I’m building a full height (8′) bathroom cabinet that will have double doors with glass panels in the upper section. Although the final dimensions aren’t set yet, I’ll be making standard rail and stile door frames that will hold the glass panels. The customer has chosen an obscured glass that is 1/8″ thick and that has me a little nervous.
The doors will be ~18″ wide x ~50″ tall which will mean that the glass will be ~14″ x ~45″. I’m concerned about that much glass wanting to flex or break if a door is closed too hard. I could get thicker glass (3/16″ or 1/4″) or get tempered glass.
Another option would be to add rails to the doors and use two panels in each.
I’d like to hear from anyone who has worked with this size glass and find out how you addressed this concern – if it even is a concern.
Replies
You're right, 1/8" is too thin for a glass door that size. Going to 3/16" should be enough. The question of tempered or not should be up to the client - but it's your obligation to make him aware of the issue.
David Ring
http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e
You know, I just can't imagine anyone slamming a door so hard that it would break that piece of 1/8" glass. 14x45 inches really isn't all that big. I'd talk to a good glass supplier in your town for their opinion.
1/8 is thicker than I use. Though I'm kinda new to glass doors, it seems to me that at some point, glass is glass, and in the back of my mind I plan on replacing the glass in 1% of the doors I've built. Who would slam a cabinet door like that anyway? Put in padded bumpers or stops to your satisfaction and just let them go.
Brian
I have a howard miller curio case in my living room that has a glass door with glass that thick and no problems. Mine has a lock with a snap clasp that makes the door flex as I open it and it makes me nurvous, but its been fine and its a wide (25"). You could beef the frame thickness up a bit to give strength. Magnetic catches would help keep the stress down. Good luck.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Hi
I have built several gun cabinets with glass in a style and rail frame, the demensions of the doors are approx. 45''x14'' I used temperd glass with no problems. that glass is prettey tough
Have a nice day Lee
I'd post this Q over in Breaktime. FWIW, you may be required by code to have tempered, or safety, glass in these doors if the glass is close enough to the floor & big enough. I don't recall the specifics of the code regarding glass, but I'm sure the folks over there will know.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Dave, I would try to imagine storm doors, or like doors with large pieces of glass that are slammed all day long. They are very stable. I wonder what thickness they use for THEM?
Mostly as a CYA move, I've decided to go with either 1/8" tempered glass, 1/8" "double strength" glass, or with 3/16". I'll be making the door frames later this week and will work with the glass shop to make the final decision.
Someone mentioned storm doors and made a good point about them getting slammed all the time, but I don't think that I've ever seen a storm door that didn't have tempered glass in it.
This cabinet will probably see fairly frequent use and the customer is planning on starting a family. Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but I would rather overdo it. - lol
Tempered glass in a full bath should be a given, despite code or customer preference. Plenty of obscure choices that can be tempered.
At 50" tall, it would also be basic to thicken the door to 1-1/8 or 1-3/8 to prevent flexing. The addition of a mid rail would help, tho not be necessary.
The idea of 'slamming the door' is not ours to fathom. Slip and fall would be the most likely thing to happen in a bath. Life happens.
Dave S
http://www.acornwoodworks.com
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