As important as your interior design choices are, so are your exterior ones. You should design a landscape that reflects your home. Maybe that includes adding decorative hardware or windows to your garage door!
This blog will highlight some pros and cons of windows in garage doors so you have a better idea of what the right choice is for you and your home.
Reasons to Include Windows In Your Garage Door
Modern garage doors with windows have become a popular design choice for homeowners. You may decide to incorporate windows so you can open the space up, let in natural light, and create your own design.
Natural Light
Natural lighting in your home has been known to increase productivity levels, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase your home’s value. These aspects are especially useful if you use your garage space as more than a storage area.
By incorporating windows into your garage door, you can also save on utility bills and be more energy efficient. Natural lighting means you don’t have to constantly have lights on in your garage. And if you’re using your garage as a creative space, natural light coming in can transform your garage into a warm, welcoming, and productive space for you.
Add a Unique Style
The interior of your home is designed to match your personal aesthetic and style. The exterior should be no different. There are multiple garage door styles with windows, so you can find something that matches and seamlessly blends with the rest of your home.
Garage door window panels can be arched or square. Then you can divide your panels into two, three, or four. These styles are commonly known as swing style (two), trifold (three), and bifold (four).
Specifically for windows, you can choose between traditional window styles and specialty window styles. Traditional windows give a clear and clean look to your garage while specialty styles have more texture and design.
At Artisan, we offer a modern garage door with windows. Our Panorama Series is an aluminum and glass garage door that provides a contemporary look for your home. Just like any other style of our garage doors, you can customize and configure the window panels to match your aesthetics.
These doors still provide an obstructed view to the inside of your garage, so you can feel safe that people won’t be looking in. You may also customize your door to include decorative glass windows for a textured look.
Improve Curb Appeal
Modern garage doors with windows can increase your home’s curb appeal and help your home stand out from your neighbors. Your garage door is an important part of your exterior, and if it doesn’t match the rest of your home, it will stick out like a sore thumb.
Increasing your curb appeal will also increase your home’s value. Updates to your garage door will provide a great return on your investment. When it comes time to sell your home, these upgrades can mean a quick and higher-value sale.
Minimal Maintenance
Compared to other home improvement projects, garage door styles with windows are relatively low maintenance. They’re easy to clean and easy to remove in case of cracks or breaks. There are basic cleaning steps you can follow on a seasonal basis to keep your windows clean.
Any Artisan garage door with windows will have stops that hold the glass in place. If you need to remove or replace these windows, you just need to remove these stops and take out the glass.
Cons of Windows in Garage Doors
There are many pros and cons of windows in garage doors, and now we’ll highlight some things to consider if you’re thinking about getting a new garage door. These cons all depend on other factors, like the location, the temperature of your home, and your budget.
Glass is Easier to Break
This con isn’t necessarily just for a potential break-in. Even if you have young children that like to play inside your garage or even outside in the driveway, there’s a chance they could break a window as well.
As we’ve stated before, Artisan has specialty or traditional glass. Depending on the type you choose, you can better protect your windows. Traditional glass windows are still relatively strong and are 1/8 inches thick. But specialty glass is more resistant and less likely to break in the long run.
If you use your driveway as a sports rink or have flying objects around your garage door, it might be better to get specialty glass which is more durable. Specialty glass isn’t clear and adds extra textures and details to your garage door.
No matter what, if you choose a garage door style with windows, you do risk one breaking or needing to make repairs.
Less Insulation
In a previous blog, we talked about the importance of finding a garage door with the right insulation for your location. Modern garage doors with windows provide less insulation for the space. Again, while specialty glass windows will improve the insulation, it’s still going to be less than a windowless garage door.
With windows, you may notice heating and cooling costs increase, especially if you live in an extreme temperature climate. Typically, a window will have an R-value of 1 to 2, whereas an Artisan garage door’s R-value is around 9.
Could Raise Temperatures in Your Garage
Depending on your location and the direction your garage door faces, having windows could actually overheat your garage because the window insulation isn’t very high. If you live in a hot climate, your windows could bring in extra heat.
In turn, your cooling costs could increase during this time if you need to use a/c units or fans to accommodate the heat. You can also open your garage door to let air flow freely, just make sure you don’t leave your garage door open unattended.
Depending On Your Window Style, Your Windows Could Be A Safety Concern
Glass windows have a lot of benefits, but clear spots in your garage mean that people can see into your garage area and potentially find disadvantage points to break in. Your garage door window security is important, so it’s best to know the facts beforehand.
This is one of the main reasons why people consider specialty glass windows. With an obstructed view, people aren’t able to see what’s inside your garage. And again, these windows are harder to break compared to traditional glass windows.
In general, your garage door is a wide opening to your home so it can easily be a disadvantage to your home’s security. There are a number of security tips to be aware of as you install a new garage door.
As you start to compare the pros and cons of windows in garage doors, remember to keep your style wants in mind. A new garage door is an investment and it should be something you love.
