Portsmouth · Hampshire
Frameless Glass in Portsmouth
A dark hallway in Portsmouth can borrow light from the next room through a frameless glass screen, keeping the spaces separate while daylight passes straight through.
- PO1
- PO5
- PO2
- Guide from £795
Frameless glass screens for homes and businesses in Portsmouth
In workplaces in England, Wales and Scotland, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require glass in doors, walls and partitions to be of safety material or protected where needed for safety, and to be marked or otherwise made apparent so people notice it.
In buildings other than dwellings in England, large areas of clear glass that people could walk into need manifestation at two levels, 850–1000mm and 1400–1600mm above the floor. A frameless door with a large handle or push plate on each pane is one example the guidance accepts without markings.
In England, Approved Document K treats glazing in a door within 1500mm of the floor, glazing within 300mm of a door edge and within 1500mm of the floor, and other glazing within 800mm of the floor as critical locations. Glass in these positions must break safely or be suitably protected.
Toughened glass can very occasionally break on its own because of nickel sulphide inclusions. Heat soak testing to BS EN 14179 reduces that risk by breaking flawed panels in the factory before delivery, though it cannot remove the risk entirely. It is often specified for large doors and screens in busy buildings.
What you get
- Holes and cut-outs made at the factory before toughening
- Survey of the opening, floor and fixing points
- Manifestation where needed, final clean and care advice
- Fitting, alignment and adjustment of closing speed

About Portsmouth for this job
- Postcodes covered
- PO1, PO5, PO2 and the surrounding area, including Gosport, Fareham and Ryde
- Coast
- Portsmouth is about 2 km from the coast or a tidal estuary, so salt air and wind-driven rain are worth planning for. External frameless entrances near the sea face salt spray on patch fittings, pivots and floor spring covers, which can mark or pit finishes over time. Hardware suited to exposed sites, and rinsing fittings during routine cleaning, help them stay smooth and presentable.
- Daylight and sun
- In Portsmouth the midwinter sun reaches about 16° above the horizon at noon, with roughly 7.7 hours of daylight, rising to about 63° and 16.3 hours in midsummer. Clear frameless doors and screens pass daylight deep into hallways and inner rooms. Where a screen faces low winter sun, glare and reflections can be strong, so satin bands or tinted glass can help, while low-iron glass keeps pale colours true.
- Access and setting
- Large glass panels for city shops, offices and flats can need a planned delivery, a team to carry them, and sometimes a lift or crane booking. Access through communal areas, loading limits and permitted working hours all affect the fitting day.
- Rules in England
- Approved Document K requires safety glass in critical locations in England: glazing in doors and in side panels within 300 mm of a door, up to 1500 mm above floor level, and any glazing in walls or partitions up to 800 mm above floor level.
Guide prices in Portsmouth
| Typical job | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Frameless glass door with fittings | £1,295 – £1,895 |
| Door with fixed side screen | £2,195 – £3,195 |
| Fixed frameless screen, about 2 m² | £795 – £1,095 |
Get a guide price for your size
For shops and other non-domestic buildings in England, Approved Document M covers accessible entrances, and Approved Document K requires large areas of glass that people could walk into to carry manifestation (visible markings).
What you can choose
Fixed glass screen
A non-opening panel held in slim channels or clamps, used to divide rooms, line stairs or form a side panel beside a glass door.
Glass-to-wall hinged door
Hinges clamp the glass directly to a wall or fixed glass panel. Suits lighter internal doors where there is no room for a floor spring.
Pivot door with patches
Corner patch fittings with a floor spring or pivot, the usual choice for shop and office entrances and wide internal doors that need controlled closing.
Frameless Glass in Portsmouth: questions
Can a frameless glass door be fitted into my existing doorway?
Usually, yes. We survey the opening to check the head and walls can take the fixings, and template it so the glass follows any out-of-square edges. A floor spring needs a recess in the floor, so where that is not practical we may suggest a top pivot, wall hinges or sliding gear instead. Some making good of plaster may be needed.
What thickness of glass is used for frameless glass doors?
Frameless doors usually use 10mm or 12mm toughened safety glass. The thicker glass is generally used for taller or wider doors and for busy commercial entrances, while 10mm often suits internal doors in homes. The hardware maker's limits for panel weight and size also guide the choice, and we confirm the thickness in your written quote.
What happens if a frameless glass door breaks?
Toughened glass breaks into small, blunt pieces rather than large shards, so the door will need to be fully replaced rather than repaired. We can make the opening safe and secure in the meantime, then remake the panel from the original measurements or a fresh template, with holes and cut-outs formed before toughening.
What affects the cost of frameless glass doors and screens?
The main cost drivers are panel size and thickness, the number of panels, the hardware type, and whether a floor spring needs a recess cutting into an existing floor. Satin or low-iron glass, special hardware finishes and difficult access also add cost. See the guide prices for typical ranges, and the written quote fixes the price for your specification.
Do you cover Portsmouth for frameless glass?
Yes. We can quote for frameless glass across Portsmouth and the surrounding Hampshire area, including postcode districts PO1, PO5 and PO2, and nearby Gosport, Fareham and Ryde. Start with your postcode on the quote form and a glazier will arrange a free survey before giving you a written quote.
Get a written quote in Portsmouth
Free survey for new glazing, clear guide prices and one point of contact for every glazing job.