In the interior of any apartment, the doors are of no small importance, of course, not the main thing, but they are the first and last touch in the overall concept of the design decision. Door selection should be carried out carefully, taking into account fashion trends and practicality, in accordance with the general style and your personal preferences. Today you can meet many homeowners who opt for models made of traditional materials, such as metal or wood, those who prefer originality and style resort to installing glass doors that create a sense of unlimited space, having a very unusual and attractive appearance.

Content

1. Glass door construction
2. Door glass manufacturing technology video
3. Features and Benefits video
4. Varieties of glass doors
5. The principles of choosing glass doors
6. How to handle a glass door
7. How to install a glass door  video

Glass door construction

If we talk about glass interior doors, it is necessary to note that they are far from a modern invention - they were used with pleasure by wealthy Frenchmen in the construction of luxury mansions in the middle of the XVII century. The interest in all-glass models increased in the 20s of the last century, when architects began an active search for options for the non-standard use of quite familiar building materials. It was during this period that glass was actively used in interior design. The advent of high-tech style has led to a wider popularization of glass doors and glass partitions.

The design of interior glass models of doors  includes several components:

1. Boxmade of aluminum or MDF, which is a vertical rack with a crossbar. Racks of a box can be painted with special paints on a water or polyurethane basis. To increase the soundproofing qualities of the structure, a seal is installed in the box.
2. Sash the door  - These are fragments of a glass cloth having cutouts for fastenings, a lock, and loops.

Door glass manufacturing technology

IN door manufacturing  glass with a thickness of 8 to 14 mm is used, they are manufactured using the special Triplex technology, which implies the connection of several glass paintings with the help of polymeric materials. The application of the technology allowed the glass to be durable, but even if the glass is damaged, its fragments will be held by the film, which significantly reduces the risk of injury.

The second common option for creating a door leaf is the float method, the use of which allows you to create a material with a perfectly flat surface, completely eliminating the possibility of optical effects. Float glasses surprise with a variety of shades, they can also be sun-protection. The colors and shades of the glasses are given during manufacture, by adding minerals to the melt, the second production option is machine rolling, when a double-sided pattern is applied using milling cylinders.

The most expensive and original glasses are made using the fusing method; they are a stained glass panel assembled from pieces of colored glass and processed in an oven. Stained glass is amazingly beautiful, they are worthy of decorating the richest and most refined interiors.

Features and Benefits

Until recently, glass interior doors had a special place in the interior - they played a more functional role and served to delimit rooms. But today they represent a worthy alternative to doors made of traditional materials, the reason is the presence of numerous positive aspects that owners of an apartment or house get from installing such doors.

Glass doors:

• perfectly written into the interior of any style,
• visually expand the space
• eliminate the feeling of isolation
• contribute to more efficient lighting of the space.

The second attractive point is versatility, their installation is appropriate in a country mansion and in an ordinary city apartment, in a country house or office, in a modern business center or sports and entertainment complex. Glass doors are perfectly combined with any kind of lamps.

If we compare glass models with those made of wood or metal, then among the advantages it should be noted:

• a tendency to burnout material,
• elimination of the possibility of delamination, deformation, drying
• corrosion resistance.

The large thickness and tempering of the material make it 5 times stronger than ordinary glass. Beautiful, durable and safe glass doors have established themselves well and are especially popular among consumers.

Varieties of glass doors

In the modern market, glass frameless designs are represented by several varieties.

Swing  glass the door. Installed in the door frame, open only one way. For their fastening to a wall or door frame, side hinges for glass doors are used. Used as internal in apartments or office premises.

Pendulum doors. Installation is made by attaching to the ceiling and floor, can be opened both inward and outward. To such the door  It is required to install a floor closer - to return it to the closed position after opening.

Glass sliding doors. The door leaf is attached to the carriages moving along the upper rail. When opened, such doors are pushed to the side. The best option for using this design is if the door leaf in the open position takes up a lot of space or obstructs the passage. Retractable - are used only as internal ones.

Radius Doors. May not have frames or be made of semicircular glass in an aluminum profile. Used in public buildings, often such models are equipped with photocells to ensure automatic opening and closing.

Rotary doors.  Their installation at the top and bottom points look like a carousel. Often equipped with a device that gives them a constant rotational movement at a given speed.

Doors for the Finnish sauna.  I make of special silhouette glass. Bath doors are completed with a cloth of various shades: blue, green, bronze, satin.

The principles of choosing glass doors

Trading companies offer customers a large number of different doors with glass differing in transparency, different opening methods, with different decor and accessories. To make the right choice, you should know which things to pay attention to first.

Before proceeding with the selection of a model:

• consider the financial issue and decide how much you can spend on the purchase of doors and materials,
• determine the design option suitable for the interior of the room,
• think over a convenient opening option,
• decide whether to purchase ancillary items,
• measure the dimensions of the doorway and wall thickness.

When buying glass doors, you should pay attention to the physical properties of glass - materials that have been tempered by modern technologies can provide reliability, strength and safety.

For a higher level of security, you can opt for crystal glass containing a larger amount of quartz sand.

An analysis of the functionality of the doors is to study the light transmission of the product and the characteristics of the room where it will be installed.

For example, for installation in a bathroom it is better to use doors that are maximally tinted or opaque. It is better to choose a dark shade door to the bedroom - the light penetrating from the hallway will interfere with proper rest and sleep. For the bathroom, it is also advisable to purchase doors with frosted glass having the maximum thickness.

Fully transparent doors will be appropriate in the living room, in the kitchen and in the hallway - they will ensure the penetration of the maximum amount of light into the hallway. Also today you can buy doors with glass, the transparency of which, if desired, can be changed using an automatic control system. The design decision of the selected product should closely overlap with the decision of the overall interior of the house or apartment.

Of particular importance hardware  for glass doors - low quality accessories can spoil the appearance of not only doors, but the entire interior.

It is very important that the handles for glass doors look perfect, meet the requirements of the consumer, i.e. were comfortable.

Though hardware  for glass products it is usually small in size, it should have a good margin of safety, which can withstand a solid weight. For the manufacture of it using pure different metal: aluminum or polished or brushed stainless steel. In the case of a certain variant of the interior, brass or anodized parts (with a gold coating) can be used.

The method of opening doors should be chosen depending on the availability of free space - in an apartment or private house it is better to use traditional swing doors, but if the space is very limited, then you should choose the sliding models.

How to handle a glass door

Installation work on installing glass doors can hardly be attributed to simple tasks. Firstly, the installation of each type of door has different technologies, it requires certain knowledge and skills. In addition, any of the selected models during installation requires compliance with the rules for handling glass surfaces. They cannot be placed on concrete, metal or tiled surfaces, even though the tempered door glass can withstand severe loads and impacts. Also, the surface of the glass should not be allowed to touch the floor or hard surfaces of the walls.

Since the weight is 1 sq. M. glass sheet is approximately 25 kg, then before installation, care should be taken to strengthen the door jamb with a metal frame. It must not be allowed that during installation the door leaf deviates from the vertical by more than 2 mm.

It is forbidden to overturn glass holding the corners of the canvas or the edges - these are the most vulnerable areas. The appearance of the slightest crack on the edge of the material can lead to its destruction during installation or operation.

No interference with the structure of the hardened material is allowed - drilling or cutting can lead to destruction of the door leaf. That is why it is very important to make very accurate measurements initially, it is advisable to entrust this matter to a specialist who can competently mark the locations of each of the technological holes.

To avoid damage, the clamping elements should be tightened with care. Fastening the box should be done thoroughly. Locks for glass doors and handles are fastened with screws, which must be clamped carefully, otherwise there may be a risk of damage to the glass surface. But if the mount is very weak - it will require periodic adjustment.

How to install a glass door

Before starting installation, the glass must be unpacked correctly. Do this by laying the packaged glass on the surface of a flat carpeted floor. After removing the slats from the packaging, they are laid next to them - it will be convenient to lay the unpacked glass on them. Then you can remove the safety covers from the hinges, loosen the screws and unscrew the opposite sides of the hinges. After that, the door leaf is laid on the battens.

The box is installed in the doorway in accordance with the side selected for opening. If there is a need to change the left-sided opening to the right-sided, then you will need to move the upper door jamb to the opposite side, together with the seal. The box is installed using mounting wedges, the upper screws are slightly fixed from the hinge and from the back. Using a level, they check how accurately the installation is completed, then the screws are tightly wrapped on the loop side. Next, glass is installed in the box and fixed with screws. Safety covers should be put in place, check their installation using a square, close the door and make sure that the door lock is working.

The box should be fixed on the side of the door opening with screws. Using a level check correct installation, installation wedges are used during installation. At the final stage of installation, the handle plates and latches are attached. The density of the door is adjusted by the latch screw. If there is a need, the visible part of the mounting wedges can be cut off, and the doors themselves be framed with a glazing bead.

Each person has their own concept of beauty and comfort, but such an element of the interior as a glass door will help bring closer the dream of creating an ideal cozy space in the apartment, saturated with light and warmth. High soundproofing qualities of the glass will provide protection against excessive noise, and the bright original design of the door and unusual shapes will make it possible to fully realize your fantasies.

Author: Sergey and Svetlana Khuentsov

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