Aluminium Entrance Doors: Modern Designs for Homes & Commercial Buildings

Aluminium entrance doors are the front doors and main access points of a building, built from extruded aluminium profiles that combine strength, slim sightlines, and weather resistance in one frame. Homeowners choose them for kerb appeal. Architects and contractors choose them for commercial entrances, because aluminium holds up under heavy daily traffic without warping or rusting.

This guide covers everything you need before you buy, designs, standard sizes, weight, common problems, and how aluminium compares with wood and uPVC. We also look at where aluminium entrance doors fit best in commercial buildings, since that use case gets less attention online than residential front doors.

Quick Summary

What Are Aluminium Entrance Doors?

An aluminium entrance door is a door system where both the frame and the leaf are made from aluminium extrusions. Usually made with a thermal break strip separating the inner and outer profiles. 

That thermal break stops heat from moving straight through the metal. This is why modern aluminium doors perform well in insulation tests despite being metal.

Most aluminium entrance doors are also glazed, meaning part of the leaf is fitted with tempered or laminated glass. This brings natural light to the entrance while keeping the frame slimmer than a wood or steel door of the same strength.

Why Choose Aluminium Entrance Doors

Aluminium entrance doors are chosen mainly for their strength-to-weight ratio, low maintenance, and long service life compared with wood or uPVC doors. Here are the reasons that come up most often with our clients.

1. Strength Without Bulk

Aluminium profiles carry large glass panels on a slim frame. So you get bigger sightlines without losing structural strength.

2. Weather and Corrosion Resistance

Aluminium does not rust, and a powder-coated finish resists fading, salt air, and humidity. This matters for coastal or tropical properties.

3. Low Maintenance

A wipe with mild soap and water keeps the frame looking new. There’s no repainting or resealing every few years, unlike timber doors.

4. Energy Efficiency

Thermally broken profiles, combined with double or triple glazing, cut heat loss, lower energy bills over time. This is the same principle used in ENERGY STAR certified window and door systems.

5. Design Flexibility

Aluminium can be powder-coated in almost any RAL colour and shaped into pivot, sliding, or hinged formats. So it suits both traditional and contemporary facades.

Types of Aluminium Entrance Door Designs

Aluminium entrance doors come in four main formats, hinged single doors, French double doors, pivot doors, and sliding entrance doors, each suited to a different type of entrance.

1. Hinged Single Doors

The standard residential front door format. Simple, secure, and available with sidelights or a glazed transom above for extra light.

2. French Double Doors

Two leaves that open from the centre. These are often used for grander residential entrances, garden-facing access points.

3. Pivot Doors

A statement door that rotates on a central pivot rather than side hinges. Popular for villas, boutique commercial entrances because of the oversized, architectural look.

4. Sliding Entrance Doors

Common in commercial lobbies and modern homes where floor space near the entrance is limited or heavy foot traffic needs a wide, unobstructed opening.

Aluminium Entrance Doors for Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings rely on aluminium entrance doors because they handle constant opening and closing. That too, without the wear that wood and uPVC show within a few years. 

Offices, retail storefronts, hotels, and hospitals all use aluminium framing for the same reason, it holds tight tolerances under heavy daily use.

Commercial entrance systems typically use wider stiles for durability. They carry a higher footfall rating and often integrate with automatic operators, panic hardware, and access control. 

Many projects pair the entrance door with a matching aluminium curtain wall system so the whole facade reads as one design.

Standard Sizes of Aluminium Entrance Doors

There is no single universal size for aluminium entrance doors, because they’re made to order, but most residential and commercial projects fall within the ranges below.

Since aluminium doors are custom-fabricated, exact sizes are confirmed against your opening measurements before production starts.

Aluminium Entrance Doors vs uPVC and Wood Doors

Aluminium entrance doors generally outperform uPVC and wood on strength and lifespan. While uPVC costs less upfront and wood offers a traditional look aluminium can only imitate.

Wood still wins on classic, warm aesthetics for some buyers. But for large glazed entrances, coastal climates, or high-traffic commercial doors, aluminium is the more practical long-term choice.

Are Aluminium Doors Heavy?

Aluminium entrance doors are lighter than steel or solid wood doors of the same size. But the added glass panels and thermal break profiles mean a fully assembled door still has real weight. Often 40 to 80 kg depending on size and glazing.

The aluminium frame itself is lightweight per unit of material. This is why aluminium suits oversized panels that would be impractical in steel. Most of the total weight actually comes from the glass, not the metal. 

That’s why installers use multi-point hinges or pivot mechanisms rated for the full assembled weight, not just the frame.

Common Problems With Aluminium Doors

The most common issues with aluminium entrance doors are hinge misalignment, worn weatherstripping, and stiff locking mechanisms. And nearly all of them come from normal wear rather than a fault in the aluminium itself.

1. Door dragging or sticking. Usually loose hinge screws or a frame that has shifted slightly out of square
2. Draughts around the frame. Worn or perished weatherstripping, a simple, low-cost fix
3. Stiff or hard-to-turn locks. Dry or dirty lock mechanisms that need lubrication, not replacement
4. Condensation on glass. Normal in humid climates and usually resolved with better ventilation, not a sign of a faulty door
5. Colour fading on cheap finishes. Happens with low-grade powder coating, which is why finish quality matters at the buying stage

Routine checks twice a year on hinges, locks, and seals prevent almost all of these problems from becoming serious. For technical durability benchmarks, the AAMA/FGIA performance standards are a useful reference point when comparing manufacturers.

Why Choose Starveil for Aluminium Entrance Doors

Starveil has manufactured aluminium doors and windows from our own 45,000 m² factory in Foshan, China for 28 years. So every entrance door you order is built in-house, not subcontracted out.

We’ve completed 1,500+ projects across 118 countries, from private villas to hotel developments, with certifications matched to each market.

NFRC and CSA for North America, CE marking for Europe and the Middle East, and AS2047 for Australia and New Zealand. 

Browse our full aluminium door range to see current profiles and finishes. Every order gets free design drawings, a quote within 24 hours. And on-site installation guidance, so you’re not left guessing after the door ships.

Final Thoughts

Aluminium entrance doors give you a slim, secure, low-maintenance entrance. It works best for both a private villa and a busy commercial lobby.

Get in touch with Starveil for a free design drawing and get a free quote within 24 hours on your next aluminium entrance door project.

FAQs

What are the common problems with aluminum doors?

Most problems come from wear, not the material. Hinge misalignment, worn weatherstripping, and stiff locks. Regular checks catch these early.

What is the material used for aluminium entrance doors?

The frame and leaf are made from extruded aluminium, typically with a thermal break, glazed with tempered/laminated glass.

What is the standard size of an aluminium entrance door?

Most single hinged doors range from 900-1200 mm wide and 2000-2400 mm tall. Though exact sizes are custom-made to your opening.

Are aluminium doors heavy?

They’re lighter than steel or solid wood, but a fully glazed assembly still weighs roughly 40-80 kg depending on size.