Frameless shopfronts turn the front of a building into a sheet of glass. There are no frames around the panes, only slim fixings at the floor and ceiling and clear joints between the glass, so the shop, showroom or reception becomes the display. Coetz™ designs and makes frameless glass frontages to measure in Laser Park, Johannesburg, and MC Automations, our parent company, measures and installs them, including automatic sliding doors, pivot doors and hinged glass doors set into the glass.
Outside Gauteng, MC Automations installs shopfronts in major cities and towns across South Africa, including Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, East London, Polokwane, Nelspruit, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, George, Rustenburg, Kimberley, Witbank, Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom, Mthatha, Port Shepstone, Newcastle, Secunda, Tzaneen, Welkom, Upington, Mahikeng, Middelburg, Ermelo, Ladysmith, Kokstad, Queenstown, Oudtshoorn, Worcester, Hermanus, Mossel Bay, Musina, Bethlehem, Kroonstad, Harrismith, Vryheid, Graaff-Reinet, Paarl, Thohoyandou, Lephalale, Bela-Bela, Vryburg. In the Vaal Triangle, see aluminium shopfronts Vereeniging.
For stand-alone all-glass doors, see frameless glass doors.
This page explains how a frameless frontage works, which doors you can use, how it compares with an aluminium-framed front, and how we quote it. Framed shopfronts can be priced in the online estimator; frameless work is quoted per project after a site measure.
In this guide
How frameless shopfronts work
In a framed shopfront the aluminium carries the glass. In frameless shopfronts the glass carries itself. Thick structural toughened glass panels stand in a slim channel fixed to the floor and the soffit, and the panes are joined to each other with clear silicone or small patch fittings. Where a wide frontage needs extra stiffness, glass fins at right angles to the panes brace it against the wind. Toughened glass is heat-treated, so it is several times stronger than ordinary glass of the same thickness and breaks into small blunt pieces if it does break.
Because the glass is the structure, frameless shopfronts are engineered for each building: the height, the width of each pane, the wind exposure and the doors all set the glass thickness and the fixings. That is why we quote them per project, not per square metre.
Doors for frameless shopfronts
A frameless frontage needs doors that keep the glass look. All four of the main entrance types can be built into it.
Frameless automatic sliding doors
The most popular entrance in frameless shopfronts is an automatic sliding door with frameless glass leaves. The leaves hang from the operator in a slim header and run in a floor guide, so the entrance looks like part of the glass wall until it opens. MC Automations fits operators to frameless glass, and the MC-125 automatic sliding door system, R27 590 excluding VAT for the operator with sensors, remotes, battery backup and an electric lock, drives openings 1 600 to 6 000 mm wide. The MC-125 frameless floor guide keeps the glass leaves running straight. See framed vs frameless sliding doors for the differences.
Frameless glass pivot doors
A frameless pivot door is a single large glass leaf that turns on pivots at the top and bottom. It is the signature entrance of hotel receptions, law firms and flagship stores, and it opens with a light push even when the leaf is big. Frameless pivot doors are quoted with the frontage; for an aluminium-framed alternative, our aluminium pivot doors start at R10 494 excluding VAT.
Frameless hinged glass doors
Single or double hinged glass doors hang on glass-to-glass hinges or patch fittings. They suit smaller frontages, internal glass partitions and secondary entrances. If you prefer a framed door in a frameless front, our aluminium hinged doors fit the same opening.
Automatic swing doors
A hinged glass door in a frameless front can be automated with the MCW-100 automatic swing door operator, from R15 900 excluding VAT, for hands-free entry where there is no room for a sliding door.
Frameless shopfronts vs aluminium shopfronts
Both are good frontages; they answer different briefs. Frameless shopfronts give the cleanest look and the most glass, and suit flagship stores, car and furniture showrooms, corporate receptions and restaurants that want the street to see in. Aluminium-framed shopfronts cost less, seal better against wind and rain, take a pane replacement more easily and suit most shops, clinics and offices. Many projects use both: a frameless feature entrance set into an aluminium-framed frontage. We compare them in detail in frameless shopfronts vs aluminium shopfronts.
| Frameless | Aluminium framed | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Almost all glass | Slim 44 mm frames |
| Glass | Structural toughened glass, specified per job | 6.38 mm laminated safety glass as standard |
| Doors | Frameless sliding, pivot, hinged, swing | Hinged, automatic sliding, swing, pivot |
| Price | Quoted per project | Priced per m² in the estimator |
| Weather sealing | Good, with careful detailing | Excellent, gaskets all round |
Where frameless shopfronts work best
- Flagship and fashion stores: the interior and the product become the window display.
- Car, furniture and kitchen showrooms: big uninterrupted views of large products from the road.
- Corporate receptions: a frameless pivot or sliding door gives a strong first impression.
- Restaurants and cafés: diners see out, passers-by see in, and the room feels bigger.
- Inside malls: a frameless front under a mall bulkhead has no weather to fight, which is where the system is at its best.
Fittings, finishes and details
With so little metal on show, the few fittings that remain are what people notice. Floor and ceiling channels can be set flush into the floor screed and the bulkhead so only the glass is visible, or left as a slim exposed profile, which is simpler on an existing building. Patch fittings, pivots and door handles come in satin stainless steel, polished chrome or black, and the choice should match the rest of the interior. Pull handles on glass doors are usually long vertical bars, which are easy to grab and read clearly as a door from a distance.
Signage is the other detail to plan early. Vinyl lettering can go straight onto the glass, and a sign band can sit above a glass transom. Mounting heavy signs through the glass is not possible once it has been toughened, so any holes have to be drilled before toughening and set out on the drawings.
Cleaning and looking after the glass
A glass frontage is only as good as it looks, so plan for cleaning. Clean the glass with water and a mild glass cleaner and a soft squeegee; avoid abrasive pads and razor blades on the face of toughened glass. Check the silicone joints once a year and have any damaged joint resealed before water gets in. Automatic doors need a service every six months, when MC Automations checks the operator, the sensors and the floor guide. If a pane is ever broken, it is measured and toughened to order, so keep the original drawing safe; it speeds up the replacement.
Glass and safety
Frameless shopfronts are always glazed in safety glass: toughened for the structural panels and doors, and laminated toughened where the design or the building needs a pane that holds together if broken. Where safety glass is required is set out in SANS 10400-N, published by the SABS. Large clear panes also need manifestation, the frosted dots or bands at eye level that stop people walking into the glass; we allow for it in the design and it can carry your logo. See shopfront glazing requirements.
Cost of frameless shopfronts
Frameless glass costs more than a framed shopfront of the same size, because the glass is thicker, toughened to order, and the fixings and doors are specialist. The price depends on the height, the number and size of panes, glass fins, the doors and the site access, so we quote each one after a site measure. To compare, price the same opening as a framed shopfront in the estimator; examples of framed prices, excluding VAT:
| Shopfront | Area | Price, excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| 3 000 × 2 400 mm, single hinged door | 7.20 m² | R13 323 |
| 4 000 × 2 700 mm, double hinged doors | 10.80 m² | R19 984 |
| 6 000 × 3 000 mm, double hinged doors | 18.00 m² | R33 306 |
| 4 000 × 2 400 mm, MC-125 automatic sliding door | 9.60 m² | R17 763 + R27 590 operator = R45 353 |
A mixed design, frameless at the entrance and framed elsewhere, often gives most of the frameless look at a lower total cost.
Measuring for frameless glass
Toughened glass cannot be cut, drilled or trimmed once it has been toughened, so the site measure is more important here than on any other frontage. MC Automations measures the opening at several points across the width and height, checks the floor and soffit for level and square, and confirms where the door will go and where the power for an automatic operator comes in. Send us photos and any drawings before the measure, and tell us about columns, downpipes, signage and the floor finish still to be laid, because a tiled floor added later changes the height of every pane.
How a frameless shopfront project runs
- Brief: send the opening sizes, photos or your architect’s drawing, and the door you want.
- Site measure: MC Automations checks the floor, the soffit, the structure and the power for an automatic door.
- Design and quote: we set the glass thickness, the fixings and the door, and send one quote including installation.
- Toughening and manufacture: the glass is cut, edged and toughened to size; it cannot be cut afterwards, so the measure is final.
- Installation: MC Automations sets the channels, glazes the panels and fits and commissions the doors.
MC Automations installs frameless shopfronts across Gauteng; projects elsewhere in South Africa are quoted per project. Automatic doors carry a 24-month warranty on the operator, and MC recommends a service every six months.
Other shopfronts we build
See retail shopfronts, clinic shopfronts and commercial shopfronts for framed frontages by sector, custom shopfronts for the full design process, and shop front design ideas for inspiration.
Frameless shopfronts: frequently asked questions
What are frameless shopfronts?
Glass frontages with no frames around the panes: structural toughened glass stands in slim floor and ceiling channels, joined with clear silicone or patch fittings.
Can frameless shopfronts have automatic doors?
Yes. MC Automations fits automatic sliding operators to frameless glass leaves. The MC-125 system is R27 590 excluding VAT for the operator.
Do you make frameless pivot doors?
Yes. Frameless glass pivot doors are quoted with the frontage. Aluminium pivot doors start at R10 494 excluding VAT.
Are frameless shopfronts more expensive than aluminium?
Yes, usually. The thicker toughened glass and specialist fittings cost more, so frameless work is quoted per project. Framed shopfronts are priced per square metre in the online estimator.
Is frameless glass safe?
Yes. Frameless shopfronts use toughened safety glass, which is several times stronger than ordinary glass and breaks into small blunt pieces.
Who installs frameless shopfronts?
MC Automations, our parent company, measures and installs them.
Coetz™, Unit 2, 84 Ridge Road, Laser Park, Johannesburg. Call 010 412 0062, WhatsApp 076 613 4418 or use our contact page.