Choosing glass for your entry door

Choose Clear glass for the most light and outlook, or a textured or obscure glass such as Cathedral, Translucent, Frost or Narrow Lines where privacy matters. What you can choose depends on the door range, and in bushfire zones on the BAL rules: the manufacturer's BAL19, BAL29 and BAL40 doors take only 6mm toughened Clear, Grey Tint or Frost glass.

What glass options are there for entry doors?

Glass	What it gives you	Entrance ranges offering it
Clear	The most light and a clear view	Nearly every glazed range, including bushfire doors (6mm toughened)
Cathedral	Textured glass that the manufacturer describes as letting light in while maintaining privacy	Savoy, Joinery, Haven, Regency, Linear, Carringbush, Newington, Nexus, Vaucluse Premier, Glass Opening
Translucent	As the name suggests, light without a clear view	Most glazed ranges, including Illusion
Frost	As the name suggests, an obscured finish	Illusion XIL1 and XIL6, bushfire doors, Elite Aluminium
Narrow Lines	The manufacturer describes a balance of privacy and natural light, with soft diffused lighting	Joinery, Haven (not HAV99), Regency, Vaucluse Premier
Grey Tint	A grey tinted glass	Most glazed ranges, Illusion and bushfire doors
Low E	No performance figures published by the manufacturer	Savoy 820 and 1200, Joinery, Regency, Newington (not XN6 or XN12), Nexus, Vaucluse Premier, Glass Opening
Rice Paper	Ask to see a sample	Savoy, Joinery, Newington (not XN6 or XN12), Nexus, Vaucluse Premier, Glass Opening
Triple Glaze Leadlight	Leadlight designs such as Classique and Bevel Flower	Regency, Carringbush XCB1 and XCB2, Vaucluse Premier XVP12 and XVP13

The Joinery entrance range also offers Clear Laminate, and Double Glaze Clear or Frost on the JST1 door (2040 x 820 x 40mm only).

How do I balance privacy and light?

Start with what the door faces. If it looks onto the street or a neighbour, a textured or obscure glass keeps the daylight without putting your hallway on display. The manufacturer's own example is the Nexus NEX40, whose four vertical panels of textured Cathedral glass let natural light flow in while maintaining privacy. Narrow Lines is the manufacturer's other privacy-friendly choice, giving soft, diffused light.

Clear glass gives the most light and lets you see who is at the door, but it works both ways. Another option is to keep the door itself private and add light beside it: the manufacturer's Weatherguard frames can include glass sidelites, with 5mm toughened clear glass standard and translucent glass as an option.

The manufacturer notes that printed glass colours are only as accurate as the printing process allows and that glass images are not to scale, so ask to see a sample before you commit.

What about Low E glass?

Low E is available on selected entrance ranges only. It is not offered on internal doors, and not on bushfire doors rated BAL19 or above. The manufacturer's published documents list Low E as an option but do not give thermal performance figures for it, so if your builder or energy assessor needs numbers, ask us before ordering. The frame also plays a part in comfort: Weatherguard frames have a full perimeter seal that the manufacturer describes as improving energy efficiency and reducing noise.

Is the glass in an entry door safety glass?

The manufacturer states that its factory glazed doors comply with the glazing standard AS1288, and its standard entry frames are glazed to AS1288-2021. Where the manufacturer specifies the glass type, it is:

• Joinery JST1 with Clear glass: supplied with safety decals on the glass.
• Weatherguard and Standard frame sidelites: 5mm toughened clear as standard.
• Elite Aluminium doors: 6.38mm Clear or Translucent Laminate, or 6mm Clear or Frost toughened.
• BAL19, BAL29 and BAL40 doors: 6mm toughened glass. BAL40 doors add a double-sided fire-resistant hardwood glazing bead.

For other options the catalogue does not state whether the glass is toughened or laminated, so ask us if you need it confirmed for your certifier.

What glass can I use in a bushfire zone?

At BAL12.5 the whole entrance range qualifies, subject to conditions. For glass, the condition is that Illusion doors are only BAL12.5 with laminated glass (Clear, Grey or Translucent Laminate). At BAL19, BAL29 and BAL40 the door must have 6mm toughened glass, and at BAL19 and BAL29 any glass that opens or sits within 400mm of the ground needs a BAL approved screen. Read bushfire (BAL) rated entrance doors explained for the full rules.