Privacy Factor With Glass Paneled Doors

Most of us love natural lighting and spacious living. Yet too often front doors function more as a fortress and result in dark, dreary entryways. By having a front door system with glass paneling, sidelights and a transom, you can transform the dreariness of any entry hall by letting natural light flood in. With added natural light, your entry way becomes the perfect place for displaying beautiful art, having a variety of vibrant plants and conveys an ambiance of welcome.

The question then becomes, which kind of glass allows the most light in, but also protects your privacy. Transparent glass allows someone outside your home to clearly see through your front door. For some people, who want to see who their visitors are, this may be acceptable. Tinted glass, like sunglasses will filter the amount of light pouring in and can create a subtle color, like a stained glass window, that can be very appealing. Visibility from both directions is reduced, but not completely. Obscure glass only allows a view of shadows and distorted forms with no distinguishable shapes. Most obscure glass is patterned in some way that is attractive to look at and still lets in the full spectrum of natural light.

Whatever the glass configuration in your entry door, you should choose a high quality dual paned glass that is vacuum sealed with an inert gas between the two sheets to prevent fogging and give added insulation value from heat and cold. If you include a transom, that glass portion that arches over the actual door, there is no need use a heavily obscuring pattern and you can choose whatever pattern or design purely for it’s beauty. However, all the patterns used should be harmonious and complementary. Glass brings light and elegance to your entry way and really does help to bring the natural world a little closer.