You may love the look of expansive glass doors that let natural daylight flow inside. Glass opens a home to garden and sky views, allowing you to connect to nature. However, with these wonderful benefits comes the pain of an energy-inefficient house that can boil in the summer and freeze in the winter unless you crank up the cooling and heating.

To get the good aspects of glass and minimise the bad, consider double-glazed doors. These units have a frame into which two glass panes are inserted, with a gap in the middle. This structure makes it harder for heat to transfer through, making the opening more energy efficient. Here are several considerations to bear in mind.

Helps in All Seasons

You may consider double glazing the most important thing for doors that receive direct sunlight. This is somewhat true, as it's important to install efficient glazing where it's most needed to keep out the summer heat. However, double glazing prevents heat from escaping your home in winter too. Thus, rooms that face south and don't receive winter sunlight can grow cold, and double glazing will help prevent warmth from moving outside through the glass.

Frames Are Important Too

The frames are important too when it comes to the energy efficiency of doors. Some materials, such as timber, do a relatively good job of not letting heat pass through the frame. However, other materials, like aluminium, are good heat conductors, and they can get hot. In summer, the outside of an aluminium frame absorbs solar heat, and this heat transfers to the frame inside, where it radiates into the room. To counteract this effect, manufacturers have built efficient aluminium doors with a thermal break. These designs have an alternate material inside to block heat transfer.

Low-E Glass

You can make your double-glazed doors more efficient still by inserting Low-E glazing into the frame. This glass has a coating that repels radiant heat from the sun and an inside heater, for example. Your installer can advise you on how best to incorporate this glazing, which depends on whether you are most concerned with blocking solar heat from getting in or stopping winter warmth from getting out. You may decide to pay extra for Low-E glass on selected doors to balance energy efficiency with installation costs. However, remember that efficient doors will cost you less in ongoing energy costs over the long run. 

Contact a double-glazed door provider for more information.