Fitting doors into glazing

The ever-popular trend for architectural glazing and large glazed entrances has catapulted frontages into another league. Find out what is possible when it comes to fitting our doors into glazing by others.

FAQs about fitting our doors into glazing

Urban Front doors are heavy so you must ensure the door is properly supported

We recommend a door closer to reduce shuddering when the door is shut

Urban Front doors can be fitted into any architectural glazing or glass walling

Doors can be fitted with existing sidelites

But our doors will always need to be fitted with their supplied frames

And we can't change the dimensions of the frame to fit the glazing, the frame has to be the right size to support the door

The monochrome design makes a statement within impressive glazing

Fumed oak combined with black cladding and brick makes a style statement

White walls and flooring contrast with the beautiful dark fumed oak door

The character of the Barn door shines from within the grey frame and glazing

Oiled oak and the perfect circular of the Luna handle framed by the glazing

Bright green, warm wood and glass creates a gorgeous entrance

The wood and glass panels make the perfect frame for this colourful door

Glazing and warm oak used beautifully to create a light and inviting space

Glazing, texture and materials combine with great effect

Is it possible to fit an Urban Front door into any glazing?

Absolutely, our doors can fit into any glazing, including frameless and framed glass. However, our frame detail may not match that of your glazing so this will need to be discussed to ensure correct fitting and finishing.

Do you manufacture architectural glazing units and triangular storeylites?

Yes we do – depending on size. The framing for the glass would be made from natural hardwood. You will find that hardwood is more expensive than aluminium (which is commonly used), so depending on your build you may find it more cost effective to use our door fitted into your aluminium glazing.

Can the doors be fitted into existing sidelites (glass panels) or do i need to buy these from you?

Yes, you can fit your door into sidelites sourced from elsewhere; you don’t need to purchase them from us. However, if the sidelites have a depth of less than 100mm, then they may not be strong enough to support the door and frame. In this case, you may need to provide extra support for the door with a steel frame on either side. We recommend that the door is supported on all four sides where possible.

Is it possible to fit your door leaf into another frame?

Unfortunately not. Our doors are bespoke and will always need to be fitted inside their frame. However, our frame can fit into your glazing with ease.

Can you make your frame smaller to match my glazing frames dimensions?

No, we are only able to provide our frame in sizes that best support our door. We are able to provide our frame painted to match your RAL colour and this usually helps hide any difference.

Is there anything I need to be aware of to ensure the door fits properly?

Our doors are very heavy, so you must ensure the door is supported properly, especially if it isn't fitted into solid walls, an RSJ, or is not supported on at least one of its four sides. Keep reading below to learn more.

Useful information to help you fit our doors into glass

Urban Front doors weigh a considerable amount (from 120 kg to 350 kg, depending on the size of the door leaf). Therefore, it's essential to understand the following considerations for fitting and supporting the door correctly before purchase.

1. Glazing specifications

Please check with your glazing company if the window specification is sturdy enough to hold our door. Some aluminium window specs are strong enough; however, it may still be advisable to ensure there is an RSJ (steel beam) or other support above the door if it is going into a full architectural curtain wall. We usually recommend that if the glazing depth is less than 100mm, it typically means the door requires additional support in a steel frame or similar.

In some cases, depending on the size of the glazing and door, you may need to ask your structural engineer for their expertise on the adequacy of the support.

2. Frameless or slimline aluminium glazing

Frameless or slimline aluminium windows will not be able to support an Urban Front door. We recommend that our door has support on all four sides, not just at the top and bottom.

Your builder would need to arrange for a steel frame to surround the door area. This doesn’t need to be more than 60mm x 40mm in size with a thin profile. We can then also provide a rebate in our frame to hide the joint or hide any discrepancy in size.

3. Soft door close recommendations

If the door is going into any glass, whether it’s surrounding the door on all three sides or only on one side, you may need a door closer to reduce shuddering in the glass every time the door is shut. Anything over 500mm of glass on either side of the door fits into this category.

If the door has a pivot opening, we recommend a “sprung pivot” closer, which allows the door to stand open and gradually, gently closes the door when pushed (this has an adjustable element to speed up or slow down the automatic closing). The copper bronze door in the accompanying image features a sprung pivot and shows the door open at one of the holding points.

If the door is hinged, we recommend a “concealed overhead" closer, which performs the same soft-close function as the sprung pivot (but does not have the stand-open option). As the name suggests, the concealed closer is invisible when the door is closed.

We hope you've found the above useful. If you have any questions or need more information about fitting Urban Front doors into architectural glazing, please contact our office on 01494 778787 or email info@urbanfront.co.uk and we'll be very happy to give you bespoke advice.

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