uPVC Door Glazing

uPVC doors are often glazed using large panes of glass, so it is important to select glazing units carefully. uPVC door glazing should provide a reliable thermal barrier to resist heat (in summer) and cold draughts (in winter). The amount of daylight that comes through the glass unit is also important. ...Read more These characteristics are defined by the following three measures which help to evaluate the thermal properties of uPVC door glazing.
U-factor defines how much heat is lost through uPVC door glass or uPVC door as a whole. Therefore it is best to look for uPVC doors with the lowest U-factor possible. This is especially relevant for colder climate regions, where heating bills are high.
G-value indicates the amount of solar heat that is allowed to enter the building through the uPVC door glass. Depending on the climate, more or less solar heat may be desired. In colder climates, door glazing with high G-value is recommended, since it allows more heat inside the house and thus the house gains passive solar heating. In hot climates, there is a risk of overheating the building in summer, therefore uPVC doors with low G-value are recommended. Low G-value glass helps reduce the heat, and the expenses on air-conditioning may be significantly minimized.
Visible Transmittance (VT) is another coefficient that is worth considering when choosing glass for uPVC doors. It measures how much visible light is allowed to enter the building through the uPVC door glazing. Usually glass that blocks solar heat (solar control or reflective glass) also reduces visible light, which is not favourable. Generally, the best uPVC door glazing is the one which reflects the undesired solar heat, but transmits most of the visible light.
Below are some recommendations for uPVC doors glass in various climate areas. Hide

Clear float glass is the cheapest and most common option for uPVC doors. It is fully transparent and has medium thermal insulation properties. Clear float glass may be used in double glazing or triple glazing. Double glazing is more popular; this is a typical option for uPVC doors in public and commercial ...Read more buildings. Triple glazing has better heat insulation properties and is used in colder climates. Clear float glass glazing units always include one or more panes of low-e glass. Low-e or low-emissivity glass has a thin layer of metal oxide, which reflects the heat back into the room. This is particularly important in winter, because this type of uPVC door glazing minimizes the loss of heat. Low-e glass is usually spectrally selective; it reflects a large proportion of the solar heat, but lets the light into the room. The cavities between the panes of glass are usually filled with inert gas such as argon which significantly increases heat insulation properties of the uPVC doors. Note: if you need large uPVC doors (with glazing larger than 3 m2), glass sheets will have to be thicker. According to the regulations, glazing that take less than 3 m2 can be made with the regular 4 mm glass sheets. Glazing that takes 3 to 4 m2 must have at least one thicker (6 mm) sheet of glass, regardless of the type (double glazing or triple glazing). Glazing that takes 4 to 6 m2 requires both sheets to be at least 6 mm thick (in case of a triple glazing, all three glass sheets must be 6 mm). Any uPVC door glazing that is larger than 6 m2 must have both glass sheets of at least 8 mm. Whenever thick sheets of glass are used, the gap between the panes is reduced so that the total width of the glazing unit remains the same. All above mentioned restrictions are included in the Clear float glass option only. If you select other types of glass for uPVC doors, which exceed 3 m2, the final price is calculated incorrectly. Please contact our staff for further price specification. Hide

Frosted glass is translucent or opaque and therefore gives privacy. Both double glazing and triple glazing can be made with frosted glass. Regardless of the uPVC door glazing type, only one frosted glass pane is used (in case of a triple glazing, frosted glass pane is in the middle). Frosted glass allows light to enter ...Read more the rooms, but makes the objects behind the glass blurred. The frosted effect is achieved by a special manufacturing technology or by applying a special film on the glass. Frosted glass is used when there is a need for privacy, e.g. in the bathroom. Hide

Tinted glass is darker in colour than the usual glass. The colour may vary from grey to brown, green and other colours. There are two ways to produce tinted glass. The colours may be added during the manufacturing process; colorants then become a part of the glass. Alternatively, a film may be applied on ...Read more the produced glass to make the tinted effect. Tinted glass is often used for exterior uPVC doors in residential areas or commercial buildings. It gives privacy and looks modern. Tinted glass glazing units may be double glazed or triple glazed, but usually only one pane of glass is tinted. Other panes of glass are clear float glass, usually with some spectrally selective low-e coating to minimize the heat loss in winter. Hide

Decorative glass is a special kind of uPVC door glass that has a specific pattern and / or colour. Decorative glass may be smooth (etched glass, painted glass) or it may have a rough surface (textured glass). Decorative glass may be used in double glazing and triple glazing uPVC doors; in both cases, only one ...Read more decorative glass pane is used. Below are some of the main decorative glass types described in more detail.
Textured glass has a rough surface with patterns. The patterns differ in terms of their size and transparency; you can choose the one that best suits your needs, whether it is a more transparent or a translucent pattern. Textured glass for uPVC doors does not obstruct the light coming into the room, but it adds privacy as the things behind the glass are less visible. Textured glass is often used in the interior of the house, e.g. when installing new uPVC doors, or for bathroom doors. It is important to note that patterned glass has texture on one side only. Therefore, when manufacturing glazing units for uPVC doors, the rugged side is usually placed facing the inside of the unit, so that the cleaning of the glass would be easier.
Etched glass is patterned, but with a smooth surface. There is a wide selection of etched glass designs ranging from transparent to opaque, all of them having a matt appearance. Etched glass adds privacy and style to your home. It is well suited for interior glazing (interior uPVC doors, partitions), as well as for exterior uPVC doors. Double glazing or triple glazing etched glass units come with only one etched glass pane.
Painted glass is smooth and with colour. Painted glass is often opaque; it hides the objects behind it. Another feature of painted glass is reduced light, since the colours absorb some of it. Painted glass units are made of two or three panes of glass, but only one of them is coloured; the others are clear. Painted glass units are used for privacy as well as for aesthetic purposes in uPVC doors. Hide

Safety glass has two main functions:
-    Protection against burglars,
-    Prevention of injuries in the case of shattered glass.
Safety glass is more resistant to mechanical impacts; it takes much more effort and special tools to break it. In some special cases, safety glass is bullet-proof. Additionally, safety glass is manufactured in a way that it would not pose danger if shattered. The shards either stay glued to the surface of the glass, ...Read more or the glass breaks in small blunt cubes. According to the building regulations in many countries, safety glass is required in all floor-to-ceiling uPVC windows, as well as in uPVC doors. There are three types of safety glass for uPVC door glazing: tempered glass, laminated glass, and fire-resistant glass.
Toughened glass is much stronger compared to the usual float glass; it takes five or six times more power to break it. Additionally, toughened glass does almost no harm if broken, because it shatters into small cube-shaped pieces. This is achieved by heating the glass and then immediately cooling its surface. This is called tempering; therefore, toughened glass is also referred to as tempered glass. When the tempering process is over, it is very difficult to cut the glass, so it is always cut into desired shapes before tempering.
Laminated glass is even more resistant to breakage than toughened glass; therefore it is often used for high-safety applications (in banks, public buildings, etc.). Laminated glass is produced by joining two or more panes of glass with thin transparent plastic (or other material) layers in between. Laminated glass does not shatter even when broken; the shards remain fixed to the plastic interlayer. Therefore the risk of injuries is significantly minimized. Laminated glass also adds to the security of the house: in case of a burglary, laminated glass prevents the opening of the uPVC door from the inside, since it takes much more effort to make a hole in the pane. Laminated glass has more advantages besides safety and security. One of the major advantages is noise control; laminated glass reduces the noise coming from the outside and makes it easier to work or rest. In addition, the interlayer that connects the sheets of laminated glass may be used to achieve other qualities, e.g. fire resistance, colouring or solar control.
Fire-resistant glass is primarily used in manufacturing industry, especially in buildings with higher risk of fire. It is also common in institutional buildings, where it is important to prevent the spread of fire in case of an accident. Fire-resistant glass usually has a wire mesh, which helps to hold the glass in place. Even if the glass is damaged by heat, the wire mesh prevents it from falling out. Fire-resistant uPVC door glazing has a high resistance to heat, which is usually defined by the time that the glass can sustain the heat (30 minutes, 90 minutes, etc.). Hide

Reflective glass is sometimes called mirrored glass because of the mirror-like effect it might create from the outside. Reflective glass is intended to reduce the heat that comes through uPVC doors glass in summer; this is achieved by applying a very thin metal coating on the surface of the glass. ...Read more This coating reflects much of the heat and the room is not overheated. In addition, the glare of the sun is minimized, so it becomes easier to work or watch TV. This is especially useful in rooms with uPVC patio doors, which have large glass openings. One of the drawbacks of reflective glass is a slightly reduced visible transmittance, or daylight, which is reflected together with the heat. Reflective glass may be used in double glazing or tripe glazing uPVC doors; there is usually one reflective pane of glass and one or two float panes of low-e glass which helps prevent the heat loss in winter. Reflective glass glazing units are often used for uPVC doors facing south, as well as in banks, business enterprises, shopping malls, etc. Due to the mirror-like effect, reflective glass units add privacy during the day and give style to the building. Hide

Acoustic glass is designed so that to minimize the noise coming from the outside. Acoustic glass units may be double glazed or triple glazed. Usually one or two panes of glass are laminated, thus creating a sound barrier to minimize the noise. Laminating means that two or more sheets of glass are put together ...Read more with a plastic interlayer in between, making the pane thicker. Acoustic glass uPVC door glazing units are usually made with wider spaces between the panes. Another measure to improve the sound insulation is using glass sheets of different thickness. Acoustic glass units are recommended for uPVC door glazing in busy areas, close to highways, train stations or airports for noise control. Hide

Passive house glass is designed to achieve the best thermal properties. Passive house glass units are composed of three sheets of glass; generally, the wider the triple glazed unit, the better thermal properties are achieved. Passive house glazing helps reduce the heat loss and save money on energy bills. ...Read more They are typically composed of one clear float pane and two low-e panes. Low-e or low-emissivity glass has a thin layer of metal oxide, which reflects heat back into the room. This is particularly important in winter, because this type of uPVC door glazing minimizes the loss of heat. Low-e glass is usually spectrally selective; it reflects a large proportion of solar heat, but lets light into the room. To achieve the best effect, low-e panes must be located in the interior side of the uPVC door glazing. It is important to note that thermal properties of a glass unit can be heavily influenced by the gas that fills the cavities between the sheets of glass. Inert gases such as Argon or Krypton help lower the U value. For the best result, consider warm edge spacer bars, as the edges of uPVC glazing are the most prone to heat leaks. Passive house glazing is recommended for exterior uPVC doors in temperate and cold climates, especially when demands for energy efficiency are high, e.g. when building a passive house. Hide

Self-cleaning glass was invented to make the cleaning of the glass easier. Self-cleaning door glass has a special coating which uses the sun and rain to clean the outer surface of the pane. When the sun shines on the pane, the coating starts to decompose the dirt into small particles. When it starts to rain, the ...Read more coating uses the water to wash away the dirt. This is particularly useful for large uPVC doors such as uPVC patio doors, uPVC sliding doors, or uPVC folding doors. Hide

uPVC door glazing comes in different shapes and sizes. Our clients may order both standard and non-standard uPVC door glazing units (triangle, trapezium or oval-shaped). Upon request, uPVC door glazing may be decorated by adding door grids such as Georgian bars, which create the impression of ...Read more a real divided uPVC door glass. If you have any questions or wish to order custom made glazing for uPVC doors, please contact our staff and we will gladly help you find the best option. When door glazing units are not rectangle, the price is calculated as for the rectangular shape which would fit your chosen door glass shape. Hide

Spacer bar is a long and narrow piece of metal or other material that separates sheets of glass in a double glazing or triple glazing unit. The purpose of the spacer bar is to hold the panes together in a uPVC door glazing unit, as well as to absorb any humidity that appears inside the unit, between the sheets ...Read more of glass. For this reason, spacer bars are made from a sturdy material, which is filled with desiccant so that to absorb the vapour. Until recently, spacer bars were made almost exclusively of aluminium. However, aluminium is a metal and therefore a very poor heat insulator. In cold months the temperature in the centre of such uPVC door glazing is very different from the temperature in the corners (it is colder near the spacer bars). This causes condensation on uPVC doors glass, as well as a drop in temperature in the room. In order to prevent this, alternative spacer bars have been designed. Warm edge spacer bars for uPVC door glazing units are usually made of structural foam, polymers or glass fibre. Warm edge spacer bars is a good way to improve the overall performance of your new uPVC doors. Hide