When it comes to hangar doors, you need to think about the material. Obviously, the door materials need to be lightweight so that the motor can lift them hundreds and thousands of time over their lifetime without putting to much stress on it. Materials like aluminum and vinyl are lightweight, yet stiff and strong. This article explains the main differences between an aluminum and vinyl door.

Rusting Aluminum

One of the biggest differences between aluminum and vinyl is that you have to worry about rust with aluminum. Aluminum is usually painted with electrostatic techniques, and this protects the surface from rusting. But, hangar doors are often treated badly. It is common for them to get scratched and damaged, exposing the metal underneath. When this happens, the garage can definitely become susceptible to rusting. This is usually something that takes years, but it is something you should still think about. In the long run, since you don't ever have to worry about vinyl becoming rusty, it might be a little more practical for most small hangar doors. That being said, vinyl is usually heavier than aluminum because it is a little stickier; his means that it isn't practical for large overhead hydraulic hangars doors.

Painting the Doors

One of the biggest differences between aluminum and vinyl is that the vinyl is usually a little easier to paint. First of all, vinyl is dyed, so the products you buy usually won't have a paint finish on it. The color comes with the dye; this also ends up being beneficial if your surface does get scratched. The vinyl doesn't have an outer layer they can get scratched off like aluminum does. But, if you do want to change the color of your vinyl down the road, it usually is painted easier than aluminum. The surface has a little bit of texture to it, which means that it is more excepting of new paint. Either way, whether you are painting aluminum or vinyl, you will want to do it with a spray gun. You don't want to brush or roller paint onto such smooth surfaces.

As you can see, the main differences between vinyl and aluminum are subtle. Vinyl is usually a little thicker and has a softer look, but it can't be just as strong and long-lasting as aluminum. In fact, since you don't have to worry about rusting, vinyl is definitely the better choice in wet climates.