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Heating & Air Conditioning Design Dilemma entry

Should we use Barn or Swing Doors?

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Hi folks! Need your advice on doors and efficiency in keeping the climate regulated: I'm hoping to install glass pane doors, either swing or barn doors, to an arched entrance way. The entrance way is up a staircase that is enclosed, but has no A/C or heat (it's up the stairs from a main door that goes outside to the street). There's no door at the arched entranceway, so I would put a new door there, either a barn door (I don't mind the look of the arch and the barn door) or a swing door made of glass and iron/wood.

My worry is that the glass doors might not be efficient for keeping the A/C or heat inside the flat and seal the area. Or, they might cause condensation which would be bad for the wood or the iron that's part of the door? What do you think...Would swing doors be more efficient than the barn door? Maybe we should stay away from glass doors all together? Thank you!

(edited for typos)

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Comments (5)

PRO
Austin Air Companie
4 years ago
You would need a tight sealed door to the structure for efficiency reasons. So because of that a barn door would be least efficient.

If the door doesn't seal tight when closed, you will lose heating and cooling thru the openings of the door.

If you want a sliding door you could use a patio style all glass door.

The more glass you have the least efficient it is, but if it is out of the way of the sun via sunlight infiltration it should be ok for most uses.
N thanked Austin Air Companie
tangerinedoor
4 years ago
Could you provide a photo of the space?
0
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N
Original Author
4 years ago
It looks like the arch in the first photo, without any door. We'd probably build a new door frame to seal tightly with the door we choose.
0
mike_home
4 years ago
You could install a swing patio door. Anderson has french style doors but they are rectangular in shape so you would have to give up the arch. Marvin Windows has french style glass doors with an arch. I am not sure if you can specify the shape of the arch. It is probably cheaper to redo the opening and make it a standard rectangular size.

I had this problem two years ago with door between a sun room and family room and kitchen. I ended up installing the Anderson 200 Narrowline doors in 2 and 4 panels. The patio door is designed for exterior installation so it very good for sealing and insulation. The drawback there is a threshold that you have to step over when going through the door. If you redoing the opening you could probably lower the door the minimize the height of the threshold above the finished floor.
N thanked mike_home
chiflipper
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I used an exterior door for this issue. Andersen swing wood door, full glass, vinyl-clad on the unheated staircase side (entry vestibule), stained on the living room side. Proper "compressible" whether stripping around jamb, never had any moisture on the glass.
N thanked chiflipper

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