Choosing interior glass doors for your home
Interior glass doors are on a par with wooden ones in popularity. In many houses, modern interiors are complemented by stylish transparent products that differ only in type, design and glass thickness. Since the range of doors is quite large, this makes it difficult to choose. Therefore, you need to figure out what glass interior elements are, what are their differences and advantages. Photos of glass sliding doors and other types can be viewed below.
Interior glass doors: advantages, disadvantages, types of doors
Interior sliding glass door is the best option for small rooms.
As for the disadvantages, you can immediately call a rather high cost. Moreover, stains and other contaminants are clearly visible on the glass: the door will require attention and frequent washing. But, in order not to waste efforts on care, you can immediately apply a special layer to the surface that will repel dirt.
Types of glass doors:
- Swing. They are considered traditional, they can only hold one sash. But if the opening is wide, there may be two sashes - it all depends on the design solution and the wishes of the customer. Doors can have a rebate, which will provide a good fit to the opening, as well as sound insulation and protection from drafts.
- Double-leaf doors can be inserted into a wooden frame or metal brackets. In some cases, the material of the box is taken as the basis for the frame of the sashes. The product is considered practical; it allows you to come up with new designs and open up space for fresh ideas. They are installed in large rooms, since it will take a lot of space to open.
- Folding doors in a miniature apartment are irreplaceable. They save space well and have many advantages. However, there are also disadvantages: they are not very tightly connected to the opening, from which all external noises will be clearly audible, and drafts can also walk around the apartment. The most common options for doors of this type are "accordion" and "book". They work due to installed mechanisms moving on rollers.
- Sliding. The product can be installed in any room, regardless of its dimensions and ceiling height. The design of the mechanism includes a rail along which the canvas moves.
- Swing doors are very similar to swing doors, they open in any direction. It is customary to install them in dining rooms and kitchens; they will look good in the living room. The only drawback: they require a lot of space on both sides.
Glass for doors
Thanks to the presence of glass, such doors create a visualization of the space. Even a small room will seem larger and brighter in appearance. To create products, manufacturers use various types of glass, differing in thickness, shape, color.
Interior doors with frosted glass can have a leaf with or without wood elements.
Photo and description of glass on interior doors:
- Simple - transparent or with colored spraying, it is inexpensive, fits perfectly into the door structure.It is not as durable as we would like. It wears out quickly and cannot withstand even average loads.
- Red-hot is more expensive. It is a safe material, as it can withstand quite a lot of stress during operation. The material is thermally processed, from which it becomes hardy. Even if the door breaks or breaks for some reason, the fragments will be small and not sharp. This creates additional protection, especially for children.
- Reinforced has a wire mesh inside. Due to it, it becomes stronger. This is the choice of practical owners who do not want to often change doors and spend money on repairs.
- Triplex is the highest quality and most durable glass used to create doors. The manufacture uses lamination or liquid filling. Such glass is considered multilayer, and therefore strong, withstanding considerable loads. When creating, use a special polyvinyl butyral film inserted inside the canvases. After remelting, a monolithic structure is obtained, which, even with very strong impacts, does not break, but only cracks.
A liquid fill is applied to such glass and made solid by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The production does not require expensive and complex equipment, therefore, doors made using the technique with liquid filling are of moderate cost. As for the triplex decor, any elements can be inserted between the canvases that give an unusual look to the finished product: photo printing, fabric textures, dry plants and more. Laminated glass has one drawback: it is very heavy in weight. Therefore, it needs a particularly strong fastening during installation.
Doors with frosted glass are no less popular. Such products look very stylish and can fit into any room interior.
DIY installation of glass interior doors
Installation of glass interior doors is almost no different from the traditional one. But there are still some specifics to be aware of. For example, it is worth remembering that glass structures are often heavier than wooden ones, so it will be difficult to mount them without an assistant.
The finished door cannot be resized: it cannot be filed or made into a different shape. Therefore, it is advised to order a door according to individual parameters with the arrival of the measurer.
First, you need to lay the door on a flat surface and place all its elements around, including the threshold. This is necessary in order to visually represent what the finished structure will look like ideally. And this will help to avoid some mistakes.
Then it is necessary to mark the crossbars so that they become equal to all adjacent sides of the door. Between the door frame and, in fact, the canvas, you need to make a gap of 3 mm.
To put together a door frame, you need to start the process from the top. According to the markings, saw off the upper crossbar, and then the side parts that are adjacent to it. The cut should be exactly 45 degrees. To do this, you need a hacksaw or a circular saw... It is relevant to use a miter box - a very convenient tool that allows you to immediately cut the material at the desired angle.
It is necessary to connect the upper elements of the door frame, clamping the corners with a clamp. Make holes 2.5 mm each, preferably through holes. After that, you can remove the clamp and fasten the structure with self-tapping screws.
The next step is the installation of the threshold, which is first cut exactly, at a right angle, and then installed and fastened with screws.
Completely install the entire frame in the doorway and begin the installation process. To avoid distortions, you must use the building level. Polyurethane foam should be applied to the junction of the box and the doorway.
While the foam dries, the door can be fitted with Castle and hang up a comfortable handle.In the glass structure, all the holes are already there, so the task will be easy to complete. The end job is the installation of platbands.
To make the room look stylish, interior doors with large glass will be the best option. With the correct installation of the system, the canvases will last for many years.