An Overview of Frameless Glass Patio Doors

According to Building Regulations, patio doors need to meet certain levels of thermal insulation standards to be approved. This means that continental Glass Curtains, single glazed tempered glass frameless panels, are unsuitable as external doors for the British housing market. How, then, are thermally compliant double-glazed frameless doors possible?

fiberglass exterior doors

Patio doors are traditionally available as sliding or bi-folding panels.

EXTERIOR DOORS

Because sliding doors always remain fixed between the top and bottom runners, the frames can be very slim, perhaps frameless; the disadvantage of the system being that at least one of the panel widths is always present as a barrier to unrestricted access between home and patio. Bi folding doors open fully in concertina style to stack compactly at the side of the opening. The panels are hinged together, therefore frames are necessary for the hinges to be attached to the doors, particularly to strengthen the free edges that are not supported by the fixed top and bottom runners.

The frameless glass patio doors system has been based on the glass curtains method of using separate panels that slide and pivot, interlocking like jigsaw pieces when closed. When fully open, the doors are stored to the side of the opening, similar to stacking bifolds.

Frameless double-glazed doors do not provide such a purely uninterrupted view as can be achieved with single glazing. This is because the double glazed unit has to be sealed with a gasket that is approximately 20mm (less than 1 inch) wide. Insulated glass or double glazing has thermal and acoustic properties attributable to the a vacuum or special gas in the cavity between the inner and outer glass panels. A gasket needs to be reliably airtight to retain the gas or vacuum and to prevent humidity and condensation.

There is no additional frame on frameless glass doors but the gasket is opaque and forms a frame-like interruption to views through a set of double glazed door panels, albeit minimal. There are places where you can install non-double-glazed frameless glass doors, e.g. conservatory doors, room partitions, balcony enclosures, outbuildings and commercial premises.

An Overview of Frameless Glass Patio Doors

Double-glazed frameless glass doors are now being made to order and installed by UK manufacturer of aluminium-framed bi folding doors, SunSeeker Doors Ltd, as may be seen on their web site http://www.sunseekerdoors.co.uk with further information on their blog and frameless glass doors web site.

The BPc manages SunSeeker Doors' Internet presence, including article writing, blogging and social media. Visit FaceBook business page http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-BPc-Internet-presence-and-promotion/151585228130

EXTERIOR DOORS