What is a fanlight door and why should you consider buying one?

What is a fanlight door and why should you consider buying one?

Among the ideas for modern home entry doors, one of the most interesting are versions with so-called overlights. In modern architecture, they are encountered more and more often, mainly due to the combination of remarkable beauty and practicality, and are perfectly compatible with building designs in which large glazed areas dominate. What are the advantages of doors with fanlight and can they be used in any arrangement? In our short guide, we list the benefits of installing them and explain what the energy efficiency of a fanlight door is.

Definition and design of doors with fanlight

Glazed door leaves let some daylight into the entrance hall, but as a rule, it is still necessary to illuminate it, regardless of the time of day. However, if there is a technical possibility to develop the recess for the front door differently from the standard design, it is worth considering. It is important to do this before the plan is approved and construction work begins, as a larger doorway is required for their installation and this needs to be determined at the initial construction stage. As for the structural issues that characterize front doors with fanlights, the definition is briefly that they are traditional sashes surrounded by a larger glazed area. Fanlights, which are decorative windows embedded in frames, are placed outside the door leaf, which is different from doors with glazing. Their layout is important, as several different combinations are possible, as well as the use of movable, opening or fixed exposure windows.

Different types of doors with fanlight and their applications

The most common variants are those that include doors with an overhead fanlight or entrance doors with a side fanlight, single or double, symmetrically on both sides. Arrangements using, for example, one side light plus an overhead light are also encountered, creating an interesting visual effect. A total of one to three such fanlights can be used, and door manufacturers offer several different options in their catalogs for arranging them in relation to each other, as well as different sizes of the fanlights themselves. Regardless of the chosen layout, each fanlight door consists of a frame and a glass infill, in a variety of design options. According to the customer’s wishes, they can be mounted on one side of the sash or both, as well as at the top and on the side, i.e. any combination is possible, limited by the size of the entrance opening. The side fanlight has the same height as the front door and, similarly, the top fanlight has the same width.

Benefits of having a door with fanlight

The effect obtained when the whole thing is installed makes the front door appear taller and more spacious, while the interior of the vestibule appears brighter and more cozy. These optical changes, provided by a front door with an overhead or side fanlight, are among the primary benefits of choosing such a solution. As a rule, it is used for exterior doors located in less sunny places, for example, facing north. This treatment allows maximum use of natural daylight to make entrance corridors more functional. From an aesthetic point of view, the most important element is the glazing, or rather the glazing package, which provides the best possible thermal and acoustic insulation. A popular solution is burglar-proof glass, which increases security and provides a barrier to a burglar that is difficult to break or push out.

How do doors with fanlight improve the energy efficiency of a home?

Getting ready to leave the house, looking for footwear or outerwear, and looking with a smile in the mirror – all these daily activities can be done in the company of a natural glow, instead of turning on artificial lighting every time. This directly contributes to electricity savings, since having a supply of light from the outside removes the need to use incandescent bulbs during the day. A frequently raised issue is the tightness and insulation performance of doors with fanlights. However, since manufacturers of window joinery have dealt with the issue and created windows with packages of three panes of glass, the same is true of modern glazing used in the production of fanlights. The best door manufacturers go to great lengths to offer customers the right glazing package, so that the entire structure has very good thermal insulation. Valuable heat will not escape from the household in winter, and in summer the heating effect of the room will be significantly reduced.

Aesthetic advantages of doors with fanlight – how do they affect the appearance of interiors?

Undoubtedly, the overhead and side lights in the entrance door are functional and at the same time are characterized by exceptional aesthetics. As a rule, the door leaf and fanlight frames are made of the same material and have identical texture and color. The resulting coherence makes the whole look harmonious and pleases the eyes of the owners and delights the guests. The presence of fanlights in itself creates an attractive appearance, both from the outside and from the inside, and glazing that can have different patterns and ornaments adds a unique character to buildings. Deciding finally to install a door with a fanlight, the benefits of such a choice will be multiform, which will certainly be appreciated over the years of use. Mentioning the advantages, we can still consider whether doors with fanlights have any disadvantages? Certainly, you need to be prepared that their price will be higher than a standard sash, as well as with the limitations of installation in old buildings. If enlarging an existing doorway presents technical difficulties or requires major interference with the building, a fanlight should rather be abandoned. In any other case, they are an excellent idea, especially when there are no windows planned in the corridor or hallway, which will give the gloomy interior a serene atmosphere.