> Cathedral, patterned, wired, laminated, toughened: the guide to glass for a wrought iron door canopy, with indicative budgets per m² and the method for replacing a broken pane. *Source : https://marquise-fer.fr/en/glass-for-door-canopies/* --- # Glass for a door canopy: _choosing, replacing, looking after_ A door canopy is iron and glass, and the glass counts as much as the iron. It is the glass that lets light into the hall, the glass that gives the piece its texture seen from the pavement, and the glass that one day breaks under a branch or a hailstone. This guide covers the subject: the types of glass suited to a canopy, their indicative budgets, the method for replacing a broken pane on an existing piece, and the upkeep that avoids nasty surprises. ## What the glazing has to do Three things, in this order. **Let the light through**: that is the whole point of a glazed canopy, which shelters the threshold without darkening the entrance, unlike a [solid canopy in sheet metal or tiles](https://marquise-fer.fr/en/wrought-iron-porch-canopies/). **Survive outdoors**: snow, hail, branch strikes, temperature swings. **Not injure anyone if it breaks**: the glazing is over people’s heads, and that is the criterion that really separates the types of glass. A fourth criterion, appearance, matters more than people expect: perfectly smooth clear glass shows the underside of the frame, the dust and the rain marks. The textured glasses of period canopies are not a decorative whim: they diffuse the light and hide the dirt between cleans. ## The types of glass for a canopy **Textured cathedral glass** is the historic glazing of the door canopy: translucent, animated by an irregular texture that diffuses light and blurs the direct view. It is the truest to the 1900 spirit, the glass found on Belle Époque fans and the canopies of the period, whose vocabulary our page on the [Art Nouveau door canopy](https://marquise-fer.fr/en/art-nouveau-door-canopies/) sets out. **Patterned glass** is its industrial cousin: a regular motif (stipple, diamonds, drops) rolled into the surface. Less irregular than cathedral glass, it does a comparable job for a slightly lower budget. **Wired glass** traps a wire mesh that holds the pieces if it breaks. Very common on period canopies and workshop roof lights, it keeps a definite retro charm. Be aware that it breaks more easily than modern glass: today it is chosen for appearance, in a like-for-like restoration, rather than for safety. **Laminated safety glass** bonds two sheets of glass to a plastic interlayer. If it breaks, the pieces stay attached to the interlayer instead of falling: that is the principle that makes it essential over a doorway. It is the glazing we fit as standard on our new canopies, in 44.2 make-up. **Toughened glass** is heat-treated to be markedly more resistant to impact and bending. When it does break it fragments into small, blunt pieces — but those pieces fall. On its own it suits vertical glazing; overhead above a doorway it is combined with lamination rather than used alone. **Frosted or sandblasted glass** plays the card of privacy and milky light. Watch the maintenance overhead: the frosted face catches dirt, so it goes on the inside. Compare ## Which glass _for which canopy_ Type of glass Appearance Safety if broken Indicative budget per m² Recommended use Textured cathedral Translucent, irregular texture, 1900 spirit Poor on its own, laminate it in new work €40 to 90 Restoration, period appearance Patterned Regular motif, translucent Poor on its own, laminate it in new work €40 to 80 Economical alternative to cathedral Wired Visible wire mesh, retro Holds the pieces but breaks easily €60 to 120 Like-for-like restoration Laminated safety Clear or textured by make-up Excellent: the pieces stay in place €80 to 160 New work, above a doorway Toughened Clear, very crisp Fine fragmentation but the pieces fall €70 to 140 In combination with lamination Frosted / sandblasted Milky, obscuring Depends on the base glass €60 to 130 Privacy, diffused light Indicative supply-only budgets, excluding cutting to size, edge working and fitting. Standard glazing is included in our [canopy prices](https://marquise-fer.fr/en/prices/). ## Polycarbonate: why we advise against it Polycarbonate has its arguments: it is light, hard to break and cheap. On a utilitarian shelter it holds its own. On a wrought iron canopy, honesty requires saying it: **it yellows**. UV dulls the material year after year, even with a surface treatment, and the yellowish veil that settles in is irreversible. It also scratches at the least firm clean, and its plastic note under rain has nothing to do with the sound of glass. The paradox is economic: you save a few tens of euros per square metre on a piece worth several thousand, and you end up replacing the dulled polycarbonate with glass a few years later. Better to fit the right glazing from the start. ## Replacing a broken pane on an existing canopy A broken canopy pane is neither a disaster nor a reason to replace the piece: glazing can be changed, including on a century-old canopy. The method, in order: 1. **Make safe and remove.** Take the pieces out working from the top, in heavy gloves and goggles, with the threshold sheeted. If the glass is laminated, it comes out in one piece. 2. **Identify how it is bedded.** Two cases: the glass sits in a **rebate** (the L-shaped groove in the section) and is held by a bead of **putty**, the technique of period canopies; or it is clamped by **glazing beads**, screwed strips that come off and go back on, a more recent and more convenient technique. 3. **Take the measurements.** Measure the rebate edge to edge, at several points, because old frames are never perfectly regular, then take off a few millimetres of clearance each side: the glass must never touch the metal, which expands differently. 4. **Order the glass.** From a glazier, cut to size: same type, same thickness as the existing, with a card template for the curved panes of a fan. It is the moment to move to laminated if the pane overhangs the doorway. 5. **Refit.** Rebate cleaned and repainted if bare metal is exposed, a bed of putty or a new seal, glass set on packers, then a finishing bead or the beads screwed back. Water must be able to escape: putty that blocks the drainage of the rebate is preparing corrosion. **When to call a professional.** Large panes, a high canopy needing a scaffold, the curved panes of a fan, a corroded frame whose rebate is delaminating, or glazing over a busy doorway: in all those cases a glazier or an ironworker should do it. The risk is not the technique, it is handling a sheet of glass at height. On curved canopies such as our [Belle Époque fans](https://marquise-fer.fr/en/collections/belle-epoque-fan-canopies/), the panes are set out from a template. ## Glass and safety over a doorway The principle takes one sentence: above a place where someone may be standing, the glazing must stay in place when it breaks. That is exactly what laminated glass does, its interlayer keeping the pieces together, and what neither plain glass nor toughened glass alone will do. For a new canopy above a front door the question hardly arises: laminated, textured if you like the look. The precise requirements depend on the configuration and the use of the building, and they are checked at the study stage with your ironworker or glazier — in the United Kingdom that means the relevant part of the Building Regulations for glazing in overhead positions. ## Looking after the glazing Glass asks for little: soapy water, a squeegee, a rinse, once or twice a year. Three points of vigilance all the same. The **seals and putty**, to inspect at every clean: a cracked bead lets water sit against the metal. **Moss** along the bottom edge, to be removed before it holds moisture. And **heavy snow**, to be brought down with a brush from the ground after a big fall, without climbing on the piece. Is your project bigger than the glazing? Our canopies are supplied with the glass included, laminated or period-look depending on the model: [ask for a free study](https://marquise-fer.fr/en/quote/) — a photograph and dimensions are enough. Frequently asked ## Canopy glass: frequently asked Which glass should I choose for a wrought iron door canopy? For new work above a threshold, laminated safety glass is the sensible choice: if it breaks, the interlayer holds the pieces. For looks, textured cathedral glass stays truest to the spirit of period canopies. The two combine, in fact: a laminated unit with one face carrying a cathedral texture. Can I replace a broken canopy pane myself? On a small, low, accessible canopy, a careful DIYer can replace a pane bedded in a rebate with beads. As soon as the piece is high, the pane is large, or the break is over a busy doorway, bring in a professional: handling glass at height is the real risk. What does canopy glass cost per square metre? As a guide, supply only: €40 to €90 per m² for cathedral or patterned glass, €60 to €120 for wired glass, and €80 to €160 for laminated safety glass. Cutting to size, edge working and fitting are additional. Is wired glass a safety glass? Not in the modern sense. The wire mesh embedded in the glass holds the pieces if it breaks, which was its purpose on period canopies, but wired glass breaks more easily than laminated and is now chosen mainly for its retro appearance. Over a doorway, laminated is preferable. Why avoid polycarbonate on a canopy? Because it ages badly where glass does not: it yellows and dulls under UV, scratches when cleaned, and its plastic look jars against forged iron. Its only real advantage is lightness. On a solid iron structure sized for glass, that advantage counts for nothing against the loss in appearance. How do I look after canopy glazing? Washing with soapy water once or twice a year is enough, with a thorough rinse. Avoid abrasive pads and pressure washers near the seals. While you are there, check the putty or the bead seals: a cracked seal lets water sit in the rebate, which encourages corrosion of the frame. Your project ## Glazing to replace or a canopy to create, _an answer within 48 hours_ One photograph of your door and its measurements: the workshop recommends the right model and prices it precisely. Free, no obligation. [Request my quote](https://marquise-fer.fr/en/quote/) [Free door canopy quote — 48 h](https://marquise-fer.fr/en/quote/)