Glass

The Essential Glass Door Solutions Guide

Jillian Sward

Apr 21, 2023 • 13 min read

As the industry leader in door security, ASSA ABLOY offers a complete line of commercial hardware solutions for all glass entrances and partitions including: patch fittings, door rails, sliding and folding systems, architectural pulls, and mechanical and electrical locking products.

Why Choose Glass Doors?

Glass is the ideal material for doors in many situations. Some benefits of glass include:

Allows in natural light, which boosts mood and productivity.
Reduces need for artificial lighting.
Can be treated to reduce glare, prevent heat absorption, and provide protection from UV light.
Increases property value.
Maintains a clean, modern aesthetic.
Easy to clean.
Highly customizable.
Glass doesn’t rust or corrode.
Glass can easily be recycled.

History of Glass Sliding Doors

The sliding glass doors we know today originated during the pre-war era during the start of the 20th century, and were developed heavily until the start of World War II. Some historians speculate that these doors were designed after a Japanese door called Shoji, a sliding door that hangs from a wooden frame and is covered with tough translucent paper.

Over time, glass replaced less stable materials to ensure durability. After the World War II era, new builders and manufacturers wanted to create a seamless space between landscape and home, which led to an influx of sliding glass doors in homes and commercial buildings.

Residential vs. Commercial Glass Hardware

Although you cannot see any visible difference between residential and commercial glass, there are many subtle factors that differentiate them from each other.

Residential glass is much lighter and easier to install than commercial glass, and is also easier to replace. This type of glass is thinner and requires less glazing on windows and doors. There is more focus on overall aesthetics in residential spaces, and residential glass sometimes has patterns, textures, and even tints, while commercial glass usually seeks to let in as much light as possible.

Common Types of Residential Glass

Obscured Glass: Any type of glass which allows light to come in, but can’t be clearly seen through (i.e. tinted or acid etched). These types of glass are designed to increase privacy in a residential space.
Annealed Glass: Cooled in a slow and controlled process to reduce stress and increase strength, annealed glass is float glass that has not been heat-treated. If it breaks, it can break into dangerous, sharp pieces.
Tempered Glass: Float glass which has been heat-treated to create a glass that is 4 times stronger than annealed glass. If tempered glass breaks, it breaks into tiny, dull pieces, making it a type of safety glass.

Commercial glass is heavier, stronger, and typically at least ¼” thicker than residential glass. Commercial glass is larger and more durable than residential glass, and requires more material and multiple glass panes.

Commercial spaces require a different glazing technique due to their size and scale, which makes the installation process more complicated. It also costs more to install because specialized equipment is often required to set commercial glass. Commercial glass is designed for higher thermal performance, and to allow more light into the interior spaces.

Common Types of Commercial Glass

Plexiglass: Shatter-resistant glass widely used in the construction of skylights, aquariums, building windows, displays, and security barriers.
Laminated Glass: Made up of two or more glass panels with a plastic film between them, which offers more protection against extreme weather and vandalism.
Insulated Glass: Glass panes are separated by a vacuum space, which is filled with an inert gas to ensure high energy efficiency.
Tempered Glass: Float glass which has been heat-treated to create a glass that is 4 times stronger than annealed glass. If tempered glass breaks, it breaks into tiny, dull pieces, making it a type of safety glass.

Sustainability of Glass Door Hardware

ASSA ABLOY’S core values include vision, realism, courage, and ethics, and we strive to keep sustainability at the forefront of our business model. Glass doors allow for daylighting, which is the process of bringing natural light and direct sunlight into a building through the interior glass.

Daylighting reduces the need for artificial lighting, reducing the cost of energy consumption. Increasing the natural light in a workspace can also have a positive impact on the workers’ mood and productivity.

Glass is also one of the most durable door solutions, as it never has to be painted or touched up. Glass helps create a modern atmosphere that never goes out of style, which means you won’t need to replace it when interior decorating styles change.

How to Determine Glass Thickness and Door Size

Choosing the correct glass thickness for your door is important, because if the glass is too thin, small fluctuations of interior air pressure can cause the glass to tremble or shimmer. As the unsupported span or height of the glass panels increases, the glass thickness must also increase to maintain a reasonable stiffness. ASSA ABLOY Glass Solutions part numbers include a letter which identifies glass thickness or range of thickness compatible with that item. For example, part numbers containing "AC" can be used on glass thicknesses ranging from 3/8" to
9 /16".

Fixed Glazing Door Size Chart
Minimum Thickness Guidelines for Fully Tempered Glass used in two-sided simply supported interior panels and mounted or restrained at top and bottom only.

Door Handing / Swing

The handing of a door refers to the direction that the door swings. To determine the handing of your door, you will need to determine if the door opens by pushing away from you or pulling towards you, and which side the hinges/pivots are on as you are viewing the door.

If the hinges/pivots are on your Left side, and the door is pushing away from you, it is a Left Hand (LH) #6 Swing.
If the hinges/pivots are on your Right side, and the door is pushing away from you it is a Right Hand (RH) #5 Swing.
If the hinges/pivots are on your Left side and the door is pulling towards you, it is a Left Hand Reverse (LHR) #4 Swing.
If the hinges/pivots are on your Right side and the door is pulling towards you, it is a Right hand Reverse (RHR) #3 Swing.

Glass Door Styles

There are five basic configurations of glass doors as established by the Glass Association of North America (GANA). For the available variations of each style, refer to the Glass Door Configuration sheets.

Full door rail top and bottom
Full door rail bottom and patch fitting top
Patch fitting top and bottom
Patch fitting top and bottom with patch lock
Hinges

Glass Door Hardware

ASSA ABLOY provides an extensive line of glass door hardware products that can help you customize any style of glass doors.

Door Rails

Depending on your needs, glass doors can have a top and bottom rail, or bottom rail only. Rails can be made to fit a variety of door widths and door thicknesses.

Features of Glass Door Rails:

Dry glazed pre-assembled mechanical rails
One-piece compression system for easy, fast installation
Tested in a variety of simulated and real-life scenarios to ensure holding power
Matching sidelite rails offered
Precision Custom fabrication for compatible hardware
Locking option available on all styles
Lock body installed; cylinder, thumbturn, and dust proof strike ordered separately
Adjustable blocking for standard hardware provides left to right field alignment
2 ¾” tapered, 4” tapered, and 10” square door rails meet ADA requirements

How to Install Glass Door Rails

Place glass flat on a table.
Slide rail onto the edge of the glass.
Tighten hex head bolts in the bottom of the rail.
Install hardware components onto the adjustable block.
Adjust the door hardware components to the appropriate pivot centerline.

View the full instructions.

Vertical Stiles

The dry glaze pre‑assembled design of ASSA ABLOY’S vertical stiles provides weatherization by sealing gaps on the vertical sides, diminishing unwanted airflow. These vertical stiles attach to the top and bottom door rails of sizes 2-3/4", 4", 6" and 10".

Features of Vertical Stiles

Provides weatherization
Diminishes unwanted air flow
Dry glaze design for easy and fast installation
Cladding pre-installed at factory

Sidelite Rails

Glass Sidelite Rails maintain a seamless, consistent appearance when used with matching glass door rails. Available in stock or cut size, the dry-glaze installation is fast and efficient.

Features of Sidelite Rails

Provides aesthetic continuity when used with coordinating door rails
Standard roll-in, dry-glaze, black vinyl
Pre-fit gasketing available when requested (black only)
Variety of reversible saddles offered for fluctuating clearances and out-of-tolerance openings

Sidelite Glazing Material Options

Sidelites are glazed into channels, rails or header pockets. Determining the best sidelite material depends on your desired aesthetic and the amount of money you are willing to spend. Some people choose to use rails if the door has rails so there is a continuous sight line of metal, while others use u-channels when they want less metal showing. U-channels with rail doors are also a more affordable option.

U-Channels

U-channels secure glass into position and create a continuous, minimal profile that allows the maximum amount of natural light to enter the space. U-channels are designed to preserve the clean, modern appearance of glass walls and sidelites.

Features of U-Channels

Easy and efficient to install
Lengths: 12' stock or custom, except anodize max is 90"
Standard roll-in, dry glaze, black vinyl (pre-fit, black gasket optional)

Wet/dry glaze channel

Wedge gasket available
Can be used with silicone
End caps sold separately

Glass Headers

Glass headers conceal hardware for glass door systems. They house a range of products such as closers, strikes, mag locks, and pivots. The ASSA ABLOY Glass Solutions program offers a collection of solid, floating, and two-piece header systems for glass doors and sidelites.
Headers come in a variety of sizes, including 1-3/4" x 4” up to 2” x 6”.

Features of Glass Headers:

Two-piece snap-fit headers for standard hardware applications.

No exposed fasteners provide easy access while maintaining clean aesthetics
Solid tube headers fabricated for complex hardware applications
Floating headers available
All hardware mounting brackets and clips come pre-installed
All headers prepped by machining centers
Vinyl gasketing for all sidelite applications
No additional charge for non-standard lengths

Patch Fittings

With a maximum door weight of 300 lbs, the ASSA ABLOY patch fitting design is manufactured to meet the industry standard and deliver the ultimate in strength and reliability.

Features of Patch Fittings

Manufactured for industry standard dimensions

Standard glass prep
- 2 ¾” pivot centerline
Snap-on cover

Bottom patch lock available

5-Pin cylinder, 1" length
Used with monolithic or laminated glass
Synthetic gasketing provides ultimate durability

Door Controls

Door control solutions offer precision control, making interaction with the door almost effortless. Our product design is proven to be easy to install and maintain, with a long-life of reliability. ASSA ABLOY glass door and other door closers / operators are tested for compliance with the latest code requirements.

Types of Door Controls:

304 Heavy-Duty Overhead Concealed Door Closer: A heavy-duty cast iron closer for heavy glass, with a strong spring. 300 lb weight limit, spring 4 only. Not ADA compliant.
609 Medium-Duty Overhead Concealed Glass Door Closer: A durable cast iron closer which offers reliable control of interior and exterior doors, while maintaining a minimal appearance. 200 lb weight limit, adjustable 1-3 spring sizes. ADA compliant.
6280 Floor Closer: Ideal for larger, heavier doors where reliability and durability are required, this closer offers a minimal appearance that can fit a variety of openings. 660 lb weight limit, adjustable hold open. Not ADA compliant.
6275 Floor Closer: Ideal for smaller doors, this closer can fit the need of any light opening, while maintaining durability and a minimal aesthetic. 330 lb weight limit, hold open optional. ADA compliant.
28 Single-Acting Center Hung Floor Closer: Due to its heavy construction, this closer can offer additional support to better handle heavier and/or high traffic doors. 350 lb weight limit, hold open optional. PH28 is ADA compliant.

Pivots

Pivot sets provide the best possible means of hanging a door. Pivots are needed to compliment opposing doors. Doors using overhead closers will need a floor pivot, while doors using floor closers will need a top pivot. Most top pivots will require a header in which to mortise them. And bottom pivots are provided with a floor plate to anchor them to the floor. ASSA ABLOY provides a variety of pivots which are designed to work with the laws of physics to provide long-lasting performance and reliability.

What Type of Pivot is Needed for Glass Doors?

The type of pivot needed for your glass door is determined by the hardware being used, such as patches or rails. There are options based on weight for end load floor pivots, which are the best option for doors with bottom rails. The PV-FM-300END Endload Pivot is the industry's first and only 300 lb end load bottom pivot, which exceeds other end load pivots which only carry a 200 lb weight limit.

Walking beam top pivots are available in heavy duty versions for doors weighing over 350lbs, as well as extended pin versions for doors over 108” tall. Surface mounted top pivots are also available for patches when no header is desired.

Top and bottom required door clearances will vary depending upon the type of pivot being used.

Hydraulic Door Controls

ASSA ABLOY door control solutions offer precision control, making interaction with the door almost effortless.

Features of Hydraulic Patch Fittings:

Hold open at 90 or 105 degrees or non hold open
Max opening of 170 degrees
Adjustable closing and latching speeds

Pivot Centerline: 2-5/8"

With a 1/8" standard gap, resulting in a 2-3/4" pivot centerline in the opening

Features of Hydraulic Hinges:

Sold in sets. Supplied with DS-3000 or DS-6000 Stop.
Mounting options: Glass to Glass or Glass to Wall
Handed (RH or LH)
Hold-open between 90 and 180 degrees
Adjustable closing speed and constant braking control
ADA option available (HYD-HINGE-ADA)

Panic Devices

The ASSA ABLOY glass panic devices have an engraved push area and boundary grooves make exit doors stand out in a crowd, combining elegance with safety.

Features of Panic Devices:

Top latching panic device with easy align security latch
Engraved latch lines ensure proper engagement with strike
Post mount design matches Rockwood architectural pulls
Keyed and non-keyed options
Six standard exterior pull options
Dogging feature
Engraved push area and boundary grooves allow for enhanced visibility and tactility
Less than 5 lbs. of force to activate device
Three-year limited warranty

Sliding Door Hardware

ASSA ABLOY’s sliding door hardware allows you to transform a simple doorway into a stylish focal point, while recovering the in-swing and out-swing space required for hinged doors.

Features of Stainless Steel Sliding Track Hardware:

Our STS stainless steel sliding track hardware offers multiple weight options, compatibility with Rockwood Door Pulls, and custom track lengths to fit most applications.

Features include:

Nylon-coated wheels provide smooth, quiet operation
Hangers contain anti-rise pin preventing door lifting from track
For glass doors up to 240 lbs
Two styles of door hangers that suite with Rockwood door pulls
Glass transom application available

Box Track Sliding System

You can also enhance the layout of your interior space with the SGS box track sliding system. Sliding effortlessly across the door opening, this wall- or ceiling mounted kit has an optional soft close device that gently closes the door, extending the life of the hardware and keeping noise to a minimum.

Features of a Box Track Sliding System:

Glass provides a sleek and elegant aesthetic as well as sound concealment
For interior commercial applications
Ideal for office spaces
Versatile top hung mounting system
System allows door to slide effortlessly
Concealed roller hanger
Optional soft close allows door to ease into opening and closed positions
Easily applied glass clamps require no glass fabrication

Door Pulls

ASSA ABLOY offers a wide variety of Rockwood decorative door pulls, which combine functionality and aesthetics.

Features of Rockwood Door Pulls:

Solid stainless steel pulls
Made with high quality, choice materials, including leather and Santoprene™
Heavy-duty mounting features hex drive for positive tightening and oversized fasteners for superior strength
Custom leather colors available on special order
Suites with door hardware from other ASSA ABLOY Group brands
Full line of Rockwood door pulls available

Glass Door Mechanical Locking Hardware

ASSA ABLOY offers a variety of locks and deadbolts to secure door openings. The Locking Pull System integrates a contemporary post mount style door pull with a deadbolt locking system. Engineered for smooth attachment, the locking pull is manufactured to ensure strength and durability with clean and appealing lines.

Features of Rockwood Locking Glass Door Pulls:

Key operated from outside; turn piece on inside
Multiple locking options: up, down or both
Bolt location: 2" from face of door to centerline of bolt
Bolt has 13/16" travel with fine adjustment
Horizontal push/pull bar option
Dummy versions available
Designed to suite with Rockwood architectural door pulls and accessories

Electrified Hardware

There are a variety of electrical locking options available. Here is a table that can help you determine which electrical locking device is best for your application.

SECURITRON Digital Reader

SECURITRON Concealed Magnetic Locks

SECURITRON M32 Magnalock

SECURITRON M380E/M680E Magnalock

ALARM CONTROLS Magnetic Locks

Choosing Your Glass Door Hardware

There are many benefits to glass doors, and there are many different types of hardware that can make your door work to fit your exact needs.

When choosing which hardware to include on your glass door, first consider your door’s size and weight, and whether there are any special requirements for your door.

Contact an ASSA ABLOY consultant to help you determine which hardware will best suit your glass door.