A custom glass door system can be a project’s calling card. As an entrance, these openings can telegraph a homeowner’s aesthetics or leave a memorable first impression of a commercial space. Further, designers who take the extra steps to create a one-of-a-kind opening can leave their signature on a project.
The following aims to clarify how to design a custom glass door system in order to streamline the design process without inhibiting a team’s creativity.
Which custom glass door system fits a project’s needs?
The first step in designing a custom glass door is determining which opening style best fits the needs and aesthetic goals of a project. For large yet space-efficient openings, the following three door styles can provide multiple benefits to both commercial and residential projects:
· Sliding doors glide along a track, minimizing the horizontal footprint of an opening and eliminating the need for swing clearance. This makes them ideal for large-format openings where space efficiency and uninterrupted sightlines are priorities. Leading systems, like Euro-Wall’s Vista Multi Slide™, offer narrow framing profiles to maximize glass areas.
· Folding doors are well suited for applications where full-width openings are desired, though designers should consider stacking locations, sill conditions and exposure when specifying these custom glass door systems in demanding climates.
· Pivot doors rotate within their own footprint to take up minimal usable space while offering large opening widths. This custom door system provides a unique aesthetic and eliminates hinge-related sagging common in oversized swing doors by transferring loads vertically through the pivot hardware.
What custom glass door performance capabilities are best?
It is important that a door system meets a project’s performance goals. For example, custom glass doors that include thermal breaks, like Vista Fold™ from Euro-Wall, support energy efficiency goals by interrupting the flow of heat between indoor and outdoor environments.
Further, hurricane ratings support the rigorous design needs of High Velocity Hurricane Zones (HVHZ) such as Miami-Dade County. Custom glass doors that achieve a Florida Product Approval simplify this part of the design process. This documentation certifies a system has the ability to withstand hurricane-force winds, large missile impact and heavy rains.
How to design a custom glass door system from a base model
Performance criteria such as energy efficiency, structural loading, air and water resistance and impact ratings should be evaluated early in the design process, as they directly influence system selection, panel sizing and configuration options.
After selecting the right operating style, a designer needs to determine opening size and framing configurations. These details help distinguish custom glass doors from standard options and offer expression points to fit the project owner’s vision.
Opening size can be a major point of distinction. Custom glass doors from Euro-Wall offer some of the largest panels on the market. For instance, Vista Multi Slide is available in heights up to 168 inches and widths up to 84 inches—with a maximum of eight panels per opening—to facilitate expansive openings.
Framing and muntins can also support a custom look. Euro-Wall’s door systems offer thin profiles and a variety of muntin configurations and finishes to widen the aesthetic versatility of these solutions.
Are there different operators available for custom glass doors ?
Door hardware can offer another point of customization. For example, automatic operators can help custom glass door systems bolster building accessibility and energy efficiency. On the one hand, this operator allows those with mobility aids to more easily open or close a door. On the other, they can be programmed to open and close at optimal rates to limit opening time and minimize air turbulence, both of which support maintaining a comfortable indoor environment more efficiently.
Can custom glass door systems match other building elements?
While a custom glass door can make a statement in its own right, it also needs to provide aesthetic cohesion across the entire building. Pairing finishes with other building elements and framing profiles with other opening systems can elevate an entire project’s aesthetics.
Engineered from the Euro-Wall’s trusted aluminum platform, the full suite of window solutions offer a custom and aesthetically matched option to all of Euro-Wall’s custom glass doors. Because they come from the same manufacturer, it streamlines ordering logistics and maintenance lifts.
Explore the possibilities of custom glass door systems today
Custom glass doors can improve the look and feel of a space, support occupant comfort and wellbeing and increase weather resistance and energy efficiency. There are several routes design teams can take to ensure they create and specify a custom glass door system that meets all project requirements and aesthetic goals.
Design teams can collaborate with Euro-Wall’s technical experts to develop custom glass door systems that align architectural intent with performance, durability and code requirements.