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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a patch fitting do?
It clamps the glass between two plates so hardware can attach to something.
There is no frame to screw into.
Pivot, lock and closer connections all mount to the patch rather than the glass.
Corner patches grip around the edges of the pane.
It is what turns a sheet of glass into a door.
The glass carries the load and the patch transfers it.
Why can toughened glass not be drilled afterwards?
Because toughening puts the surface into compression and the core into tension.
Cutting or drilling releases that balance and the whole pane shatters.
Every hole, notch and cut-out must be made before heat treatment.
A dimensional mistake means a new door rather than an adjustment.
That is why fabrication drawings are checked so carefully.
Patch fittings are partly chosen because they need fewer cut-outs than through-fixed hardware.
How is the fitting matched to the glass?
By thickness - the clamping gap is manufactured for a specific range.
Fittings and glass are specified together rather than sequentially.
A fitting for thinner glass will not close on a thicker pane.
One for thicker glass will not grip a thinner pane securely.
Door size and weight also determine how many patches are needed.
Manufacturers publish maximum door dimensions per fitting.
What are the gaskets for?
They distribute clamping pressure and keep metal off the glass.
Metal-to-glass contact is a stress concentration.
It is a route to spontaneous breakage weeks or months later.
Omitting or damaging a gasket during installation causes real failures.
They are a structural component rather than packaging.
Replacement gaskets should always be fitted when hardware is removed and refitted.
How tight should the clamping be?
To the manufacturer's specified torque, and no more.
Over-tightening concentrates stress and can break the pane.
Under-tightening lets the door move within the fitting.
Movement wears the gasket and eventually reaches metal-to-glass contact.
A torque figure is published for exactly this reason.
Tightening by feel is the commonest installation error on glass hardware.
What safety requirements apply?
Safety glazing rules apply to glass doors in essentially every market.
They cover thickness, type and permanent marking.
Many jurisdictions require laminated glass in overhead or fully glazed assemblies.
Manifestation markings to make glass visible are commonly required.
Requirements differ substantially between jurisdictions.
The local regulation governs rather than the hardware manufacturer's catalogue.
Can a broken glass door be repaired?
No - toughened glass fails completely rather than cracking.
The pane disintegrates into small fragments by design.
The replacement has to be made to the same fabrication drawing.
Keeping that drawing after installation saves considerable time later.
Patch fittings themselves are usually reusable.
New gaskets are fitted with the replacement pane as a matter of course.