Glazed doors

First and foremost, all glazing used in doors, and used adjacent to a door, must comply to the Approved Document N of the Building Regulations 1991, meaning that the glass must be approved safety glass. Any glazing that falls wholly or partially within the Critical Locations shown below in red, must be safety glass to comply with current regulations. 

All the glass used by XL Joinery is toughened safety glass that fully complies with the current Building Regulations. For more information, see: Building Regulations for glazed doors.

   Critical Locations in red

Glazing in a door can add an interesting feature by providing extra light and, sometimes, adding a decorative element. Most types and styles of door can have glazing installed. Whether it's a fully glazed door, bringing in as much light as possible, or a small glazing panel added to a solid door, there are numerous choices available. 

You can have interior  or exterior  glazed doors although the glass used in each application will require different properties. Some glazed doors have glass fitted during construction, but others give you the option to install your own choice of glass, these are categorised as unglazed doors .

Glazed doors also have different options for where the glass can be installed. This includes glass being fitted into the door leaf or into the door frame. Glazed panels can be fitted into an extended door frame either at the sides of a door or above it. These are known as sidelights or fanlights and can be produced in various designs and sizes. 

There are lots of different types of glass which can be used in doors, and the properties you'll want the glass to have will be different for internal and external doors. One of the main differences is strength: external doors need to be secure enough to prevent an easy break-in, as well as have safe for if something does break the glass. Insulation properties are another consideration - external doors need to hold up to the elements.

Types of glass for glazed doors 

The type of glass you choose for a particular door will be primarily based on whether it's for an external or internal door, the look it creates, and your budget. Here are some of the types of glass you can choose from. 

Textured glass 

Textured glass is a good choice if you want light to come through a door without providing a clear view through it. Different styles of textured glass are available, including frosted, bevelled or prism, water, weave, ripple, and reed.

Tinted glass

Tinted glass can be produced to add some colour to a door. Tinting reduces the amount of sunlight which will travel through glass, which also reduces heat transfer and UV damage. For a more interesting tint, you can choose a baroque glass which has a swirling pattern of colour through it.

Lead lined glass and stained glass (decorative glass)

Glass can be decorated with lead to create various patterns and styles. The lead can be used to join separate pieces of glass to form a large panel or it can be applied to a glass surface to give the impression it's separate pieces. Cheaper alternatives used faux leading which can add a distinctive look to your door at a very reasonable price. The glass can also be stained, tinted, or painted for different designs.

Insulated glass

Various options are available for insulated glass, but some will be more effective than others. Glass panes can be single, double, or triple. The more panes of glass the better the energy efficiency, but this is also more expensive. Double and triple-glazed panels can have krypton or argon gas inserted between the panes. These gases reduce air flow and improve insulation.

Special coatings can be added to glass which will improve its insulating properties. The glass should be given a rating for how energy efficient it is, so you can compare it to other types of glass. The door itself is likely to have a separate energy efficiency rating.

For more information see: What are the energy efficiency ratings of doors?

UV coated glass 

A special coating can be applied to a glass panel which reduces the amount of UV rays which can travel through it. UV rays can be damaging, and can cause carpets or furniture to fade.

Bulletproof glass

Hopefully, you won't need it, but you can also get heavy-duty glass which is bulletproof. It's made by layering plate glass with laminate and moulding them together. It will break on impact but won't shatter.

Things to consider with glazed doors 

The many different options for glazed doors can seem daunting, but here are a few things you should consider. 

Light

If you are looking at having the maximum amount of light passing through a door then you might want to consider a fully glazed door with a single, large pane of glass. If this door is external, and you don't plan to add blinds or curtains, it might pay to have UV-coated or tinted glass. 

Privacy

If you want light to come through the door while maintaining some privacy, you might want to consider smaller panels. You might also think about textured glass or other decorative types of glass which can obscure the view.

Energy efficiency

The thermal insulation properties of glass will usually be different to the other material used to build a door. This is particularly relevant with external doors, and energy efficient doors will save you money on your heating bills. Various options are available for insulated glass.

Unglazed doors

Many doors can be made to take glass panels but they come unglazed. This gives you a wider range of options for the glass you choose to install. This might be the best option if you need to install glass with specialist features or specifications, or if you have a particular type or style of glass you want to use. Glazed doors provide you with an array of options. Have a look at our range of beautiful  internal unglazed doors  and  external unglazed doors  for a comprehensive range of stlyes.