How to Choose External Glass Doors for Style and Energy Smarts
Glass doors are essential for creating indoor-outdoor flow – here's how to find a style that ticks all the right boxes
Rebecca Gross
6 January 2018
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design, and I study cultural history through the lens of architecture, design and visual culture. I have a Masters in the History of Decorative Arts and Design from Parsons The New School for Design, New York. My latest book is called "Ornament is not a crime: Contemporary Interiors with a postmodern twist."
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design,... More
As a nation, our love affair with indoor-outdoor living shows little sign of slowing down, and external glass doors are an important part of the equation. Not only do glass doors allow you to create a seamless connection between the interior and exterior parts of your home, but choose the right style and they can boost energy efficiency and comfort levels too.
If you’re building or renovating and new glass doors are on your wish list, here’s all you need to know about choosing a style that’s both attractive and energy efficient.
If you’re building or renovating and new glass doors are on your wish list, here’s all you need to know about choosing a style that’s both attractive and energy efficient.
What to Consider
Door frames
These not only contribute to the aesthetic of your home, but its energy efficiency too. Aluminium, timber and uPVC (vinyl) are the most common framing materials, but there are also new composite styles available, such as Stegbar Siteline, which blends the classic appearance of timber inside with the durability of aluminium outside.
Door frames
These not only contribute to the aesthetic of your home, but its energy efficiency too. Aluminium, timber and uPVC (vinyl) are the most common framing materials, but there are also new composite styles available, such as Stegbar Siteline, which blends the classic appearance of timber inside with the durability of aluminium outside.
Aluminium: durable, cost-effective and resistant to the harsh Australian climate. Frames made from aluminium are typically low maintenance but do require some upkeep, particularly in coastal areas.
- The lightness and strength of aluminium makes it easy to slide and stack doors.
- With high thermal conductivity, aluminium can be a poor insulator. As a result, a large proportion of heating and cooling energy can be lost through the frame.
- Aluminium frames are generally silver, but they can be powder-coated to blend in with the architecture and interior design of your house.
- They are structurally strong and capable of withstanding weather extremes, particularly in high-wind areas.
Timber: the most traditional material for door frames, appreciated for its warmth and classic appearance.
- Timber frames are energy efficient and naturally insulate against heat and cold.
- Frames in this material are long-lasting, easy to repair and wind-resistant. However, they may require maintenance, particularly if exposed to harsh weather conditions.
- Timber can be polished, painted or stained, offering plenty of design flexibility.
uPVC: also known as vinyl window frames, these are low-maintenance and resistant to weather and environmental conditions. They also have excellent acoustic properties.
- They are cost-efficient when it comes to energy performance, and have low thermal conductivity. This means they limit the transfer of heat and cold through the frame, which can reduce your reliance on heating and cooling. “If you use the same insulated glass units but you have one window with a uPVC frame and one with aluminium, the window with the uPVC frame will be approximately 40 per cent more energy efficient than the other, which will save you money,” says Sorin Marginean, managing director at Windows for Life.
- uPVC frames come in a variety of styles, including wood grain, plain colours and metallics. Quality uPVC frames retain their colour even when exposed to extreme temperature and weather conditions.
- They require little maintenance and can be easily cleaned with a mild detergent or soapy water.
Glazing
According to the Australian Government’s Your Home website, up to 40 per cent of a home’s heating energy can be lost and up to 87 per cent of its heat gained through windows. So choosing the right glazing for your external doors can not only make your home more comfortable naturally, but can have an impact on your power bills too.
According to the Australian Government’s Your Home website, up to 40 per cent of a home’s heating energy can be lost and up to 87 per cent of its heat gained through windows. So choosing the right glazing for your external doors can not only make your home more comfortable naturally, but can have an impact on your power bills too.
Energy-efficient windows and doors come in a variety of forms, including double- and triple-glazed, and low-E glass.
Double and triple glazing: Double-glazed windows and doors can reduce heat loss or gain by almost 30 per cent in comparison with single-pane aluminium windows. Triple-glazed styles perform even better, while being no thicker, heavier or more expensive than double-glazed ones. Triple-glazed styles are ideal for cold climates.
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Double and triple glazing: Double-glazed windows and doors can reduce heat loss or gain by almost 30 per cent in comparison with single-pane aluminium windows. Triple-glazed styles perform even better, while being no thicker, heavier or more expensive than double-glazed ones. Triple-glazed styles are ideal for cold climates.
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Low-E glass: Low-E (low-emissivity) glass has a transparent coating – an invisible layer of metallic oxide – that minimises the amount of heat that passes through the glass, while still allowing light to flow through. Low-E coatings add to the cost of a window, but will reduce your energy costs.
You’ll also find all manner of performance glass on offer that can improve your comfort levels at home.
“Acoustic glass will minimise outside noise, privacy glass lets in light while providing privacy, and security glass is harder to break than normal glass, which gives homeowners peace of mind,” says Carley Armstrong, glass expert at Stegbar.
Richard Bailey, general manager at Viridian Glass, adds: “Using glass over a large area can leave your living space more exposed to the outside elements such as temperature extremes, noise and harsh UV glare. When selecting glass for the doors in your home, keep the following in mind – year-round comfort, noise control and solar control.”
If you have a north-facing living room that is exposed to harsh sun, you might consider the brand’s LightBridge range – it reduces heat gain and loss by up to 77 per cent as well as UV exposure and glare, and it can be combined with various performance features such as noise reduction, security and privacy.
“Acoustic glass will minimise outside noise, privacy glass lets in light while providing privacy, and security glass is harder to break than normal glass, which gives homeowners peace of mind,” says Carley Armstrong, glass expert at Stegbar.
Richard Bailey, general manager at Viridian Glass, adds: “Using glass over a large area can leave your living space more exposed to the outside elements such as temperature extremes, noise and harsh UV glare. When selecting glass for the doors in your home, keep the following in mind – year-round comfort, noise control and solar control.”
If you have a north-facing living room that is exposed to harsh sun, you might consider the brand’s LightBridge range – it reduces heat gain and loss by up to 77 per cent as well as UV exposure and glare, and it can be combined with various performance features such as noise reduction, security and privacy.
Louvres
Louvre windows and doors feature small, rectangular blades, that allow for ventilation, light and a visual connection with the outside environment.
Louvres can be adjustable or fixed. Adjustable styles allow you to pivot the blades to facilitate light and air flow. With fixed louvres, the angle of the blades cannot be adjusted.
Louvre windows and doors feature small, rectangular blades, that allow for ventilation, light and a visual connection with the outside environment.
Louvres can be adjustable or fixed. Adjustable styles allow you to pivot the blades to facilitate light and air flow. With fixed louvres, the angle of the blades cannot be adjusted.
Louvres are often used in clerestory windows above glass doors. This set-up give you the flexibility to close the glass doors for privacy or security, and leave the louvres open for ventilation.
Shutters
Shutters are typically made out of timber, and may have adjustable or fixed louvres. Depending on the hinge mechanism, shutter doors can be slid, stacked or pivoted to control light, ventilation, shade and views.
Shutters are typically made out of timber, and may have adjustable or fixed louvres. Depending on the hinge mechanism, shutter doors can be slid, stacked or pivoted to control light, ventilation, shade and views.
This house on Sydney’s North Shore features sliding glass doors that open the interior to the deck, then a layer of pivoting and sliding shutter doors that extend the deck to the backyard and pool. The louvres on the shutters are adjustable, and the pivoting and sliding panels allow for a variety of opened, closed and partially opened configurations to suit the weather conditions.
See more of this house
See more of this house
Insect screens
Insect screens will help keep bugs outside, while allowing for natural air flow, sunlight and views. They come in a variety of styles, mesh types and mechanisms, and are typically used in conjunction with, rather than in place of, external glass doors.
Retractable insect screens: The house above has a roll-away Infinity Zipline insect screen from Freedom Retractable Screens. Spanning up to nine metres, the roll-away insect screen can be used in conjunction with bi-fold, stacking and French doors, and pillar-less corners. It can also be fitted into a recessed track for a more streamlined look.
Insect screens will help keep bugs outside, while allowing for natural air flow, sunlight and views. They come in a variety of styles, mesh types and mechanisms, and are typically used in conjunction with, rather than in place of, external glass doors.
Retractable insect screens: The house above has a roll-away Infinity Zipline insect screen from Freedom Retractable Screens. Spanning up to nine metres, the roll-away insect screen can be used in conjunction with bi-fold, stacking and French doors, and pillar-less corners. It can also be fitted into a recessed track for a more streamlined look.
Pleated insect screens: Pleated screens require less space than retractable screens when pushed or stacked aside. This is because the retractable screen needs a larger cassette for the screen to roll into, whereas the pleated screen folds back on itself.
This house features a 612 Retractable Pleated Insect Screen from Brio, with pleats that concertina or stack when the screen is retracted. It can be used in conjunction with bi-fold, sliding, stacking and French doors for openings up to nine metres.
This house features a 612 Retractable Pleated Insect Screen from Brio, with pleats that concertina or stack when the screen is retracted. It can be used in conjunction with bi-fold, sliding, stacking and French doors for openings up to nine metres.
External shading
Shading glass doors can reduce summer temperatures, improving comfort and saving on cooling costs. They can also protect floor coverings and furniture from fading in sunlight.
Most Australian homes (apart from those in the far north) will benefit from shading on the northern side of the house where high-angle sun enters.
East and west openings receive low-angle morning and afternoon summer sun. They typically need less shade in the morning when the sun is not too hot, but afternoons can get uncomfortable, in which case vertical structures, such as trees, shrubs or timber battens, can help screen light and heat.
Shading glass doors can reduce summer temperatures, improving comfort and saving on cooling costs. They can also protect floor coverings and furniture from fading in sunlight.
Most Australian homes (apart from those in the far north) will benefit from shading on the northern side of the house where high-angle sun enters.
East and west openings receive low-angle morning and afternoon summer sun. They typically need less shade in the morning when the sun is not too hot, but afternoons can get uncomfortable, in which case vertical structures, such as trees, shrubs or timber battens, can help screen light and heat.
Architectural shades: Overhanging eaves and verandahs that are part of the architecture of a home are an effective way to reduce heat and sunlight. As the sun is lower in winter, light and warmth will still reach beneath the shade structure.
Awnings: Fabric and wood awnings can be an effective and flexible means of providing shade for all orientations, particularly when adjustable (retractable). These styles can be extended or closed to suit the season or angle of the sun.
Retractable awnings can be motorised, opened with a hand crank or come fitted with a sun sensor so that they automatically extend in the sun or fold away in the wind.
Retractable awnings can be motorised, opened with a hand crank or come fitted with a sun sensor so that they automatically extend in the sun or fold away in the wind.
Window coverings
Covering your glass doors provides another layer of defence against the heat and sun, and can boost energy savings further. The additional layer improves insulation, creating an extra layer of still air between the windows and interior space, thereby reducing heat transfer in both hot and cold weather.
Covering your glass doors provides another layer of defence against the heat and sun, and can boost energy savings further. The additional layer improves insulation, creating an extra layer of still air between the windows and interior space, thereby reducing heat transfer in both hot and cold weather.
Internal blinds and curtains: Fabrics vary in their insulating capacity. For example, heavy, double-layered curtains or blinds provide more effective window insulation for heat gain and heat loss than ones in sheer, lightweight fabrics.
Sunscreen blinds and blockout roller blinds are two of the most effective styles at reducing summer sun. Roman blinds can help conserve heat and block winter draughts.
Sunscreen blinds and blockout roller blinds are two of the most effective styles at reducing summer sun. Roman blinds can help conserve heat and block winter draughts.
External blinds
Motorised external Venetian blinds provide even greater heat protection and light control than internal styles. Products such as Helioscreen’s external Venetians range have slats that can be set to any angle to control internal room temperature and light. When closed, the system offers complete privacy, and when fully retracted, it provides for an unobstructed view.
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Motorised external Venetian blinds provide even greater heat protection and light control than internal styles. Products such as Helioscreen’s external Venetians range have slats that can be set to any angle to control internal room temperature and light. When closed, the system offers complete privacy, and when fully retracted, it provides for an unobstructed view.
Tell us
Did you find this story useful? Tell us in the Comments section below. And don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
More
Find door professionals near you
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Hi Jo,
there are companies that can measure and quote to replace original single glazing with a variety of double glazing. I have seen it done on double hung windows with colonial glazing bars, so it would be easy to do to normal double glazed sashes used in Victoria era windows. search online and you will find what you need!!
The comment that triple glazed windows were no heavier, thicker or more expensive than double glazed sounds counter intuitive to me!?