Types of Glass Doors
Glass doors, in some form or other, must be one of the most widely adopted architectural features in new builds and renovations. Beyond opening the interior of the home to the outside world, glass doors enrich views, improve ventilation and enhance natural light. And while they are, by nature, transparent, they can also be showstoppers for their ability to blur the boundaries between indoors and out.
Glass doors come in a variety of styles and mechanisms, from sliding and hinged, to folding, pivoting and stacking, plus more. So how do you decide which glass doors are best suited to your home? Here, we consider six types of glass doors and their clear-cut benefits.
HINGED SINGLE DOOR
A hinged door is the most traditional option, with a swivelling hinge on one side of the door frame enabling the other side of the door to swing open from the wall. A single hinged door can open inwards, outwards or both and can be for internal or external use.
Benefits
HINGED SINGLE DOOR
A hinged door is the most traditional option, with a swivelling hinge on one side of the door frame enabling the other side of the door to swing open from the wall. A single hinged door can open inwards, outwards or both and can be for internal or external use.
Benefits
- Hinged doors can be framed or frameless and, as these two images demonstrate, each offer a very different look. The selection of door handle also contributes to the overall look and style of the door.
- Hinged doors can be used to maximise the space of a narrow opening, and are a good alternative when there is no allowance to install stacked or folding doors. However, do remember they will require a clear space in front of them equal to the width of the door.
- Hinged doors come in a variety of sizes, but the structural frame and hinges will need to be able to support the weight of the door when open.
- They can be teamed with security or fly screens to let the breeze in while keeping unwanted bugs – and people – out.
SLIDING DOORS
Sliding glass doors open sideways rather than inwards or outwards, gliding alongside another glass panel or the framework of the house. Sliding doors allow for expansive glass walls to maximise views, offering a transition between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Sliding glass doors open sideways rather than inwards or outwards, gliding alongside another glass panel or the framework of the house. Sliding doors allow for expansive glass walls to maximise views, offering a transition between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Benefits
- A sliding mechanism is ideal for large glass doors as the weight is fully supported on upper and lower tracks.
- Sliding glass doors are space-saving, as a large door can be used without needing to consider the space in front of, or behind, the door. However, if it is sliding alongside a wall, be sure it is free of obstruction.
PIVOT DOORS
Pivot doors have hinges mounted at the top and bottom of the door, often at a centre or off-centre point. This means that when the door is open, it is both inside and outside. Pivot doors can be singular or multiple, as as in the example pictured here.
Pivot doors have hinges mounted at the top and bottom of the door, often at a centre or off-centre point. This means that when the door is open, it is both inside and outside. Pivot doors can be singular or multiple, as as in the example pictured here.
Benefits
- A series of pivot doors can be angled to direct or obstruct breezes.
- Pivot doors can generally be bigger and heavier than single doors or French doors, because the weight-bearing point is more centred and it supports two sides of the frame, rather than just one. Thus, the opening space can be wider than a single door. However, the open door will obstruct a portion of this.
- Because the pivot door sits across both sides of the structure when open, a clear space needs to be both in front of and behind the door – the width of this will depend on the position of the pivot.
