Front Doors with Side Panels in Dublin & Ireland

Front Doors with Side Panels

Expert Windows supplies and installs front doors with side panels in Dublin and across Ireland. Choose a composite, uPVC, aluminium or AluClad door with one side panel, two side panels, or side panels and a fanlight above, all made to measure and fitted by our own team.

A glazed side panel lets daylight into the hall, makes the entrance look wider from the street and fills an opening that was built for a door and a narrow window.

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Front Doors with Side Panels – Free Quote Form

Tell us the rough width of your opening, whether you want one or two side panels and your preferred material or colour. Uploading a photograph of your current entrance helps us give you a guide price before anyone calls out.

A Wider, Brighter Entrance for Irish Homes

Most Dublin semi-detached and terraced houses were built with a door and a narrow window beside it. A new door set with a matching side panel replaces both in one frame, with a single set of seals and locks, and gives the entrance a wider, more finished look.

Every door set is made to measure for your opening, and the panel glass is matched to the door glass so the whole entrance reads as one design.

We survey the full opening, check the lintel and reveals, and agree the panel layout with you before anything is ordered. Doors from our Palladio collection carry a 12-year structural guarantee, and every installation comes with up to a 15-year warranty.

Side Panel Configurations

The right layout depends on the width of your opening and how much light you want in the hall. These are the configurations we fit most often.

Side panels are available on all our front door systems: Palladio and Apeer composite doors, uPVC doors, slim-frame aluminium doors and AluClad doors. Panels can be fully glazed or built with a solid lower section that matches the door.

Door with One Side Panel

The most common set-up in Dublin homes. The panel can go on the left or the right, on the hinge side or the lock side, and is usually 300 to 600 mm wide. It suits openings from about 1,200 mm.

Door with Two Side Panels

A panel on each side gives a symmetrical, wider entrance with the most daylight. Popular on detached homes and on porches being rebuilt with a single modern door. Suits openings from about 1,500 mm.

Side Panels with a Fanlight

For tall openings, a glazed fanlight (also called a toplight) sits above the door and side panels. It fills openings up to around 2.7 m high without a solid infill above the door and keeps the glass line consistent across the whole set.

Full-Height or Half-Glazed Panels

Side panels can be glazed from top to bottom, or built with a solid lower panel and glass above. A solid lower section gives more privacy, matches traditional panelled doors and can be pre-cut for a cat or dog flap.

uPVC, Composite, Aluminium or AluClad: Which Suits a Door with Side Panels?

Feature	uPVC	Composite	Aluminium	AluClad
Affordability	Excellent	Moderate	Premium	Premium
Security	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Insulation	Good	Excellent	Very good	Excellent
Side panel frame	Standard	Matched to door	Slimmest, most glass	Slim, timber inside
Colour choice	White, grey, black, woodgrain	Very wide, dual colour	Any RAL colour	Any RAL colour
Best suited to	Budget replacements and porches	Most homeowners	Contemporary entrances	Architect-designed homes

uPVC is the most affordable way to add side panels. Composite gives the strongest balance of security, insulation and design choice, and is what most Dublin homeowners choose. Aluminium and AluClad give the slimmest frames and the largest glass area for contemporary entrances.

Glass, Security, Sizes and Colour: What to Look For

A glazed side panel is only as good as the glass, frame and locks around it. These are the points to check when you compare quotes.

1. Glass Options for Side Panels

Side panel glass can be specified for light, privacy or both:

2. Security and Locking

Our door sets with side panels include:

3. Replacing the Door and Keeping the Side Panel

We are often asked whether the existing side panel can stay and only the door be replaced. It can be done, but we recommend replacing the door, frame and panel together. A new door in an old frame keeps the old draughts and weak locking points, and a new colour rarely matches a panel that has weathered for twenty years. If you already have a door and only need a frame with a side panel made for it, ask us and we will quote for the frame and panel alone.

4. Sizes We Can Fit

Every door set is made to measure, so there is no fixed size list. As a guide, these are the opening widths we see most often in Dublin homes:

5. Colours and Finishes

Side panels come in the same colour as the door, inside and out. The most requested combination in Dublin is anthracite grey outside with white inside. Agate grey, black, Chartwell green and bog oak are popular on composite doors, matt black (RAL 9005) on aluminium, and golden oak or rosewood woodgrain on uPVC. Any colour on our RAL colour chart is available on aluminium and AluClad doors, and handles, letterboxes, knockers and hinges can be matched in chrome, brushed steel, black or gold.

What Affects the Price of a Front Door with Side Panels?

Adding side panels increases the width of the door set, so the price is higher than a door on its own. The main factors are:

Number and Size of Panels

One narrow panel adds the least; two full-height panels and a fanlight add the most.

Door Material

uPVC is the most affordable, then composite, with aluminium and AluClad at the premium end.

Glass Specification

Triple glazing, laminated security glass and decorative designs each add to the cost.

Opening Condition

Widening an opening or replacing a rotten frame adds labour to the installation.

Hardware & Finishes

Long pull handles, smart locks, dual-colour finishes and premium furniture affect the total.

Send us a photo of your current door and a rough width, and we will give you a guide price before anyone calls out. Most customers then visit our Dublin 12 showroom to choose the door style and glass in person.

Door Set Specifications

Our front door and side panel systems typically include:

We check the door, frame, side panels, locks, hinges, handles, glazing and seals before completing the installation. All installations comply with current Irish building standards.

Not sure which material suits your house? See the full front door materials comparison, or design your own composite door in our door designer and add a side panel there.

How We Install a Door with Side Panels

Step 1 – Survey & Measurement

We measure the full opening, check the lintel and reveals, and agree the panel layout with you.

Step 2 – Made to Measure

The door, side panels and fanlight are manufactured as one matched set in your chosen colour and glass.

Step 3 – Removal & Installation

The old door and panel come out, the new set goes in, is sealed and squared, and locks and hinges are adjusted.

Step 4 – Finishing & Inspection

Internal trims, external sealing and a final check of every lock, hinge and seal before we leave.

Most door sets with side panels are fitted in a single day. Lead time from order is confirmed at quote stage. Where an opening is being widened, we coordinate with your builder so the ope is built to the right size.

Why Choose Expert Windows for Doors with Side Panels?

We help you compare one panel against two, full-height against half-glazed and one material against another, without pushing a design that does not suit your house or your budget.

We install front doors with side panels across Dublin and the surrounding service areas, including Kildare, Wicklow, Meath and Louth. Visit our showroom in Dublin 12 to see door and side panel combinations in person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a side panel on just one side of the door?

Yes. One panel on the left or right is the most common set-up we fit, and it can be on either the hinge side or the lock side of the door.

Can the side panel glass be frosted so people cannot see into the hall?

Yes. Satin, obscure and frosted-centre glass are all available, and can be matched to the glass in the door itself.

Can you replace just the door and keep my existing side panel?

We can, but we recommend replacing the door, frame and panel as one set. It seals better, locks better and the colours match. If you already have a door, we can also make a frame with a side panel to suit it.

Do you do composite doors with side panels?

Yes. Our Palladio and Apeer composite doors are available with matching side panels and fanlights in the same colour and frame system.

What is the difference between a side panel, a sidelight and a fanlight?

Side panel and sidelight mean the same thing: a fixed glazed panel beside the door. A fanlight, or toplight, is the glazed panel above the door.

Can I have the door in grey outside and white inside?

Yes. Dual-colour finishes such as anthracite grey outside and white inside are available on composite, uPVC and aluminium doors, and the side panels are finished to match.

Will a door with side panels fit a porch?

Usually, yes. Shallow porches sometimes need a narrower door and panel combination or an outward-opening door, which we check at survey.

Can a pet flap be fitted in a side panel?

Yes. A side panel can be built with a solid lower section pre-cut for a cat or dog flap, which keeps the flap out of the door leaf itself.

How long does installation take?

Most door sets with side panels are fitted in a single day. Lead time from order is confirmed at quote stage.

Is a front door with side panels covered by the SEAI grant?

External doors are included in some SEAI home energy upgrade schemes when replaced as part of a wider works package. See our grants page for current eligibility.

Get a Free Quote for a Front Door with Side Panels

Upload a photo of your entrance and tell us the rough width of the opening. We will come back with a guide price and the configurations that will fit, then arrange a survey when you are ready.

Front Doors with Side Panels in Dublin & Ireland