When homeowners are faced with a wider than average entrance opening of around 1300mm, the instinctive reaction is often to consider a double door. Two equal leaves, symmetrical, grand — it feels like the obvious solution. But when it comes to aluminium front doors, aluminium doors and aluminium entrance doors, a single door with a sidelight almost always wins. Here's why.

Understanding What 1300mm Actually Gives You

The first thing to appreciate is that a 1300mm wide opening does not give you 1300mm of usable door space. Once you account for the frame around your aluminium entrance door — typically 59mm to 90mm depending on the series you choose — you are already losing roughly 60–90mm from the total. Factor in a threshold at the bottom and fixings, and your actual usable opening is closer to 1200mm or less.

For a double door, that 1200mm usable space gets divided into two equal leaves of roughly 600mm each. That is a very narrow leaf for a front door — awkward to pass through with furniture, pushchairs or shopping, and visually underwhelming.

The Case for a Single Aluminium Front Door with Sidelight

A single aluminium front door with a sidelight solves this problem elegantly. In Glasswin's Silver, Platinum Schuco and Diamond Schuco series, the door and sidelight share a single frame — one continuous unit. This is a critical distinction from competitors who use a two-frame design with a central post between the door and sidelight, which eats into your usable glass and opening size.

With Glasswin's single-frame construction, a 1300mm opening would typically give you a door leaf of 950–1,000mm wide alongside a sidelight of 300–350mm — a proper, proportioned sidelight that floods your hallway with light, while still giving you a generous, easy-to-use door leaf. Compare that to a double door where each leaf is only ~600mm — barely wide enough to manoeuvre furniture or a pushchair through comfortably.

The Light Advantage

One of the most underappreciated benefits of an aluminium door with a sidelight is the natural light it brings into your home. A sidelight runs the full height of the door — up to 2,200mm in the Silver Series and up to 2,500mm in the Diamond Schuco Series — creating a generous column of glazing alongside your entrance. In practice, this transforms a dark hallway into a bright, welcoming space in a way that a solid double door never can.

Glasswin's slim sash design — just 2mm rebate between sash and panel in the Silver Series — means the sidelight glass area is maximised with minimal aluminium frame interrupting the view.

The Cost Reality

Double aluminium entrance doors cost significantly more than a single door with a sidelight. You are essentially purchasing two full door panels, two sets of hinges, two locks, two weather seals and a more complex frame. The hardware alone for a double door — two sets of multipoint Winkhaus or GU German locking mechanisms, two sets of Schuco or Reynaers hinges — adds considerable cost over a single leaf and fixed sidelight configuration.

A single aluminium front door with a sidelight, by contrast, requires one active door leaf with the full locking and hinge package, and a fixed sidelight panel — simpler to manufacture, simpler to install, and meaningfully less expensive — for what is ultimately a better practical and aesthetic result.

Security

Security also favours the single door with sidelight configuration. A double door has an inherent weak point at the central meeting point of the two leaves — a known vulnerability in forced entry attempts. Glasswin's single-leaf aluminium doors carry German RC2 security certification with multipoint locking, laminated glass and concealed security pins beneath the hinges, delivering a level of protection that a double door configuration struggles to match at the same price point.

The Visual Result

Finally, consider the aesthetic. A wide, statement-making single aluminium entrance door with a full-height sidelight looks architecturally considered and luxurious — far more so than two narrow matching leaves squeezed into the same space. Glasswin's single-frame construction means the transition between door and sidelight is seamless, with no central post to break the visual flow.

The Verdict

For a 1300mm wide opening, a single aluminium front door with a sidelight from Glasswin is the smarter choice on every measure — usable opening size, natural light, cost, security and visual impact. The single-frame design used across the Silver, Platinum Schuco and Diamond Schuco series is what sets Glasswin apart from competitors, ensuring you get the largest possible door leaf and glass area within your opening.