Hidden frame glass doors have become popular among homeowners seeking modern, safe and efficient designs. The doors offer clean, uninterrupted views, improve ventilation and add value to your home. Hidden frame designs are also functional and versatile. Homeowners have many styles to choose from and can install them in different openings, including internal and external doors. Below are four popular hidden frame glass door styles for your home:
1. Hinged Glass Doors
If you’re looking for a classic door opening mechanism, it doesn’t get any more traditional than hinged doors. This style involves hinges attaching the glass panel to the hidden frame, creating a turning point. The door can swing outwards, inwards, or both ways, making it perfect for internal and external openings.
Hinged glass doors have various perks, especially for homes with narrow entryways. All you need is enough clearance space for the door to swing. The hinged door style is practical, affordable, and easy to install and maintain. You’ll enjoy a luxury design while saving on installation and maintenance costs. The overall design is also simple, convenient, and flexible.
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Hinged doors come with some drawbacks. The design doesn’t suit expansive wall spaces because you need enough clearance space for the panel to swing. Also, homeowners looking for unique, fascinating styles may not be too impressed with the basic hinged design.
2. Sliding Glass Doors
Frameless sliding glass doors are popular among modern homeowners because they’re minimalistic. You don’t need clearance space, which results in excellent space efficiency. The design can also cover expansive entryways and fits in most homes. Typical sliding glass doors feature glass panels that slide over each other when opening and closing. The two panels feature independent rails running parallel with the wall structure for effortless sliding.
Sliding glass doors create seamless transitions from indoor to outdoor spaces. They don’t need clearance, so you can use the area behind or in front of the door. Sliding glass doors are also affordable and functional, with the panel weight going to the hidden bottom rails. You don’t need extra adjustments or installations to reinforce the wall structure. The only caveat is sliding doors tend to have demanding and time-consuming maintenance requirements.
3. Pivot Glass Doors
Pivoting doors are less common but offer an excellent style for internal and external openings. The design features hinges mounted at the top and bottom of the door, at the center or off-center point. When you open the door, its panel is both inside and outside the house. You can have single or multiple pivot doors to cover the doorway, which makes it perfect for small and expansive spaces. The pivoting design also halves the clearance (swing) space.
Pivoting glass doors are luxurious and not present in most homes, so you’ll have a unique, impressive style. You can also angle the doors in the desired direction to shape the breeze entering your home. The load-bearing hinges appear at the bottom and top center, so the designs can support heavier glass panels. On the flip side, pivot door styles are expensive to install and need extra space on both sides of the entryway.
4. Stacked Glass Doors
Stacking doors are another excellent option for homeowners seeking elegant styles. The design is more like sliding doors but features multiple moving panels. Each panel interlocks with the next and pushes/drags it when open/closed. Opening or closing one panel causes a domino effect on the adjacent panels. Stacked doors share many benefits of the sliding design and more. The style can cover larger entryways because they feature more panels.
Stacking doors can run the entire wall length, creating a glass wall. The interlocking panels also add weather protection and greater security than standard sliding doors. Stacked doors are perfect for external and internal openings and can be used to partition rooms. They also run parallel to the wall structure, so you don’t need clearing space. This style does tend to be more expensive than sliding doors and demands more maintenance.
Other Hidden Frame Glass Doors
Homeowners looking for hidden-frame and frameless glass doors have many other styles to choose from. Popular examples include bi-folds, which feature two or more panels that can be folded to create the illusion of a larger interior. Bi-fold sliding doors are excellent if you seek affordable designs.
French doors are another popular style for small to medium openings. The design features two hinged panels that open away from each other. Because they have two panels, French doors can cover larger openings than hinged doors. The style is also elegant and opens in a grand fashion. You can use them for external entryways where the style is more practical.
Homeowners can also choose from different types of glass, including frosted, stained, rain, ornate and clear glass. Each option has unique benefits and suits specific doors, so you may find one works better for shower doors or patio openings.
When looking to install hidden frame glass doors, choose reputable professionals to achieve desirable results. You should also review the material quality, warranty, service/labor guarantees, and installation and maintenance costs.
