If you love interior design and follow sites like Houzz, you may already be familiar with the popular glass wine cellar trend. Just as wine brings people together, your cellar should combine your collection of finer tastes together in an alluring, cohesive display. Don’t hide your collection anymore. A glass wine room complete with matching glass wine room door is sure to delight family and company alike! Below you’ll find a selection of photos that will set your imagination astir. Take a look and then let’s talk about installing an all-glass door or room within your cellar!
When it comes to installing a Glass Wine Door or Cellar, you want to hire a team that knows what it’s doing. Here at The Glass Shoppe A Division of Builders Glass of Bonita, Inc., we have extensive experience and knowledge in not only Glass Wine Cellar design, but also installation.
The beauty behind these pristine wine cellar designs is the way they combine transparency with elegance. You can show off your finest bottles in ways that will entice upon first glance. As trailblazers in the industry of glass structures, The Glass Shoppe A Division of Builders Glass of Bonita, Inc. has created an installation model that gives the impression of being completely frameless. While this isn’t the case, we give the allusion through strategic installation that conceals the frames, resulting in a presentation that is both attractive and structurally sound.
How do we do it?
First, we install the fixed panels using a u-channel. Our experts prefer a deeper u-channel that is around ¾” deep. We then hide the U-channel by recessing it when possible. Afterward, we install the floor, walls and ceiling so that the u-channel remains hidden.
It’s essential that we make sure this part of the process is completed properly! Once the floor and walls are installed, you cannot hide the u-channel. It must be installed first to create a frameless impression.
In cases where the flooring or drywall is already in place, we can only use a surface mounted clip or a low profile u-channel system, both of which will remain exposed.
Above, you’ll see an example of a Glass Wine Cellar with double doors. In cases where space or design calls for a narrow cellar, double doors provide easy access to the fine wine inside.
It’s important to note that every wine cellar application and install can be different. That’s why it takes creative thinking, knowledge, and experience to execute it well. The above photo is a great example. We created this wine cellar by pre-installing a u-channel at the base and structural clamps at the top. Because the right wall was on an angle, we had to tightly measure the glass with a mitered edge so the end result would sit flush against the wall.
In this particular design, we went big with everything! Large hinges on the glass doors are complimented by an oversized handle. As you can see, these features don’t overpower the design at all. In fact, they complement it! The end result has everything: appearance, functionality, and, of course, structural integrity.
Frameless Glass Wine Room Door Private Residence in Naples, Fl
In this next design, we used a 24” ladder style pull. Top and bottom pivot hinges were desired, as well as a contemporary design, so we settled on the Senior Cardiff Hinge with square corners. Not only do these pivot hinges wield the strength to hold a very heavy door, they also have a design that doesn’t disrupt the frameless glass impression.
The Senior Cardiff accommodates 1/2″glass and also allows for the oversized doors. However, we recommend you limit the door height to 9’ or less to avoid the necessity of a glass transom.
During installation, we installed the base plate of the hinges with the u-channel, reducing the clearance to as little as ⅛” while keeping the reveal minimal. Using ½” glass helps insulate the regulated temperatures without detracting from the overall look the way insulated or double pane glass would.
Plus, the frameless look cannot be obtained using insulated glass. Although many believe that insulated glass is necessary to maintain controlled temperatures, the truth is that the difference in insulation properties is extremely minimal. Those concerned with the difference can simply add disappearing seals to make up for it. That’s how miniscule it is!
In fact, 90% of our clients never installed the seals and have all been satisfied with the temperature control.
Additional Advice for Glass Wine Cellar Designs:
Glass choices for 1/2″: Consider upgrading to ultra clear glass for your Glass Wine Cellar design. Doing so will eliminate the usual green hue of standard glass while only costing approximately 25% more. The additional costs are worth the crisp, rich finish that will show off your collection with pristine clarity.
Locking hardware: Don’t leave your collection unprotected. A beautiful display can also create envy that may lead to theft. Inquire about our locking hardware. We have multiple options that won’t detract from the beauty of your overall design.
Above is an example of a Frameless Glass Enclosure that was installed using a clip installation. This was created using Structural Clips on the finished floor, while u-channels were placed on the sides and top of the walls. While these u-channels remain exposed, the reveal is minimal, complementing instead of detracting from the overall impact of the design. Once this project is complete, the wood of the wine cellar will hide the exposed metal, creating the frameless look noted in the style of this design.
Notes Regarding This Frameless Glass Enclosure Design
- Instead of using a “butt” seam, this 90 degree corner was achieved using a mitered glass edge
- Structural Clips were used to secure the base
- Glass-to-Glass patch hinges were used to connect the door to the fixed side panel, but pivot hinges are preferred when possible. The reason this design didn’t use them is because the wine cellar door was too tall to carry the weight of the door using pivot hinges on the top and bottom. When a transom is needed, the glass-to-glass hinges serve as the next best choice.
- Windows located in wine cellars should utilize UV protective coating to protect your wine collection
- We recommended an oversized ladder style pull that is 24″ or larger for this project. The above cellar has a 12″ pull that we feel looks lost on the large door.