Frameless glass doors are doors made almost entirely of glass: a single pane of toughened safety glass hung on small hinges, pivots or a top track, with no frame around it. They make an entrance or an office look open, light and modern. Coetz™ designs frameless glass doors for offices, shops, receptions, boardrooms, restaurants, clinics and other commercial buildings, and MC Automations, our parent company, measures and installs them across South Africa.
Every frameless door is made for its opening, so each one is quoted per project after a site measure. This page explains the types, the glass and hardware, where they work best, and how to get a quote.
In this guide
Types of frameless glass doors
Frameless hinged doors
A hinged frameless door swings on two or three glass-to-glass or glass-to-wall hinges, like an ordinary door. It is the most common type, used for office entrances, meeting rooms and shop doors. A floor spring or a hinge with a built-in return can bring the door back to the closed position.
Frameless pivot doors
A pivot door turns on a pivot set into the floor and another at the top, a little in from the edge. Because the weight sits on the floor pivot, a pivot door can be wider and taller than a hinged one and still open with a light push. Hotels, corporate receptions and flagship stores use them as a statement entrance. For a framed alternative, our aluminium pivot doors start at R10 494 excluding VAT.
Frameless sliding doors
A manual frameless sliding door hangs from a top track and slides across the wall beside the opening. It saves floor space, which suits meeting rooms, small offices and corridors where a swinging door would get in the way.
Automatic frameless doors
For busy entrances, frameless glass leaves can be driven by an automatic operator. MC Automations fits operators to frameless glass: the MC-125 automatic sliding door system, R27 590 excluding VAT with sensors, remotes, battery backup and an electric lock, drives frameless sliding leaves, and the MCW-100 automatic swing door operator, from R15 900 excluding VAT, automates a hinged glass door. See framed vs frameless sliding doors.
Glass for frameless glass doors
These doors are always made from toughened safety glass. Toughened glass is heat-treated, so it is several times stronger than ordinary glass of the same thickness, and if it does break it crumbles into small blunt pieces instead of sharp shards. The thickness is chosen for the size of the door and how it is hung. Because the glass is toughened after it is cut, the holes for hinges, pivots and handles are drilled first, which is why the site measure is final. Where safety glass is required is set out in SANS 10400-N, published by the SABS.
- Clear glass for the most open look.
- Frosted or obscure glass for meeting rooms and consulting rooms.
- Manifestation, the frosted dots, bands or logo at eye level, so nobody walks into a large clear door.
Hardware and finishes
With so little else on show, the hardware is what people notice. Hinges, pivots, patch fittings, locks and pull handles come in satin stainless steel, polished chrome or black, and should match the rest of the interior. Long vertical pull handles are easy to grab and show clearly that the glass is a door. Frameless doors can take floor locks or patch locks, and can be linked to access control on an automatic operator.
Where frameless glass doors work best
- Office entrances and receptions: a clean, confident first impression; see office entrance doors.
- Boardrooms and meeting rooms: set into glass partition walls so the whole room reads as glass.
- Shops and showrooms: as the entrance in a frameless shopfront or a framed one.
- Restaurants and cafés: diners see out, passers-by see in.
- Clinics and pharmacies: with an automatic operator for hands-free entry; see clinic shopfronts.
Frameless glass doors price
Each door is quoted per project because the price depends on the size and thickness of the glass, how the door is hung, the hardware finish, any frosting, whether it is automated, and the site. Send us the opening width and height, photos of the opening and the type of door you want, and MC Automations will measure the site and we will send one quote including installation. If you are comparing costs, an aluminium-framed door is usually less expensive: our aluminium hinged doors and pivot doors are priced online.
Frameless or framed?
An all-glass door gives the cleanest look and the most light. Framed aluminium doors cost less, seal better against wind and rain, take a broken pane more easily and suit busy or exposed entrances. Inside a building, or under a canopy, frameless doors are at their best; on an exposed street front, a framed door or a frameless door with an automatic operator and a canopy is usually the more practical choice. Many projects mix both: frameless doors in the reception and meeting rooms, framed doors at service entrances.
Planning the opening
An all-glass door needs a solid structure to hang from. A hinged door is fixed to a wall, a column or a fixed glass side panel; a pivot door needs a floor deep enough for the floor pivot or spring, and a strong head above; a sliding door needs a wall or beam to carry its track. Tell us about the floor finish early: a floor spring is set into the screed, so it is far easier to plan before tiles are laid. Leave clear space beside a sliding door for it to park, and make sure a swinging door does not hit furniture, light switches or a step.
Access, comfort and security
A clear glass entrance should still let everyone in easily. Keep the threshold flush, choose a handle that is easy to grip, and allow a wide clear opening; where people arrive with trolleys, prams or wheelchairs, an automatic operator makes the entrance hands-free. Building access rules are set out in SANS 10400-S. After hours, glass doors take floor locks or patch locks, and an automatic sliding door locks with the MC-125 electric lock. For a street-facing entrance, plan alarm sensors and any security gate with your security provider before the door is made.
Inside the office
Inside a building, all-glass doors keep meeting rooms, offices and boardrooms bright while giving privacy for calls and meetings. A frosted band at sitting height hides the table without blocking the light, and a sliding door saves space in a narrow corridor. Matching the hardware finish on every door, and lining the doors up with the ceiling grid and the partition joints, makes a fit-out look planned rather than pieced together.
How a frameless door project runs
- Brief: send the opening sizes, photos and the door type.
- Site measure: MC Automations checks the floor, the ceiling or head, the walls and any power for an automatic operator.
- Quote: one quote for the door, the hardware and the installation.
- Toughening: the glass is cut, drilled and toughened to size.
- Installation: MC Automations hangs and adjusts the door and commissions any operator.
MC Automations installs them in Gauteng and in major cities and towns across South Africa, for commercial buildings. Automatic operators carry a 24-month warranty on the operator and should be serviced every six months.
Looking after frameless glass doors
Clean the glass with a normal glass cleaner and a soft squeegee; avoid razor blades and abrasive pads on toughened glass. Check hinges, pivots and floor springs once a year and have them adjusted if the door drops or drifts. Never let a heavy glass door slam: a floor spring or closing hinge controls it. If a pane is damaged it is replaced by measuring and toughening a new panel, so keep the original drawing.
Frameless glass doors: frequently asked questions
What are frameless glass doors?
Doors made of a single pane of toughened safety glass hung on hinges, pivots or a top track, with no frame around the glass.
How much do frameless glass doors cost?
Frameless glass doors are quoted per project after a site measure, because the glass size, thickness, hardware and installation vary. Aluminium-framed doors are priced online.
Can frameless glass doors be automatic?
Yes. MC Automations fits the MC-125 automatic sliding system and the MCW-100 swing operator to frameless glass doors.
What glass is used in frameless doors?
Toughened safety glass, with the thickness chosen for the size of the door and how it is hung.
Who installs frameless glass doors?
MC Automations, our parent company, measures and installs them in Gauteng and in major cities and towns across South Africa.
Do you install frameless glass doors in homes?
No. Our frameless glass doors are for offices, shops, clinics, restaurants and other commercial buildings.
Coetz™, Unit 2, 84 Ridge Road, Laser Park, Johannesburg. Call 010 412 0062, WhatsApp 076 613 4418 or use our contact page.