building. The thermal break involves the introduction of highly insulating noble gases inside the aluminium frame; in this way, windows and doors made from this material guarantee thermal insulation comparable to, or even greater than, that of wooden ones, whilst obviously retaining all their other positive features.
2. Aluminium-wood comparison: energy savings
Good thermal insulation translates into greater efficient energy use for the home and, consequently, increased energy savings in the long term. This is because heat loss is reduced, thereby lowering energy bills for heating or cooling the rooms.
As we have seen, both timber and thermal-break aluminium provide optimal thermal insulation for the home, meaning they can contribute significantly to the building’s efficient energy use. In the long term, however, aluminium windows and doors offer better performance, given their high mechanical strength combined with virtually no maintenance requirements. When it comes to energy savings, therefore, aluminium is the best long-term investment. Conversely, if not properly maintained, wooden windows and doors may warp and deform over time, significantly compromising their thermal insulation capabilities.
3. Aluminium vs wood: acoustic insulation
Acoustic insulation is a factor that is often overlooked when choosing windows; yet, fitting your home or office with windows that perform well in this regard can make all the difference to your living comfort. Keeping external noise out of the house means you can sleep, study, work and relax better.
Even in terms of acoustic insulation, the differences between aluminium and timber are small but significant. Generally speaking, both materials can provide good acoustic insulation from external noise, especially when combined with high-performance glass. However, aluminium windows and doors are manufactured using modern construction technologies that make them particularly effective even in very noisy urban contexts.
4. Aluminium vs wood: aesthetic appeal
The right window and door should be chosen not only for its technical features, but also for its ability to adapt to the architectural style and tastes of those who live there every day. Indeed, windows and doors are a genuine design element of the home, so aesthetics are an aspect that cannot be underestimated.
Aesthetics is perhaps where aluminium and wood show their most obvious differences.
Wood is a natural and ‘familiar’ material, evoking an immediate sense of warmth, cosiness and intimacy; it is undoubtedly the most suitable material for traditional homes with a rustic or classical feel. However, it is particularly attractive only when left in its natural state; if specific colours are desired, these are often applied using films which, over time, may peel or fade. Furthermore, proper maintenance of the wood is required to ensure that it not only continues to provide insulation and technical performance but also remains attractive and ‘healthy’ over time. Finally, it is not possible to give wood finishes other than its classic grain: achieving sandblasted, laminated or high-gloss effects is impossible if this material is chosen.
Aluminium, on the other hand, is characterised by unrivalled aesthetic versatility. Thanks to its distinctly essential and contemporary design, as well as its slim profiles and clean lines, aluminium window and door joinery is particularly suited to modern homes, where styles such as minimalist or industrial stand out. Its sophistication also makes it suitable for giving a classic setting a more modern feel.
But its real strength lies in customisation, which makes aluminium suitable for virtually any architectural style.
With a wide range of colours and finishes to choose from (sandblasted, opaque, high-gloss, speckled, satin, wood-effect…) aluminium windows and doors can be adapted to styles such as Japandi, Nordic, and even rustic or country-chic.
It is, however, understandable that, for some, the warm aesthetic of wood is unbeatable. METRA Building is aware of this and, for this reason, offers the Aluminium-wood Range with the aim of getting the best of both materials: the mechanical strength of aluminium (as the part of the frame facing the outside) and the timeless aesthetic of wood (the part of the frame facing the inside of the house).
5. Aluminium vs. wood: window dimensions
In some homes or commercial buildings, there is sometimes a desire to design large windows, so as to maximise the amount of natural light entering the home and the continuity between indoors and outdoors. When choosing the material for the window frames, this requirement must be taken into account, as not all materials possess the appropriate mechanical properties/features.
Aluminium is undoubtedly a material capable of supporting even very large glazed surfaces without any additional support beyond the standard slim-profile frame. Its structural strength allows for this without compromising stability and safety in any way. It is no coincidence that it is the most widely used material for curtain walls.
In contrast, whilst wood is a robust material, it has lower mechanical strength. For large windows, the wooden window and door would need to be reinforced with steel bars and other supports: a compromise that would detract from both its aesthetic appeal and functionality.
6. Aluminium-wood comparison: material durability
Buying a window and door undoubtedly means making a long-term financial investment: this is why you must choose very carefully. One feature to consider is the average lifespan of the window and door: for the same cost, a window and door that guarantees a longer lifespan represents a much smarter investment.
In this case too, aluminium is unrivalled: it is a virtually eternal and indestructible material. It does not warp, it does not corrode, and it offers excellent resistance to the elements (even the most severe, in every sense: wind, snow, rain, hail, intense solar radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations…). All these features make it far more durable than its counterparts: wood (and even PVC) represent a sound investment for around 25–30 years, whilst aluminium windows and doors can last up to twice as long (50–60 years).
The lifespan of a wooden window and door, as well as being inherently shorter than that of an aluminium one, is heavily dependent on the quality and frequency of the maintenance carried out on it.
7. Aluminium-wood comparison: cleaning and maintenance requirements
In this day and age, there is a growing need to design practical, functional homes that require as little time as possible to clean and maintain over time. More than from many other points of view, it is precisely in this regard that the differences between aluminium and wood are clear and significant.
As a natural material, wood is a ‘living’ material that needs to be nourished and treated regularly in order to maintain its technical and aesthetic features. This involves cleaning with specific cleaning agents, as well as routine and special maintenance aimed at protecting the material from the signs of ageing and wear. This, of course, runs counter to the need for a practical and functional home.
The exact opposite is true of aluminium. It is a material that does not retain dust, dirt or stains, so it can be cleaned infrequently and simply with a cloth. As for maintenance, it requires virtually none: apart from the necessary periodic checks on joints and gaskets, the aluminium frame itself requires neither routine nor special maintenance.
8. Aluminium vs wood: security
As the main point of contact between the internal environment and the external environment, the window and door frame must also be able to guarantee a certain level of security for those who choose it, especially in certain contexts (ground floors and first floors, isolated locations, etc.).
Wood is inherently a durable material but, over time and especially if not properly maintained, it may succumb to wear and deformation, thereby becoming easier to tamper with.
From a structural point of view, aluminium offers greater security against potential intruders, as it is a material that does not warp or break easily. Of course, it must be borne in mind that security also depends on other elements of the window, such as junctions and closures. For example, METRA Building incorporates various burglar-proof features into its window and door frames, such as metal plates on the lock, reinforced closures and shatter-proof glass.
9. Aluminium-wood comparison: environmental impact
Those investing in windows and doors want them to be as sustainable as possible, so as to achieve a home with the lowest possible environmental impact.
The wood used for window and door frames is, on average, an environmentally friendly material, as it is natural and renewable; much depends on how it was obtained (for example, from forests where regular reforestation programmes are in place). The downside of wooden windows and doors at the sustainability level is their need for maintenance: if this is carried out using chemical, non-water-soluble paints, the particles pollute the environment and, furthermore, the wood cannot be recycled.
Aluminium is an excellent material for creating environmentally friendly window and door frames. It is available naturally, non-toxic and does not release any particles harmful to the environment (or to humans). Furthermore, it can be recycled in its entirety and an infinite number of times, without ever losing its extraordinary properties. At the end of its life cycle, therefore, it can be reused indefinitely (also saving on the environmental costs of any disposal).
10. Aluminium-Wood: cost
The available budget undoubtedly influences the choice of window and door, especially when requesting a quote that includes many windows and doors and extensive work. From a cost perspective, there are not many differences: wooden window and door frames have a slightly lower average price than aluminium ones, but this is ‘offset’ by higher maintenance costs in the long term. Furthermore, the average price of a wooden window and door frame can increase if special shapes or machining are requested.
If we were to talk about investment rather than cost, aluminium is the most correct solution to repay the investment in the long term. In fact, as we have seen, it guarantees an average lifespan that is effectively double that of wooden windows and doors, and also allows you to save on cleaning and maintenance costs.
Aluminium or wooden windows: which to choose?
The final choice between aluminium windows and doors or wooden windows and doors ultimately depends on your own needs and preferences: it is impossible to provide a single definitive answer. Generally speaking, wood is suitable for those seeking a traditional and natural aesthetic, and who are not put off by the prospect of frequent maintenance. Conversely, aluminium is the ideal choice for those seeking high performance, long-lasting durability, a modern and versatile design, and great ease of maintenance.
In short, aluminium strikes the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality.
With extensive experience and expertise in the manufacture of aluminium windows and doors, METRA Building has a deep understanding of the exceptional features of this material and therefore firmly believes that aluminium windows and doors are the best option in which to invest from every point of view.