Doors & Glass: A Classic Combination

by Jim Brandt, Simpson Door Company

As you drive through a custom home neighborhood today, you'll notice one thing for certain: the entryway is no longer just a nice door that opens to the rest of the house. It is a homeowner's first chance to make a dramatic impression on visitors and neighbors. The entryway in today's custom home provides an opportunity for a homeowner to make a distinct individual statement. It is often the personal signature that expresses the unique character and style of a home.

In many cases, the entry door has become an entry "system" that integrates larger, often paired doors and lots of glass--varying shapes and styles of glass in the door itself with sidelights and transoms that emphasize the architectural theme of the home. While the emphasis on a complete entry system is relatively new, the concept that glass and doors can complement each other is a classic architectural statement.

Glass has long been a popular design tool for interior and patio doors. It provides a sense of openness and can make living areas seem larger than they are. Glass brightens the interior of a home and takes full advantage of soft, natural light. Glass can also provide a point of interest and add dimension to a room. Using glass in patio doors creates a smooth transition between the outdoors and the inside of a home.

The popularity of glass in entry doors has taken longer to cultivate. The main roadblock in making glass a common part of entry systems has been privacy. For decades there were few glass choices and relatively simple door designs. A homeowner that wanted glass in their entry most often received a door with a large pane of clear glass. The result was a considerable lack of privacy. "One lite doors with clear glass are just not that popular in the front door," explains Greg Bakken of Orgeon Glass, a glass fabricator that supplies clear glass to a number of door manufacturers.

"What we're seeing is a rise in popularity of decorative glass," adds Bakken. Indeed, today's doors offer a range of glass choices including art glass, patterned glass, textured glass and a medley of caming choices. These developments have provided an antidote for the privacy issue by obscuring sightlines directly into a home, yet still allows natural light to flow through. And while decorative glass used to be a security concern because it was relatively easy to break, today's triple-glazing techniques nearly eliminate this worry.

Another concern that many homeowners had in regard to glass in doors was energy efficiency. Using glass in doors often gave a perception of poor energy performance and in instances such as a single-glazed leaded glass door, there could be a drafty result. "The most important factors in determining whether a door is energy efficient or not lies with how well the door has been hung and if it is weatherstripped appropriately. Glass can lose energy, but there are many options now with glass that make this insignificant," states Ross Murray of Trimlite LLC, a manufacturer of decorative glass.

New glazing options and warm-edge technology have improved the thermal performance of glass. Options such as thicker glazing, increased space between glass panes, low-emissivity film coatings and argon gas have all contributed to more energy-efficient performance. Other types of glass coatings help block outside heat from entering a home and retain radiant heat indoors in cold temperatures. Coatings also help protect interiors--furniture and carpet, especially--from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays.

In addition to improvements in glass, the manufacturing process by which glass and doors are brought together is an important step in creating a finely crafted door. As an example, Simpson Door Company produces its wood interior french doors with a compression glazing process. Compression glazing does not require the use of a glazing compound or finishing nails to keep panes of glass in place. Instead, solid wood mullions hold the glass in place and cope and sticking joints help assure a tight fit between the stiles, rails and mullions. This process eliminates messy squeeze-out typical with glazing compounds and does away with the need to putty fill and sand nail or staple holes. Finally, the doors come with the option of shrinkwrapped glass. The customer or homeowner simply cuts away the shrinkwrap after the door has been hung, and the result is a clean glass door.

While advancements in production, improved security, energy efficient glass and increased privacy have been strong factors for the new popularity for glass in doors, the principal reason has been new glass designs. Just the right glass design enables a homeowner to create the perfect visual expression for their home, and with entry doors, the perfect greeting to visitors.

Many architectural styles are highlighted in new glass designs. For the most part, traditional styles have become today's hot trends. Currently, the look of craftsman or prairie style architecture is enjoying renewed popularity. This style is characterized by intricate geometric patterns of colored glass set off by leaded glass caming. This style provides a cornucopia of refracted color.

Simpson Door Company, for example, has recently introduced its own collection of craftsman doors. These doors are offered in one, two and three-panel designs, each with a choice of one, two or three panes of craftsman style glass. The panes include the subtle use of color within their geometric patterns, adding an element of beautiful color refraction. When added to Simpson's Douglas Fir, the result is every bit as classic as an original. Simpson also offers matching transoms and sidelights for all Craftsman doors.

Aside from specific architectural styles and the use of colored glass, both patterned and textured glass are also quite popular. The simple use of leaded glass or beveled glass can convey a sense of sophistication and elegance. Textured glass, such as glue chip glass, can create a unique pattern without the use of color. During the manufacturing process, glue is placed on the glass in a decorative manner. As the glue hardens, it attaches to the glass. When the glue is removed, it actually pulls off part of the glass, leaving behind a unique pattern.

"There is considerable interest in decorative glass without metal," says Murray. "Molded glass is an example." Molded glass is similar in pattern to craftsman glass for its geometric patterns, yet does not include caming or colored glass. As its name indicates, the glass is "molded" to the desired pattern. The result is a glass of understated grace.

Bullion glass is another colorless option with a distinctly different past. Historically made from the blown glass "leftovers," it is characterized by concentric circles expanding outward. In centuries past, these pieces of glass were viewed as disposable and were used as a low-cost alternative in doors and windows. Their widespread use then has resulted in what is now a coveted design style. This glass design is most commonly found in colonial style homes.

Trends are also changing in the types of caming often seen in decorative glass. "What we're seeing is a shift towards metals such as pewter, dark bronze or black. Caming decisions tend to follow the choices of other items in the home such as door hardware, light fixtures and bathroom fixtures," explained Murray.

While homeowner opinions about glass preferences are as varied as the choices themselves, one fact is clear: glass is now a major part of door and entryway construction. Glass manufacturers and door manufacturers alike are working to set themselves apart as they come up with fresh ideas and new ways to cash in on this trend.

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