Glass door hinges: selection and installation instructions

In order to expand the space, make it lighter and more comfortable, it is enough just to change ordinary doors to glass ones. They will bring a touch of futurism to even the simplest interior. Such doors are often installed at the entrance to large stores and shopping centers so that customers can see the goods on the shelves. Despite the fact that such a door looks completely weightless, in fact it is much heavier than a conventional wooden structure.

With the help of modern technology, glass doors are made thin enough to lighten their weight, yet very durable. Due to these features, conventional door hinges are not suitable for mounting such a door leaf. There are special fittings that can withstand the entire weight of the material and at the same time be graceful and inconspicuous enough not to stand out against its background.

The difference between such fittings is as follows.

• High strength and durability. Heavy glass can break and injure people if dropped, so it must be secured as carefully as possible.
• Fastening a thin sheet. The hinge is very difficult to fix on the side of the door, since its thickness rarely exceeds 1.5 cm. Because of this, the fittings are attached differently from ordinary door hinges.
• Decorativeness. Glass doors are most often made transparent, so all their fasteners are visible through them, which should be as small and neat as possible. Clarity of lines and elegance of design - these are the external differences of hinges for glass.
• High price. To make durable fittings, it is necessary to use better and therefore more expensive materials. The fastening structure itself is also more complex than that of a conventional door hinge, which increases its price by a few more points.

All accessories can be divided into several types depending on what material it was made of. For glass doors, aluminum, zinc, brass, steel and bronze hinges are made. The cheapest but least durable of these are those made of aluminum and zinc. Much better in terms of their characteristics are stainless steel or brass, however, they are much more expensive.

The most expensive and at the same time the most durable and beautiful are bronze glass mounts. Many manufacturers are ready to give them a guarantee that reaches 80-100 years, which indicates the highest quality of the material. Regardless of the base, the top of the loop can be coated with various compounds and paints, have both a polished glossy and a soft matte surface.

According to its intended purpose, the fittings can be either universal or have a narrower specificity. For example, there are separate hinges for glass:

• in showers or steam rooms of a sauna;
• on furniture doors in cabinets and sideboards;
• for large interior or exterior doors.

Despite this division, most often all fittings are classified according to two main parameters. The first is how the mount is installed. There are several types of loops depending on it.

• Overhead. Such fasteners do not require drilling holes in the door leaf for installation, and therefore the purchase of a special glass drill. All the necessary holes are made in the walls themselves or in the furniture walls, where one part of the hinge is attached. The second part is fixed to the glass with special clamping screws. To make the screw fit more tightly against the slippery glass, there is a special glue or rubber gasket on it. Surface fasteners are very easy to install and look very discreet and elegant.

• Mortise. Such fasteners are used for doors weighing more than 25 kilograms and requiring preliminary drilling of holes in the glass. Mortise hinges have a cup structure and are attached to the glass in one part, and to the wall or side wall of the furniture with the other. You can put such an element on a canvas, the thickness of which is at least 10 millimeters. In the absence of experience in installing such a door, you should not try to do everything yourself. It is best to entrust the hinge mounting and alignment of the entire structure to professionals.

The second sign by which the fittings for glass sashes can be grouped is the way they are opened. Depending on this method, the loops can be of the following types.

• Pendulum. Such fasteners allow the opening or closing door to swing freely, like the movement of a pendulum. The hinge mechanism is made in such a way that there is no movement limit in it, as a result of which it is simply impossible to slam such a door. This protects the glass from cracks and chips and creates a decorative visual effect. Most often, such fasteners are installed only on interior doors that are not locked.

• Articulated. A design that includes one or more hinges that allow the door to open 165 degrees. Such fasteners have two parts, which are connected by one movable axis (hinge), for which they got their name. The most reliable fasteners that can withstand up to 25 kilograms of weight are four-hinge hinges.

• With door closers. The most common fasteners for cabinet doors and all kinds of drawers are precisely leading hinges. They not only hold and allow the sash to open, but also gently bring it to full closure without sharp bangs and bumps. These gentle movements help keep fragile glass doors intact for a longer period and eliminate harsh noises.

• Overlapping. One of the most comfortable hinges for complex curved structures that can open it 180 degrees. The design of the hinge itself is different from the design of the closer, but it is also capable of gently damping the speed of movement, which allows you to keep the canvas intact. Most often, this is how the doors to the shower stall are attached, as well as the glass doors of various linen cabinets.

• Sliding. Such hinges are mounted on a special rail along which they can move in both directions. The door leaves move apart and move in, respectively, opening and closing the passage. This method of hinging glass doors is often used in large stores or offices, but is practically not found in ordinary apartments and is not very convenient for hinging furniture doors.

When choosing fittings for glass doors you need to pay attention to the following features and characteristics.

• Element material. Depending on what metal the hinge is made of, it can support less or more weight. With a door leaf thickness of no more than 8 mm, aluminum or zinc fasteners are sufficient.If its thickness exceeds 10-12 millimeters, then you should take a closer look at the bronze and brass hinges.
• Complexity of installation. If there is no possibility of calling specialists, then it is worth choosing the simplest mounts that can easily be hung alone or together with an assistant. In the absence of special tools for drilling holes in glass, you should not buy mortise structures.
• Appearance. If there are no patterns or drawings on the glass door, then the look will very quickly move from the transparent canvas to the fittings. It should be combined with the design of both the door itself and the interior of the rest of the room. You can choose fasteners to match the main color or make it a contrasting element.

• Manufacturer reliability. Quality products from a renowned manufacturer always have good and informative packaging. The accompanying documentation or on the box itself must indicate the maximum weight that one loop can withstand. In addition, special self-tapping screws or screws with nuts should be included with the cut-in elements. Also, a reliable manufacturer will always give a guarantee for its product, so it is important not to forget to check with the seller for its availability.
• Price. The most expensive item in a store is not always of the highest quality, but very cheap loops cannot be reliable. It is worth determining the budget framework so that several products of the middle price category fall into them, and already from them you can choose those loops that fit in their characteristics.

Methods for installing and adjusting fittings on a glass door depend on its type. It is easiest to install clamping hinges on your own, which do not require pre-drilling the glass. First, you need to take all measurements and choose a place for mounting the hinge. In the event that there are two loops, they are placed at a distance of at least 5-7 centimeters from the horizontal edge. After applying all the markings on the glass itself and the door frame (or the cabinet body), all the necessary holes are drilled and that part of the hinge that will be on the wall (or the cabinet body) is fixed. Fixation is done with a screwdriver or a regular screwdriver.

The glass is inserted into the clamps on the fixed hinge, after which the clamps are tightened. It is quite difficult to carry out this operation alone; an additional assistant is needed. Tightening the clamps on the glass is best done by hand rather than using a power tool. This is necessary in order to feel that the glass is fixed securely and does not move in the hinge. After adjusting and correcting all possible shortcomings, decorative overlays can be attached over the installed hinges, hiding the internal structure of the mechanism.

Drilling installation is more complicated and requires special equipment. First of all, all measurements are taken and the area is marked for installing the hinge on the glass and door frame. In the marked area, the glass is drilled with a conventional diamond drill bit or in a special workshop. A hinge cup is installed in the resulting hole and is connected to the counterpart using bolts. Bolts of the required size should be included in the kit when purchasing, but you can buy them yourself, choosing the size.

Holes are also drilled on the door frame with a conventional drill and a striker for the hinge is installed. The door is fixed to the wall, its position is adjusted with a regular screwdriver. For such adjustment, special bolts are located on the hinge housing. The position of the door is adjusted both horizontally and vertically. A correctly hinged door should not wobble, but it should not get stuck when opening or closing.It also adjusts the tightness and smoothness of the ride. The hole in which the cup is fixed is closed from above with a special cap. It not only preserves the integrity of the structure, but also performs a decorative function, and also protects the cup from dust or moisture.

See the next video for more details.

A glass door is no longer a luxury available only to certain segments of society. Modern technologies have made it possible not only to reduce the cost and simplify the process of its manufacture, but also to make such a door safer.

In the next video, you will find the installation of hinges for glass doors.