Greet Guests With a Touch of Glass

The trend of using decorative glass to create dramatic entryways continues to grow as homeowners choose to stay in their homes longer and remodel for extended personal enjoyment. Adding a "touch of glass" with a new front entry door can be one of the most effective and economical ways to enhance a home's curb appeal.

Beyond aesthetics, a new entry with decorative glass can add value to the home. According to a national home valuation study conducted by Therma-Tru and TNS, an independent research organization, simply installing a new entryway door has been shown to increase the perceived value of a home by more than $24,000 on average.

Manufacturers offer a wide array of choices for entryways incorporating decorative glass doorlites, sidelites and transoms. These choices allow homeowners to create a custom look for the home while making a statement about the homeowner's personal sense of style.

The recently-introduced Avonlea(TM) and Maple Park(TM) decorative glass options from Therma-Tru (available at www.thermatru.com ) are perfect examples of the beauty decorative glass can add to the home. With its fluid lines and free flowing leaf pattern, the Avonlea glass package is inspired by nature and features bronze water and clear baroque glass with black nickel caming. The Maple Park decorative glass option creates a peaceful, comforting design element for the home. With its water and granite glass married with clear bevels and a soft arc, the Maple Park glass creates a Craftsman-inspired look, well suited for all types of homes.

Entryway systems that incorporate decorative glass also offer the added benefit of allowing more sunlight into the home without energy loss, making for a more attractive, more energy-efficient interior. Some of the most stunning designs are available in impact-rated versions that provide added home security and protection from severe weather conditions, such as high winds and heavy rain. Other decorative glass options include vented sidelites to allow both air and natural ventilation into the home.