Which Make For the Better Choice – Wood Patio Covers or Aluminum?

So here you have the space that's going to be your patio. You know exactly how to pave it, you have the right kind of patio furniture picked out, and you could swear you've even planned the parties you'll have there. There's just one little detail that you've overlooked and that you'll have to get around to one of these days – what kind of patio cover will you choose. More to the point, should you go with wood patio covers or aluminum patio covers?

Certainly, each kind of product here owns a different kind of visual appeal. And you might want to go with one or the other just for the way it looks. But setting visual appeal aside for the moment, let's just try to look at how wood patio covers and aluminum patio covers measure up on function alone.

If you've ever tried to pick the right material for your outdoor deck, you've probably been here before – aluminum or wood. As usual, aluminum is the lightweight and low-maintenance product. It may cost a little bit more, but for those who look for convenience, it makes up in considerable measure by being really easy in the maintenance department. Wood does have this quality that it has this traditional look and can be very charming and old world.

But wood decking and wood patio covers can be hell to maintain. At the very least, even if your area doesn't have termites (or if you get the best termite resistant wood), the polish on the wood or the paint is going to constantly be worn down by the rain and the shine. Before long, the shiny new look is going to be long gone and you are going to have to the lay the cash out to have everything refinished. If you live close to the coast, the salty humidity is going to take a toll on the finish on the wood, too.

Aluminum patio covers, on the other hand, are practically indestructible in the general course of things. A lot of people, when they think of wood, think that it's eco-friendly. It's green and biodegradable. But that's not the point all. You destroy a couple of trees with wood patio covers, for every house you install them in. Aluminum on the other hand, is completely recyclable. The day that you decide that you've had your patio cover for long enough,  your local recycling company will be more than happy to take it off your hands to melt it and refinish it into something else.

However, if you plan to stay in a place no longer than a couple of years, simple, low-quality wood would be a good idea for a patio cover. A product like that would cost less than aluminum, and you wouldn't really care about refinishing it often, as you wouldn't need to use it for that long.