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What are the Pros and Cons of Glass Cupboard Doors?

Tess C. Taylor
Tess C. Taylor

There are many pros and cons to installing glass cupboard doors in a kitchen, pantry, or other parts of a home or commercial space. Glass cupboard doors can replace existing solid wooden or metal cupboard doors for an updated or decorative look. Cupboard doors made of glass may be more expensive than traditional doors, however, and they can be prone to shatter.

The advantages of glass cupboard doors are that they can enhance any area of a room by revealing what’s inside the cupboards. Most often, glass cupboard doors are used to display collections of dinnerware, glassware, or other attractive home items. In other cases, glass cupboards are a way of making it easier to find items in cabinets.

Replacing a broken glass pane may require specialized tools and professional experience.
Replacing a broken glass pane may require specialized tools and professional experience.

Another benefit of using glass cupboard doors is that glass can create a modern style to replace an outdated decor. Many styles of glass doors are used in cabinetry, from clear and colored glass, to opaque glass, and etched designs. This makes it easy to match the glass door fronts with any style. Glass can also be slipped into existing wooden cupboard door frames.

There are some disadvantages to installing glass cupboard doors. The obvious is that some glass can shatter, requiring an expensive repair. It’s best to choose a strong glass that is made specifically for cupboard doors or choose plexi-glass. Instead of standard glass that can shatter, choose cupboard glass designed to break into sheets or glass with a plastic covering to prevent shards from scattering if the glass breaks.

In addition to shattering, glass doors can become discolored over time and may need more frequent replacement than standard solid cupboard doors. For this reason, it is best to choose high-quality glass doors. While these should hold up better over time, they will be more expensive. In addition, using too many glass cupboard doors can be overwhelming so it’s best to install them in limited numbers in any one area.

By choosing the right kind of glass cupboard doors, whether to replace existing cupboard doors or to build brand new cabinets, it's important to follow all instructions for the installation process. Select glass cabinet doors where they will add beauty and functionality to a room. Consider how the glass will blend in with existing decor and use a high-quality material for the best results.

Discussion Comments

anon1002633

I need to decide today whether to use glass doors or normal doors for my two pantries in my kitchen.

Pros of a glass door is mainly beauty but the disadvantages are in case of a pantry we do not want to show what's inside and another big disadvantage is we cannot have storage space on back of the doors.

Ocelot60

The article is correct about the benefits of glass cupboard doors when you have beautiful items to display. I have a collection of antique glasses that I display in a cabinet with glass doors. My collection is a conversation piece every time I have company because it always catches the eye of my visitors.

Talentryto

Fingerprints and smudge marks are also disadvantages to glass cupboard doors. Even when you are careful, it is hard to avoid this problem.

Raynbow

I would like to add another major disadvantage to class cupboard doors. Since you can see into the inside of the cabinets, you always have to make sure that the contents are neat and in order. Otherwise, your room will take on a cluttered appearance.

I grew up in a home that had kitchen cabinets with glass doors, and my mother was always making sure that the family kept the items inside neat and in place. Believe me, if you aren't the type of person who wants to spend time daily arranging your kitchen cabinets, glass cabinet doors can be a hassle!

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    • Replacing a broken glass pane may require specialized tools and professional experience.
      By: Bruno T
      Replacing a broken glass pane may require specialized tools and professional experience.