One of the more modern trends in the urban Indian landscape is the glass door. Still relatively new, glass doors are seen in many modern apartments, offices, and other public places.
The increase in demand for glass doors is good news for its secondary industry like glass door fitting manufacturing. The demand for these supplies has also gone up significantly as more and more people opt for glass doors.
The reason for their popularity is obvious. Glass doors have some decided advantages over conventional doors, such as:
- The glass allows external light to come directly into a room, giving it a bright and airy appearance.
- Wide glass doors, like French windows, usually cover an entire wall. This transparent wall makes the room appear larger than it is.
- When open to a lovely view, like a garden, a glass door can be an attraction in itself!
- It requires less maintenance. It does not have to white-washed, plastered, or painted and any smudges or marks can be easily wiped off.
- It gives an elegant look that is easy to achieve and extremely cost-effective.
Why do we need special Glass Door fittings?
One of the essential requirements of a glass door is that it requires glass door fittings. This is partly due to the material and partly due to the way it is used.
Weight:
Glass is quite heavy, especially toughened glass that we use in place of doors. This is an extremely strong glass that will not break easily. On top of this, a door also means that we are using quite a bit of glass, increasing the weight of the door. This is often even heavier than wood.
The weight means that the fittings must be designed to carry the weight effectively. This is why the fittings are extremely strong, often quiet. These are often stronger than the average hinges used on wooden doors because those hinges will not be able to carry the weight of a glass door.
Special construction:
It is not just the base material that is different. The glass doors have a very different construction from a wooden door. There is no requirement for a frame, as we often see in shower glass doors. This means that their hinges are rather different. The hinges here are usually attached to a wall and not a frame, as is the case with wooden doors
Another unique construction is the sliding door, which is not as common as wooden doors. Sliding doors again need their own specific fittings. These include a slides rail that allows the door to slide across itself. Sliding doors also need special latching systems that lock off when the door is pulled close. There are also fittings that can keep the door partially open.
Material:
Glass doors are perfectly suited to the modern look. This often requires clean modern lines and metallic looking fittings. This is why so many glass doors have these kinds of fittings. The handles and knobs are made specially to compliment this look. Although wooden frames are just as common, metallic frames also becoming common.
Transparency:
The fittings also have to be installed very carefully because the glass door is transparent. Any unnecessary drilling to put fittings only mar the surface and weaken those points on the glass. This is why we often attach handles against each other on either side of the glass.
Locks are also often attached at the same point, only on either side of the door. Although a simple solution is to put the door in a wooden frame and attach locks on the frame!
Usage:
Some glass door fittings have to be chosen carefully because of their usage patterns. These are usually doors that are used in a corrosive environment like a bathroom. This is an area that sees a high build up of moisture with steam and water splash.
Hence, it is important that the fittings be resistant to moisture. There could also be soap water splashes and build-up of heat, which would mean a high ability to withstand heat and soap.
Similarly, glass doors in the kitchen will have oil spatter and a build-up of grease. Hence, these should be easy to clean and maintain.
A glass door has many advantages over the usual wooden doors. But it requires special glass door fittings to ensure a long and smooth life.
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