Types of Glass for Exterior Doors

Glass doors can provide beauty as well as security.

When it comes to exterior doors, look is just as important as function. How a door looks can greatly enhance the look of a home outside and inside. Many people desire three things from an exterior door; security, energy efficiency and beauty. It is common to think that in order to have a door with glass, you must give up security. However, this is not the case, today’s glass doors are designed with all three attributes in mind.

Insulated

Insulating glass helps to keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter. Some common features of this type of glass are that it prevents fading of interior furnishings and reduces condensation. It also provides better visible light transmittance than tinted glass. Insulated glass is made by tightly sealing two or more sheets of glass together with a space of 6mm to 12mm of dry air in between the sheets.

Textured

Textured glass is preferred by those who want light to enter the home without providing a clear view of the interior to strangers. Textured glass comes in many styles such as frosted, glazed, ripple, gotta, reed, weave, beveled and water glass.

Tinted

Glass can be tinted to reduce full sunlight, heat and fading of interior furnishings. For those who desire color but would like to obscure an on-lookers view, baroque glass would fit the bill. Baroque is a swirling of color within the glass, creating a rippled or marbleized effect.

Prism

Prism glass is architectural glass that redirects light through refraction and reflection. It is transparent with a decorative design of prism shaped ribs that reflect light and color in many directions.

Bullet Proof

Bullet proof glass is made with several layers of laminate and plate glass molded together. This type of glass breaks upon impact but will not shatter.

Frosted

Frosted glass is commonly available in three styles: pinhead, sandblasted and acid etched. Pinhead glass is also called perforated glass. Holes in the glass are made with a roller to produce light diffusion.

Stained

Stained glass is a combination of any type or style of glass and lead. A design is created using different types or colors of glass that are cut into pieces that will make up the design. The pieces are then edged with copper foil. All the pieces are laid out according to the design and soldered together with a soldering wand and solder of a tin/lead alloy.

References

• Jeld-Wen: Decorative Glass
• GHAR Expert: Various Types of Glasses Used in Doors
• The Store Finder: How to Do Stained Glass by Randy Wardell