Glass exterior doors are an alternative to the traditional wooden or metal exterior doors that most homes use. Due to the unique material qualities of glass, these types of exterior doors carry a distinctive set of advantages and disadvantages. Understanding what a glass exterior door has to offer your home can help you decide whether or not a glass door is the right fit for your home.

Advantages of Glass Exterior Doors

Aesthetic Appeal: The major draw of a glass door over its wooden and metal counterparts is the fact that it allows you to see outside your home. This provides much more aesthetic appeal than a simple panel of hard material, and also allows for a great deal of natural light to enter your home, which can brighten up otherwise dull foyers and lobbies. Further, glass doors can have special patterns or designs added onto them, allowing you a degree of customization that allows you to make your door truly your own.

Easy to Clean: Unlike wood, which can warp and split, or metal, which can be susceptible to rust, glass is extremely easy to clean and will not deteriorate over time. Glass is notoriously low maintenance, only requiring a simple wipe down with water or a general-purpose cleaner to leave it gleaming and looking brand new. This can cut down on your long-run maintenance costs and time commitments.

Disadvantages of Glass Exterior Doors

Insulation: One of the main drawbacks of glass exterior doors is the fact that they can allow a great deal of heat transfer between the interior and exterior of your home. While this can be somewhat offset through proper weatherstripping and the use of blinds and other window treatments, it should be noted that if you live in an area with extreme temperature one way or the other, glass doors may not be the right fit for you. Further, installing window treatments can block the view out of your glass door, which is one of the major reasons you would install a glass door in the first place.

Lack of Privacy: While glass doors can provide you with a great view of your surroundings, they can also act as a window into your home, which can be a drawback for those who value their privacy. This is especially relevant to those homeowners who live in a particularly crowded area with a lot of foot traffic.