Flagship guide · 9 min read
The Ultimate Guide to Aluminium Windows
Everything worth knowing before specifying aluminium windows, from frame construction and thermal performance to colour, glass and realistic pricing.
Internal Glazing Guide
How steel-look internal doors and glass screens work, where they suit a home best, and what to consider on glass, framing and privacy.
4 min read
Steel-look internal glazing — slim black-framed doors and fixed screens modelled on the crittall windows of the early twentieth century — has become one of the most requested features in kitchen and hallway renovations. It divides open-plan space visually without closing it off, borrowing light between rooms that would otherwise rely on separate windows.
This guide covers where internal glazing works well, the practical choices around framing and glass, and what it costs relative to a standard internal door or stud wall.
Where internal glazing works well
The strongest case for internal glazing is a room that has good natural light but a neighbouring space that does not — a hallway borrowing light from a garden-facing kitchen, or a home office separated from an open-plan living area without losing daylight or a sense of connection.
- Kitchen to hallway or utility screens, borrowing light without borrowing cooking smells and noise
- Home office or snug divisions within an open-plan space
- Staircase and landing screens, bringing light down into a hallway
- Boot room or porch screens at a front entrance
- Shower screens and bathroom partitions in a similar steel-look style for a coordinated finish
Framing and configuration
Genuine steel Crittall-style windows are still made, but most internal glazing installed today uses slim steel-look sections finished in matt black or another dark RAL colour, closely replicating the narrow steel sightlines at a lower cost and with easier installation. The difference is rarely visible once installed, and a steel-look system avoids the risk of rust that untreated steel carries in a humid room such as a bathroom.
| Element | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed screen | Pure light borrowing, no access needed | Lowest cost, simplest installation |
| Single door within a screen | Occasional access alongside a fixed screen | Common in kitchen to hallway divisions |
| Double doors / French doors | Frequent access, can be left open | Suits wider openings between living spaces |
| Sliding door within a screen | Space-constrained openings | Saves the swing space a hinged door needs |
Glass and privacy
Clear glass is the most common choice, maximising light transfer, but obscure and reeded (fluted) glass are increasingly popular where some privacy is wanted without sacrificing the steel-look aesthetic — a home office or a downstairs cloakroom, for example. Toughened safety glass should be used throughout given the low-level and high-traffic locations typical of internal glazing.
- Clear glass for maximum light transfer between rooms
- Reeded or fluted glass for texture and partial privacy with a period character
- Obscure glass for full privacy in bathrooms or cloakrooms
- Acoustic laminated glass where sound separation between rooms matters, for example a home office
What internal glazing costs
Internal steel-look screens and doors are priced by the square metre of frame and glass rather than as a simple per-door figure, since configurations vary so widely. As a guide, a single door within a modest fixed screen for a kitchen-to-hallway opening typically costs from around £1,800-£3,500 supplied and installed, rising for larger multi-panel screens, double doors, or bespoke sizes.
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