There’s no question that the use of glass in interior design can add a stunning visual element, but did you know that interior sliding glass doors can contribute to the energy efficiency of your home? In addition to allowing living spaces to be closed off when not in use to save on energy costs, glass doors can permit the flow of natural daylight and improve overall living quality of your home.
Glass doors can contribute to achieving U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings. Use of glass can add LEED points for reductions in lighting power density. Using glass, especially if it is made of recycled and recyclable materials, instead of drywall is a good, sustainable, and eco-friendly choice and will promote better indoor air quality by reducing the use of emitting materials such as adhesives and sealants. In new construction or renovations, smaller living spaces can be designed by reducing the access space that is required by traditional doors.
Especially beautiful are the newest sliding glass doors that do not require a frame, permitting installation over existing doorways with minimal modification. They can be surface mounted or make use of recessed tracking that can be installed in the ceiling or left exposed on the wall.
Additional options include designs that are self-closing, telescopic, and pocket doors. Those that can be installed from floor to ceiling into corners of rooms will further open up the living spaces. Many new doors do not require floor tracks and can be utilized in homes of those who require accessibility features.
Glass options include tempered glass which is resistant to temperature changes and impact. Direct-to-glass digital printing has allowed designers to include permanent embellishments that improve aesthetics. Laminated “safety” glass that is made of multiple panels that is adhered to a polyvinyl butiral (PVB) layer is advisable to prevent glass breakage from shattering and increase acoustic privacy.
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