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Choosing doors is not as easy as it seems. They must be safe, reliable, durable, practical, easy to maintain, and it’s not bad if they are beautiful and inexpensive. Agree, the same list of requirements. What is strange, most of the answers are glass interior doors.
Advantages and disadvantages
To decide whether to install glass interior doors or not, you need to know about their advantages and disadvantages. Let’s start with a list of advantages:
- The geometry of glass doors does not change with humidity or temperature. Everyone knows the problem with wooden doors: at high humidity, they swell and it can be difficult to close them, at low humidity, on the contrary, they become smaller and a latch is needed to keep them closed. The dimensional stability of interior glass doors allows them to be used in wet rooms: in bathrooms, showers, swimming pools, winter gardens, steam rooms.
These can be glass interior doors … this is the question of the variety of design options - Ease of care. You can wash it with any non-abrasive detergents, you can rub it with a brush (if the finish allows, the glass itself is no problem).
- Over time, they do not change their appearance.
- They transmit light well. If there are glass interior doors in an apartment or house, it will be light in the corridor or hallway without windows during the day.
- Environmentally friendly material without any emissions into the atmosphere.
- Fire safety is top notch.
- Lots of appearance options. There is glass transparent, frosted, patterned, tinted. In addition, photo printing, sandblasting, gluing a patterned film, etc. can be applied to glass.
The list of positive characteristics is impressive. It’s really a good choice. Glass interior doors are one of the most reliable options that will last for years. There are also disadvantages:
- If you choose transparent or glossy glass, handprints will be visible on it, that is, you will have to rub them often. Matte, tinted, milky glass – these models do not require such attention, but you still need to wipe the surface more often than the same wooden ones.
Matte surfaces are easier to clean - It is difficult to make glass doors light-tight. Even dark tinting lets light through. The way out is to use roller blinds or blinds.
- High price. If you look only at the door leaf, then the price is low. But you can’t do without accessories. And fittings for glass doors are not cheaper (and often more expensive) than the canvas. So the cost is significant.
Many still add fragility to negative qualities. In fact, there are more fragile cheap wood-like doors, which are full on the construction market. Here they can be pierced with a fist or leg. We will talk about how easy it is to break glass interior doors in the next section.
Types of glass interior doors
Interior doors made of glass according to the opening method are:
- Swing. Like the usual doors, they open either “on themselves” or “away from themselves”. Hinges are attached at the top and bottom of the door leaf. With a large sash height and / or a large mass, a third loop can be placed in the middle. One end of the hinge is attached to the door leaf, the other – to the wall or door frame. Such doors are good because, if desired, you can provide good sound insulation (put a seal around the perimeter of the opening).
Swing type - The Pendulums. The sash can open in both directions. It’s convenient when you don’t have to think whether to pull the door or push it. Hinges for pendulum glass doors are of two types. One is attached to the ceiling and floor, the other to the doorway. The second option is more expensive, since the hinge mechanism is more complex. The first one also has a drawback: it is difficult to install. In any case, pendulum glass interior doors are installed very rarely, since in any case they are much more expensive than the other two types.
Pendulum doors are placed in places with high traffic - Sliding glass interior doors. When opened, they move to the side. Basically, they “drive off” to an empty space next to the doorway. Such a device is simpler, although you need to make sure that there is free space next to the door and nothing prevents them from opening. There are also options for internal installation. When a niche is made in the wall in which the sash is hidden. This is more convenient during operation, but installation is more complicated and expensive.
Sliding glass doors – a strong solution - Folding. They consist of several canvases, movably fastened to each other. When opened, they fold like a book or an accordion (there are two types). Convenient and compact option, but there is one “but”. They cannot provide a sufficient degree of sound insulation. Therefore, they are usually used to separate “public” premises: a dining room, a living room, etc. They will be good in a studio apartment – to separate the recreation area (bed).
Folding glass interior doors are rare
According to the method of opening, these are all types. There is also a division according to the number of wings – single-leaf, double-leaf. But with this, everything is clear. If the doorway is wider than a meter, it is better to put double doors, if less – one leaf is enough.
Designs
Glass interior doors can be made in several design solutions. They are:
- Frameless. Frameless glass doors are just glass with fittings installed on it. Many people like them outwardly: they look more “light” just because of the lack of a frame. They look more fragile, but in fact they are no less vandal-resistant than frame models. Sometimes even more resistant, as thicker glass is used.
Door leaf without frame - Frame. Glass is inserted into a profile made of wood, plastic, metal-plastic or metal. It comes in a frame, hence the name. This category also includes double-glazed windows (two glasses are inserted into the profile). There can be two types:
- without imposts (large framed glass);
- with imposts (a certain amount of glass separated by thin profiles).
The glass door can be framed in a frame made of metal, wood, plastic
- With hidden aluminum profile. In this case, the glass is glued to the profile so that it and the edges of the sashes are flush. This system is not common, although the doors look interesting, and the most vulnerable part of tempered glass (the end) is more or less protected.
A special profile to which glass is glued on both sides. Good choice for soundproofing
In addition to different leaf designs, glass interior doors have different types of door frames:
- with door frame
- without box
The second option gives the same feeling of “lightness”, and also saves money. And here’s how. Aluminum boxes are usually placed with glass doors (wooden ones lead, they crack, swell, etc., plastic ones usually do not pass according to aesthetic criteria). And they cost about half the cost of the door leaf. So it is beneficial to install glass interior doors without a box. The only restriction: the bearing capacity of the walls must be sufficient to withstand the weight of the sash.
Dangerous or not
Glass doors look fragile and many have doubts about their reliability. But in vain. The fact is that for glass doors not ordinary glass is used, but special. Two types are used:
- Tempered. The glass sheet is heated to high temperatures (480°C), and then, with the help of air currents, it is quickly brought to normal temperature. As a result of this treatment, the glass becomes much stronger. You can even hit the plane with a hammer. Nothing will happen. The only weak point of such canvases is the end impact. In this case, the glass may crumble. But the fragments will not be sharp, it will not work seriously to get hurt. But the doors will need new ones. It’s true.
The difference between regular and tempered glass - Triplex. These are two glasses, between which a polymer film is laid (they are also called laminated glasses). The technology is such that the transparency of such a design is no worse than ordinary glass. It takes a lot of effort to break it. Even if the efforts are crowned with success, the fragments will not scatter, but will hang on the film. So this glass is also safe.
Despite the fact that according to the description it seems that triplex is more reliable, in reality, tempered glass withstands shock loads better. So if you are concerned about reliability, go for it.
Glass interior doors: photos of interesting ideas
The choice of glass interior doors is complicated by the fact that they have their own bright personality. In fact, this is an element of decor and it must be selected in accordance with the style of the room, and this is not easy even for professional designers. What can we say about those who develop interiors on their own. To help, we have collected some interesting ideas that we hope will help you in choosing glass interior doors specifically for your requirements.