How To Balance Privacy And Style With A Glass Front Door

Glass front doors are eye-catching additions to your house, but many refrain from getting one due to privacy and security concerns. Doors with a few glass elements are less of a concern compared to doors that are predominantly made of glass. What if we told you there was a way to have the door you want without compensating for privacy and security? Follow these tips and considerations when you’re in the market for a glass entry door. 

Reinforced Glass 

Let’s imagine a hypothetical situation in which burglars do decide to attempt a break-in through your front door that is entirely made of glass. If you have standard glass that will easily shatter and break into a million shards, then your door is certainly less secure. Opt to spend a little bit extra and have the door made of reinforced glass, tempered glass, laminated glass, or fiberglass. Any of these glasses are about 4 times stronger than standard glass and are better at protecting your door against external threats. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that all windows, sidelights, or glass elements on the same wall of your front door are made from reinforced glass for safety purposes. 

Non-transparent Glass

Your glass front door doesn’t need to be made of the same see-through glass as your windows. In fact, there is a large array of glass choices you can opt for on glass doors. Textured glass gives you all the benefits of having a full or partial glass door with more privacy. You can choose between different styles of glass from frosted to stained glass, decorative, and more. Match it according to the style of the rest of your house and let your entryway soak up the natural light without worrying about privacy breaches. 

Add External Security

You can have a see-through simple glass door and leave it as is if the rest of your house grounds are secure enough. For example, if you have high gates or fences around the perimeter of the house, a security system in place, and a front gate that only you and house members have access to, then there isn’t much to worry about. Full or partial glass doors can be a privacy and security concern if they are too accessible for outsiders. This is a relatively costly solution that may not be the budget-friendly choice, but it is certainly an option for homeowners. Not only is this more secure, but it decreases the chances of unwanted people lurking by the front door. 

Mindful of Sidelights

Depending on the door you choose, you may have sidelights (or sidelites) and a transom above your door. You can even have a completely solid door and only have glass sidelights to allow natural light to flow into your entryway. In any case, take all of the considerations we mentioned above into account. It’s important to get these extra glass elements made of reinforced glass as well to be on the safe side both in terms of privacy and security. 

Security Gates

A cost-effective security measure for glass entry doors is to install a specialized metal gate in front of your door like a screen or install the bars straight onto the door. At first, many people think these make the doors look bulky and clash with the house, but they can actually complement your door quite well if you take material and design into consideration. 

At the end of the day, a glass front door requires a little more attention to detail but it certainly is worth it. Don’t forget to browse our large selection of entry doors for inspiration.