Finding the perfect glass shop front door can be a painless and even fun process for any shop owner, provided that they know exactly what they want and what to look for.
Your glass shop front doors are one of the biggest opportunities to make an impression, since they are the focal point of a glass shop front and draw attention directly to the entrance of your shop.
Picking the right door can subconsciously attract new visitors, whereas picking the wrong door can force potential visitors to make a snap judgment on the entire location.
This guide is made to help you understand what the shop front glass door landscape looks like, and help you get a better idea of what would be a perfect door for your shop.
1. Are There Requirements Around Glass Doors for Shop Fronts?
One of the most common questions shop owners have is whether or not there are any requirements for glass shop front doors.
The simple answer is yes. The requirements largely circle around the necessity to protect the safety of yourself and your customers. Glass doors, after all, are still just huge pieces of glass.
When broken and if not up to safety standards, this glass could be extremely dangerous. This is why it’s suggested that you use Grade A safety glass, because safety glass reduces the risk of injury and provides more security for your shop.
2. What Kind of Structure Can My Shop Front Glass Door Be?
When it comes to your shop’s front door structure, you can either have them frameless or framed. Frameless doors are appealing to many shop owners because of their sleek, seamless appearance.
Installing frameless doors, however, does require some foresight. If you are planning on replacing all your shop front windows and doors, you can also get your front door as part of the package. This way you ensure that everything from the glass quality to the finish matches and creates an aesthetically pleasing shop front.
Merchants that don’t plan ahead are rolling the dice to find a perfect match. Since the door is frameless, it needs to perfectly blend in with your windows or risk looking out of place.
In order to avoid having a door that doesn’t match your windows, consult with a custom glass professional. Professional glaziers that deal with custom glass are not only extremely talented at installing anything glass, they are also experts at finding the perfect match using their robust experiences and database.
Framed glass shop front doors, on the other hand, provide a break in the continuity between the windows and doors. This tends to give shop front doors structure, but a lot less desirable aesthetics.
While the type of glass door must match its surroundings, the frame gives slight mismatches some flexibility. There are even some creative merchants that utilise frames to install doors that are completely incongruous to the windows and create a unique shop front.
3. Heavy Duty Doors
Shop owners also have heavy duty toughened doors as a common option. These heavy duty doors are mounted using patch fittings that are mounted like a hinge in the top and bottom corners of your doors.
These reinforcements are not only a phenomenal way to keep your investment in your door safe and add an extra element of protection to your store, but they can also win some style points.
Heavy duty doors can be a little more expensive, but you’re paying for peace of mind for the protection and security they offer. Many heavy duty doors also come with thicker toughened glass that is very hard to break.
4. Toughened Glass with a Top and Bottom Rail
Toughened glass with a top and bottom rail is another opportunity to better secure your shop and keep your door from being damaged, while also looking stylish. The top and bottom rails come in a variety of colours, but the most common colour that looks amazing with high quality glass is stainless steel.
5. Custom Glass Stacking, Sliding or Bi-Fold Door Options
Stacking, sliding or bi-fold doors aren’t as popular as other custom glass shop fronts, but are still a top selection for shop owners in certain niches. Shops that have frequent foot traffic and are indoors are more likely to opt for sliding or bi-fold doors because they create an open shop front in a way that traditional doors don’t.
6. Location
Shop owners can use the opportunity to pick a new glass shop front door to be creative and make a substantial change in how their shop front looks.
Keep in mind that the type of door you should get depends on where your shop is located.
Is your shop located outdoors? It might be worth investing in heavier duty doors since you’re running the risk of mother nature causing an expensive fix in the future.
Is your shop located indoors? Chances are if your shop is well-secured and indoors in areas such as a mall, you don’t necessarily need the highest security of doors on the market. If you are in a high traffic area, however, you can utilise a creative approach such as sliding glass doors for a more open ambience.
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve decided on your doors, be sure to take all the necessary safety precautions to ensure that they don’t break in the future. For example, keep any tall metal or heavy objects away from your doors.
It’s always worth considering custom glass door options, since shop specifications can vary greatly.
The first step when picking a perfect custom glass door selection is to consult with a professional glazier, who will help you mull around the smallest of details. Additionally, professional glaziers carry a wealth of experience of similar situations and can recommend the right type of glass to use.