Entrance doors with glass

The front door is the face of any home. It is to her that every guest pays attention in the first place, so she should be as beautiful and personable as possible. And what is the best way to decorate an ordinary door, if not newfangled glass inserts!

It is no secret that any external door must be very strong and reliable, because it is she who is the main protective barrier of our home. Therefore, many people are sure that doors with glass should never be placed as entrance doors, because they are not strong, and glass is a very fragile thing that can be easily damaged. This is not at all the case.

Modern production methods for various types of glass have reached such a level that most of the glass products produced today are highly durable. Therefore, it is quite suitable as an insert for entrance doors.

Such glasses usually withstand strong pressure and rapid temperature changes, and therefore are ideal for being in a warm house at the same time and going outside on a cold street.

Glass in modern doors and windows looks very impressive and original, being a good decoration of the house. But do not think that this is where the advantages of such designs end. Contrary to popular belief, glass doors are as tight and strong as conventional doors and do not let out warm air. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid that there will be a draft in the apartment.

It is believed that doors with glass visually make the room well visible from the street. But this is not the case. The fact is that glass models for entrance structures are usually made matte or grainy, and sometimes powder spraying, stained-glass windows or special artistic distortions in the form of glass overlays of different shapes - flowers, birds, butterflies and much more - are added. Such glasses are not transparent and therefore do not allow you to see the inside of the house from the street.

The advantage of such doors is their high light transmission. Due to them, any hallway will always be filled with light, which usually does not happen with solid doors.

If you love plants, then they can be used to decorate the corridor, since now there will be enough natural light for them.

When creating entrance structures with glass elements, special glass is used, which is processed in a certain way. Even at the stage of production, the products are coated with a special laminating agent, then tempered using high temperatures and, finally, special tinting is done on them.

In this laborious process, sometimes we use not the glass we are accustomed to, but various kinds of polymers, polycarbonate or organic glass. These materials can completely replace ordinary glass inserts, since they are much stronger, but they look just as good. In addition, they perfectly tolerate mechanical damage, which is very practical.

Many doors are equipped with a so-called reinforced glass, which usually has a special metal mesh. Such glasses are quite thick, which is why they do not allow sounds from the street to pass through.For residents of noisy areas, this will be quite relevant.

One of the most durable types of glass is glass-triplex... This material is in the form of a glass unit or an ordinary glass sheet, which is fastened with a special adhesive film. It adds thickness to the already durable glass, making it more durable. It is this film that protects the glass from chips, impacts, excessive pressure, cracks and other mechanical damage.

The most attractive thing about this kind of door is its safety. If the door has a sufficiently voluminous glass insert made of triplex or is even completely made of glass, then if it is broken (which is almost completely excluded), there will be no dangerous and small fragments.

I must say that there are practically no visible drawbacks of entrance doors with glass inserts. Unless the price for such structures may be higher than for ordinary doors, but they will last longer. So the cost in this case corresponds to the quality and pays off over time.

Their cost is quite understandable, because doors with glass are considered high-class products. The price tag consists of the brand of fittings used, the decor technique, the type of glass, the general design of the structure, as well as the presence or absence of an automatic closing mechanism. Accordingly, the better and more expensive these elements are, the more expensive the door is. But even the simplest and most budget models with glass look expensive.

The process of creating entrance structures with glass inserts is somewhat more complicated in technology than the manufacture of conventional metal and wooden models.

At the heart of the design of each leaf are special metal, often steel, profiles, without which the sashes would not be so strong. These components protect the door from various types of damage and mechanical deformation.

As for the insulating glass unit itself, it is made by joining several high-strength glass sheets using a herment, which allows the structure to be securely fixed. The same hermetic compound is used to secure the glass inside the door frame as well. Such a frame can be either metal or plastic.

To make a door with glass insulated, a special substance called argon is used during its creation, which is poured into the product before the herment.

Also, in the manufacture of a structure with glass, one cannot do without special reinforcing films of the A format (A1, A2 and others), thanks to which the glass elements of the door become unbreakable. Typically, such films are used in the doors of public places that store money, material values, works of art or cultural monuments inside.

If the door model does not provide for the presence of such films, its strength is greatly reduced. Therefore, some manufacturers supply the door with special forged elements designed to close the glass. Usually, such designs are tried to be made of thin rods thin and graceful in order to remove unnecessary bulkiness and decorate the door without weighing it down.

Today manufacturers offer a huge number of entrance doors with glass, made in different designs and with different elements. However, the classification of doors distinguishes several main types and designs.

Entrance structures are divided into two main groups, which in turn are subdivided into subgroups. So, doors can be hinged and sliding.

• The first group includes swing doors... Their design includes one or two flaps that open inward or outward. This is the most common type of front door.It is easy to install and can last for many years. Such doors take up a minimum of space, which is very practical for apartment buildings with small staircases. Swing doors can be either single-leaf or double-leaf. Often one and a half can be found among them.

• The second group is represented by sliding doors... The mechanism of such doors is a little more complicated. It includes special rails for the door and rollers that are attached to the track of the rail and allow the door leaves to slide apart. Such models usually open to the sides and therefore are less often used as an input element. Such a door can be used in country houses as a door to the courtyard or the so-called back entrance, but not as an element of the front entrance. Often they can be found in public places, but not in residential areas.

• In addition to the two main types of doors, there are also peripheral views... And their main representative is pendulum doors. Unlike swing doors, which open in one direction, swing doors can be opened in both directions at once, thanks to the built-in mechanism with axial hinges. Such doors are rarely found installed in living quarters, but they look quite impressive.
• It is impossible not to mention and telescopic doors... They also have special guide rails in their design, but, unlike classic sliding and sliding systems, they include several multidirectional sashes at once, which can have either a straight or slightly rounded shape.
• Among glass door systems, the most comfortable are recognized revolving designs... Typically, such models are used in order to zone the space of a room into certain sectors. This is achieved thanks to their design, the main details of which are the central oval and the adjacent leaves, the number of which can vary from two to five, depending on the design of the door.

The listed types of entrance doors with glass inserts are used everywhere, but this classification is not the only one. Also, the entrance structures are divided according to the number of valves, according to their shape and, finally, according to the type of control.

In terms of the number of leaves, all entrance doors are divided into two-leaf and single-leaf models. Both those and others are widely used both for residential and public premises.

From the point of view of shape, entrance doors are often simply rectangular, but there is also a radius shape, in which the leaf of the sash takes on a slightly rounded position.

If we talk about the type of control, then all external doors are divided into mechanical (or manual) and automatic doors. The first type is familiar to all of us, we open them on our own, with our hands. The second type has also firmly entered our life, although it appeared not so long ago.

The modern entrance door market offers many options made from different materials. And all because the latest methods and technologies for creating door products now allow you to combine several materials at once.

So, for example, the main frame of the door can be plastic, iron, and wood, although the latter option has recently lost its relevance due to its high cost. Doors made of larch, hazel or oak look great, besides, they are very strong and durable, but, unfortunately, many cannot afford them.

That is why their place was taken by structures made of iron, which is not surprising, because this material is stronger than all of the above, and therefore mechanical damage is not afraid of it.In addition, it is fire resistant, and this is especially true for private houses.

To create an iron door frame in modern production, types of iron such as steel and aluminum are most often used. Doors made of aluminum profiles are less common, but thanks to both materials, manufacturers manage to combine two main characteristics in one product: not a very high price and excellent quality.

As for other materials for cladding glass inserts, sometimes there are leatherette, panels made of MDF and PVC, and even models whose upholstery consists of laminate and artificial wood.

Often, facing materials are additionally coated with various kinds of tint varnishes, paints, special powder coating or the most common colorless enamel, which can extend the life of the door structure and significantly increase its wear resistance.

The materials are the most familiar, which cannot be said about glass. For entrance doors, it is made hardened or tinted. And in some cases it is the result of both approaches to glass processing at once. With the latter option, the glass is the most durable. In this way, you can even create a frosted-coated glass that is loved by many.

Forged elements are becoming a frequent material for creating and decorating doors. Forged structures are usually needed to protect glass, but they also serve as decoration. Especially if the forged part is not made in the form of an ordinary lattice, but in the form of some pattern, plant or animal.

If we talk about colors, now the front door can have any color. So, you are free to choose according to your taste, and it does not matter at all whether the door is light or dark. The main thing is that the color of the door structure looks organically with the surrounding elements: with the color and texture of the wall of a house or apartment, as well as with the general arrangement of adjoining rooms inside the house. It is worth considering the type of lighting, because it depends on it how the color of the door will be distorted in daylight and electric light.

Most of the doors, due to their practicality, have dark colors. So, for example, black and gray colors do not get dirty so quickly, which is very convenient for country houses, since they will need to be wiped less often. And at the same time they will always retain their presentation.

Usually, dark doors are made by ordinary painting or special spraying and can fit into absolutely any interior. However, you should not choose a product of deep black color, otherwise glass inserts on it may look out of place. And in a dark hallway, such a door will look too gloomy.

Light doors are a good option. They usually look expensive and very noble, besides, any kind of glass is suitable for them. You can be sure that the materials of the product will look very harmonious together.

Double white doors with frosted glass inserts are especially luxurious. Doors in light milky and beige shades always give the room lightness, make it light and airy. For any home, they will certainly become a bright eye-catching accent. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly keep the white door clean, and this is the main disadvantage of such structures. After all, not all owners have time to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the door.

But one cannot dispute the fact that both dark and light doors look expensive if they are made of natural or artificial wood. Such doors will be inappropriate for public buildings, but they are perfect for residential premises, but most importantly, they will give the building a status.

Do not forget that a door with glass inserts can also include such a bright element as a stained glass window.Moreover, the leaf of the sash can completely consist of a colored mosaic, or it can include only individual small-sized inserts. Both options look original, but the main difficulty is to correctly fit such a door into the interior of the hallway. For such a bright design, the style of the room should be as neutral as possible.

Glazed doors that go directly to the street must perform several functions at once, among which, first of all, one can distinguish protective, thermal insulation and aesthetic ones. It is on the basis of these functions that it is worth choosing an entrance glass structure.

For residential premises, cottages and country houses, frost-resistant models will be relevant, first of all, which tolerate pressure and a sharp change in temperature well. This is especially typical for our country, where there is snow on the street almost all year round, and the temperature in some areas can drop to -30 degrees and stay that way for weeks.

To secure your home, and to extend the life of the door itself, you should choose models with thermal break. If, for example, a door leads from the kitchen to the street, such a solution will be very useful, because such a door structure can be simultaneously influenced by both warm and cold air. On the one hand, there is a warm kitchen with a working stove and heating, and on the other, the merciless Russian frosts. Another street door would simply not be able to withstand such an onslaught.

For a private house, you can choose transom model... This decorative element will perfectly complement the composition of the facade windows. However, according to customer reviews, due to its large size, this option is not suitable for location in an apartment, because there is simply no place for this construction on the staircase of an apartment building. But it can act as an access door. This, of course, is quite unusual for a city, but such options can also be found in the vastness of our country.

Full glass thick-walled doors can be installed both in a large supermarket and in a private house when leaving the veranda or winter garden. The main thing is that the glass unit is durable and that it is framed at least along the edges by material such as plastic, metal or wood. After all, no matter how strong the glass is, its edges are still vulnerable, and from prolonged and frequent opening of the door, they can crack ahead of time. Therefore, you cannot do without a protective element.

It should be noted that the doors of living quarters must necessarily save heat, which, for example, is not so important for models used in public places.

For schools, hospitals, libraries, sports centers and other municipal facilities, it is better to use swing doors that are made of plastic. Firstly, such models are cheaper, easier to install and have a long service life, and secondly, they retain heat well, which is especially important for buildings in which children are on a daily basis.

For specialized enterprises, for which there is a dangerous risk of fire, it is necessary to use a fire door that could hold back the fire for a while.

Buildings inside which various valuables are stored in large quantities must be equipped with durable shockproof, and even better, bulletproof doorways. These types of structures are relevant primarily for banks, prisons and police departments.

Finally, no matter what room the door is installed in, it is always worth paying attention to the level of its resistance to burglaries. In the end, the front door guards our home, creating a sense of security and tranquility, which is the most important thing.

Usually, doors are glazed at the stage of assembling the door structure in production, therefore, they are more often bought ready-made and complete: with glass, fittings, locks, fasteners that are installed on the sides, hinges and the main frame.

However, already in the very room it is often necessary to install the structure with your own hands, and if it also has glass inserts, then the installation process becomes much more complicated. Of course, if you have never dealt with the installation of doors and do not even know where to start this process, then it is better to trust a trained master who has the necessary installation skills.

But if you nevertheless dared to take this difficult step of self-installation, you need to acquire some working tools and only after that proceed with the installation.

First, with the help of auxiliary holders, you need to fix the door frame, which will form the basis of the future design. Then, if the glass inserts are not installed in the frame in advance, glazing should be done. To do this, you need to insert the glass inserts into the grooves of the door frame, secure them securely with a sealant and wait until it dries.

If the design assumes the presence of a forged element, then it should be fixed immediately after working with a sealant. It will provide additional protection and support to the glass while the sealant cures. At the same stage, you need to install small accessories such as door handles and locks.

When all the above preparations are made, you can safely fix the door in the opening with hinges and hinges.

Finally, the last step in the installation will be to check the door: you need to open and close it several times, make sure that everything works without interruptions and squeaks, and the door runs smoothly. If all is well, the door is installed correctly.

Today there are a huge number of manufacturers of door designs, and the more manufacturers there are, the more unusual design options. You can find pompous mahogany two-door models, and minimalistic one-door metal options without unnecessary details. Both can look very stylish.

Solid black wood doors can create a very interesting contrast when paired with boiling white walls. Such a model will not add gloom to the corridor and will become a good bright spot.

Do not be afraid to use unusual mechanisms, they complement rooms in modern styles quite well.

Classic interiors allow the use of models with complex glass inserts, which include both frosted and transparent glass at the same time.

Designs made of light wood with geometrically correct inserts look original.

Plastic doors of an unusual shape can also look quite modern and home-like.

Models with wide glass inserts can perfectly fit into a minimalistic design.

You will learn more about how to choose a double-glazed front door in the following video.