Exterior door with a side panel

When should you choose an exterior door with side panels? Side panels serve both aesthetic and practical purposes. Small single-panel exterior doors often contrast too sharply with the building’s structure, which is why designs so frequently incorporate doors with side panels—a great alternative to double-panel doors in terms of both aesthetics and cost. Doors with side panels are not only found in modern, minimalist designs but also blend beautifully with manor-style homes.

An important function of the movable side panels is to widen the entrance opening: these panels can be opened in the same way as a door leaf, which makes it easier to bring in furniture or other large household items. In turn, the use of glass side panels allows for additional natural light inside the home.

Types of Side Panels for Barański Premium Exterior Doors

For every Barański Premium exterior door, you can order side panels in either a rebated version (with visible hinges) or a non-rebated version (with hidden hinges that are invisible when the door is closed).

The standard width of a single side panel does not exceed 50 cm, but upon customer request, we can provide side panels up to 100 cm wide. We offer four types of side panels:

• fixed in a modern door frame,
• fixed in a traditional door frame,
• fixed in the form of an imitation door leaf,
• a movable side panel in the form of a simulated door leaf.

An extension panel can be installed on one side of the door leaf or on both sides. Very often, customers who choose doors with an extension panel also decide to order a transom window. This combination looks particularly beautiful in classic and retro interior designs.

Side panel in the door frame

This is a type of side panel that is located within a single door frame together with the door leaf. A side panel in the door frame is traditionally filled with glass (e.g., a one-way mirror) and may feature additional decoration in the form of adhesive muntins. A distinctive feature of this type of side panel is that it is separated from the door leaf by a structural mullion. There are two types of side panels within the door frame. The modern version minimizes the size of the side panel frame so that the glass occupies as much space as possible. In the traditional version, the width of the wooden side panel frames is matched to that of the door leaf frame.

Traditional rebated side panel in the door frame

Two modern side inserts in the door frame with muntins

Fixed side panel designed to mimic a door leaf

This is a side panel that resembles a door leaf in appearance and does not open. The degree of similarity between the door leaf and the side panel can vary — ranging from panels that are nearly identical to the door leaf to those that are merely inspired by the leaf’s appearance and, for example, feature significantly longer glazed sections or lack muntins, whereas the door leaf has muntins.

Two fixed rebated side panels imitating the door leaf

A movable side panel imitating a door leaf

In this version, the side panel also mimics the door leaf, but—unlike the fixed side panel—it can be opened. This is a very functional solution, especially when bringing large items, such as furniture, into the home. The side panel can be opened just like a door leaf, and there is no structural mullion between them.

Movable door-style side panel with a rebated design

Types of side panels based on infill

Side panels for exterior doors can also be classified by their infill as:

1. Solid panels—without glazing
2. Glazed panels—equipped with modern glass, e.g.,
   • one-way mirror (transparent only from the inside),
   • reflective glass with a bronze tint (bronze reflect) or a graphite tint (graphite reflect),
   • discreet glass (with an opaque decorative section and a transparent reflective section),
   • frosted glass (opaque).

Glazing bars can also be applied to the glass.

There are truly many configuration options for side panels. We also create custom designs, such as exterior doors with corner panels.

Exterior doors with custom corner panels

If you have your own door design, please feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to help bring it to life.