Front doors
Front door with fanlight: adding a top light
Short answer
A fanlight, also called a top light, is a fixed glazed panel above a front door, inside the same frame. It brings daylight into the hall without adding glass to the door itself, and it is a traditional feature on Victorian and Edwardian homes. When we replace a front door, a fanlight can be built into the new frame, glazed to suit the house and even carry your house number.
What a fanlight is
The name comes from the semicircular windows over Georgian doors, with glazing bars spreading out like a fan. Today the term covers any glazed panel over a door. On most homes it is a rectangular top light that runs the full width of the door frame, sometimes extending over side panels too.
The fanlight is a fixed pane. It does not open, so it adds light without affecting how the door locks or seals.
Rectangular and arched-look designs
A plain rectangular top light suits most homes and keeps the look clean. For a more traditional front, the glass itself can carry an arched-look design, with decorative glass or bars creating a curve inside a rectangular frame. That gives a period feel while keeping the frame a standard shape.
Glazing bars can divide the top light into sections to match Georgian bars or the pattern in the door's own glass.
More light in a dark hallway
Many terraced and semi-detached homes have narrow, dark halls with no window. A fanlight lets light in high up, where it spreads further down the hall, while the door below can stay solid or modestly glazed for privacy. It is often the simplest way to brighten a hall without giving up privacy at eye level.
Suiting period homes
Victorian and Edwardian terraces were usually built with a top light over the front door, and many still have the tall opening even where the original glass has gone. Restoring a fanlight when the door is replaced puts back a detail that suits the house. Decorative or leaded-look glass in the top light can echo the original style.
Glass and house number options
The top light uses double glazed safety glass like the door. You can choose clear glass for maximum light, obscure glass for privacy, or a decorative pattern. A house number can be applied to the fanlight glass, which keeps the door face clean and makes the number easy to see from the pavement.
- Clear glass for the most light
- Obscure or textured glass for privacy
- Decorative designs to suit the age of the house
- House number applied to the glass
Replacing an existing fanlight
Where a house already has a fanlight, the usual approach is to replace the door and top light together as one new frame. That gives matching colours, consistent sightlines and one sealed, fixed frame. At survey we measure the full opening, including the top light, so the new frame fills it properly. A fanlight can be combined with side panels on wider entrances.
Common questions
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