A solid wood front door works. Glass works too, if you want to be on display. I can see straight into the guy across the streets house, 1000’ away, where he is luckily in his underwear.

We have a solid entry door, with a narrow vertical window to one side of it. We don't answer the door every time someone knocks or rings the doorbell. That's why there's a peephole in the door - to look out to see who's there. If there were glass in the door, the person standing there could tell that you're there checking them out. Bugs me. So, solid door.

We had a full view glass door on our last house. What can you see? Our suburban neighborhood was pretty dark and quiet at night. But still you wanted to make sure you had underwear on.

I would not do it again. It bothered my spouse more than me tho.

how far back will the door be from the street?

will the door sight line look directly into a room? or is it just an entryway?

I have a glass door but it sits back far enough from the front yard that no one can see in.

you could also do some beveled glass around the trim to make it more distorted from someone to see in.

however, unless your door sits 5 feet from the sidewalk, and has a straight view to the living area, and the lights are on inside just perfectly, no one will be able to see in that well.

if it bothers you, do a door like this

or just get the seeded glass or some beveled glass

I read an article recommending Installing dimmer switches and focused task lights

Rebecca bloch-lopez - I'd like to read that article. Could you post a link?

You could have blinds, shades or shutters installed on your door.

I plan for this look on our Great Room French doors. The shades can be lowered at night.

In our previous home, the front door was 2 very large glass doors. We had to pass by those doors multiple times as day! And the door looked straight inside...all the way back into our family room. We sat off the street a good ways, and house was on an incline. We had privacy from the street, but not from anyone standing at the door. We managed, and I loved the view out of the door. Hence why I never covered the glass. One disappointment was that the builder forgot to order the door with beveled glass. I think that would have helped a little, not to mention being prettier doors.

With our new build home, we will be quite close to the street. House only sits off the ground a few feet. I plan a single solid door with sidelights (glass starting only half way up.) We will have a transom for more light, as well. We should have more privacy. Plus, with the new plan, we will not have to walk past the front door as often as we did in the last house.

Something like this

I could always do this to bring more light in when needed.

Here's an interesting thread on the subject.

Door solutions

I didn’t want anyone to be able to see into my house from the front porch, known or unknown. I also want to answer my door when and if I choose to answer it.

my door is 8 ft tall (42” wide) with glass just at the top. if I’m standing at my peephole no one can see me through the glass.

the extra light in a door or door configuration with more glass probably would have been more attractive but it is a small price to pay to have my privacy.

thank you all for your comments. this is the blog I made a reference to

https://blog.solarart.com/home-privacy

Why have it if your goal is privacy?

The popularity of doorbell cameras like Nest has shown how incredibly often people come to front doors and peer in. I had no idea, but it is amazing. Rebecca bloch-lopez please explain why you want a glass front door and privacy at the same time. Those are two opposing things. Two suggestions: either get a solid door with a window at the top of it to let light in if you want. Or, I have a completely solid front door, with two narrow sidelights. The sidelights have top-down blinds on them that I can adjust to allow light in or make completely private.

I have the original divided light door in my 1928 home. I love the door and the light it lets in but didn't like the postal carrier catchiing me napping on the sofa with my mouth open in the middle of the day. My solution is a plain sheer curtain panel. It lets light in but provides privacy. Etched glass would offer the same solution for a more contemporary home.

We have large sidelights on either side of our oversized front door. Originally they were see through and I adored the light and never worried about people looking in. It was stunning. Our dog however was a complete wreck seeing out to the street. So we ended up tinting them with a film we had professionally installed. I don't love it now but the dog does.

This is not a special problem. Use space and landscaping. Just as for the much larger all glass patio door you have. If you want a glass door you design for it. You don't add it without doing the rest of the work.

I think glass doors are very pretty and the added light is a bonus. But neither are worth it for the lack of privacy and the fact that somebody can break the glass and unlock the door to get in. If you want glass consider impact glass and a door with blinds.

Well, one swift kick opens 90% of doors glass or not so...thats not really a reason by itself.

A S

"We have large sidelights on either side of our oversized front door. Originally they were see through and I adored the light and never worried about people looking in. It was stunning. Our dog however was a complete wreck seeing out to the street. So we ended up tinting them with a film we had professionally installed. I don't love it now but the dog does."

Haha...that's why we are going with the solid door, and half lite/half panel for our sidelights. I don't want the dog sitting there barking at walkers.

A S

My solution is to realize this isn't a problem that hasn't been routinely solved by everyone already. If you look at it as a patio door. . . .No one places a patio door so no privacy exists. Treat an 'entrance' glass door the same. You can have one if you first use space and landscaping or a structure like a wall to create the privacy you would want for a patio door. If you can't do that forget about a glass door. One interior step is to have a foyer wall opposite the glass door. Good wall for artwork and a small chest with decorative pieces. This gives you privacy when someone comes to your door. Even if you have landscaping, etc. hiding it from the street.

Literally almost all problems on this forum have been solved by someone else. It’s why the forum exists. To share the info with others.

Yes Stella, the lovely golden we own, was such a stress case staring out. She looks out back in the same manner but luckily only sees skunks and bears 🐻

Mirror window film.

Could say the same thing about side lites that are much more common. For me it depends on the floor plan - I agree I hate it if a guest comes up to ring your doorbell, but they're standing there staring at you as your sit on your couch watching TV before they hit the button. If you have a private foyer or the door doesn't face into your public room, I don't see glass as an issue.

Decorative leaded glass (privacy), shear curtains work, or there's inexpensive stick-on film that can be tint or a leaded glass look.

I think security is a non-issue. If I wanted to break into a home, #1 look for unlocked door or open garage door, #2 a sliding patio door is easiest to pry, otherwise I'm going through a window in the back yard. Nobody is going to bust out your front door IMO