Unglazed or Glazed Front Doors?
When buying a new front door, there are many options to consider. It is by no means an easy task, since there is so much riding on it. Not only are front doors quite a costly purchase, but they need to be both functional and attractive.
When it comes to function, a front door needs to do more than open and close, although it needs to be hard-wearing enough to withstand this sort of daily use (in most cases) over long periods of time. The perfect front door allows entry to be smooth and without fault (no sticking in frames, tricky locks etc.). When closed, it needs to offer optimal protection from the elements. It also needs to provide high levels of security to prevent potential attackers from gaining entry to the property it is within. And, it needs to perform at the same high level for many years. These are just the basic functions a front door needs, there are still many other functions to consider, although these are down to personal choice (such as how the door locks, what type of handle, what hardware is needed).
Aesthetically, a front door needs to suit the property it is in. It is usually the first impression, to both friendly visitors as well as criminals. For this reason, its appearance needs to be both pleasing as well as allowing people to see the quality of security it provides.
So when it comes to glazing, what do you choose? Both glazed front doors and unglazed solid front doors have their advantages and their disadvantages.
Glazed front doors
- + Glazing in a front door can give an attractive appearance.
- + Glazing allows light to pass into the room, allowing for both light and warmth.
- - Glazed front doors cost more money.
- - Glazed front doors are slightly less energy efficient.
- - Privacy and security are slightly more compromised. These can be dealt with by choosing an obscure backing glass for privacy and laminated glass for security, unfortunately costing more money.
Solid front doors
- + Solid front doors cost less money than the same door with glazing.
- + Solid front doors do a better job at keeping heat from escaping and have better energy efficiency.
- + Solid front doors provide maximum privacy and security.
- - Solid front doors block the sun, which can have a gloomy effect on the room if there are few windows present and make the room feel colder.
