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What are Garage Door Windows?
Garage door windows are windows that simply are installed into garage doors to give the doors a more distinctive touch. Often, these windows are too far above the height of most people to truly be functional in the way most windows are. Rather, they are simply decorative features, though they may have a secondary use of allowing some additional natural light into a garage area.
One of the benefits of garage door windows is they take the industrial, monotonous look away from the door. They make the garage a more inviting place and offer yet another distinctive way to customize a home. Many different styles of window, including plain windows, dissected windows, and some unique shapes may be available. The type of glass can further customize the look, providing garage door windows with a unique look that may be hard to find anywhere else.
Due to the fact that most overhead garage doors are paneled, garage door windows must fit within these panels. Garage door panels help compose the straight horizontal sections that break up and then come back together when an overhead garage door is moving up and down along the curve of the track. Without these panels, garage doors could not exist in their current configuration. Therefore, it is natural to use these panels as guides for garage door windows.
Despite this seeming limitation, it does not mean that there are not options beyond those panels. Many manufacturers of garage door windows have designs that work across these panels and complement each other in a comprehensive design effort. Even without such a design enhancement, garage door windows are still sure to add some aesthetic value to the door.
The most common time to install a garage door windows in existing doors may be when they are being repaired. Often, certain garage door panels will wear out before others do. Instead of buying replacement panels, it may be good time to consider windows. The other popular option is to choose garage doors with windows or options for windows before installation. A homeowner may choose a garage door simply because it already has windows pre-installed.
Those considering garage door windows should also be aware their current garage door opener equipment may not work well on such a garage door. In some cases, reinforcement will be needed in order to make sure the garage door works properly. While this may be an additional step, not following directions exactly may void any warranty that comes with a garage door with windows.
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Discussion Comments
A man who lives across the street from me is a boating enthusiast. His garage door windows even reflect his love of ships.
He has round windows in his garage door. They go all the way across the top, and they remind me of portholes on a ship.
He has an actual boat stored in his garage, which makes these windows seem even more appropriate. They are small, but they really are more for looks than for function, anyway.
I was admiring his garage door windows one time, and he told me that the store where he got them from also sells garage doors with round windows running vertically. This would be an interesting option for anyone who wanted to let more light into their garage.
@Oceana – It must be nice to have your house facing the sunrise. My garage door faces south, so it doesn't get any bright light until the middle of the morning.
My neighbor accidentally hit a baseball toward my garage, shattering the windows, so I decided on some more decorative garage door replacement windows. The ones I had before were plain rectangles, and it was time for a change.
I found some windows with white bars laid diagonally across them made to look like sun rays. I thought that if I couldn't actually see the real sun rising through my windows, this would be a good substitute!
I decided to have windows placed in my garage door because of my son. He was terrified to go into the dark garage, and I had trouble getting him into the car to take him to school in the morning. The garage had originally been a carport, so we didn't have a light switch out there.
I got some fairly big windows, and I had them placed just low enough where he could peep inside. This eased his fear of opening the garage door from the outside.
Our house faces east, so sunlight would already be filtering into the garage by the time I had to take him to school. Even though it was lowly lit, this was better than nothing, and he overcame his fear of our garage.
I made sure that my garage door could be easily remodeled to have exterior windows before I bought it. Now, I'm glad that I did, because the garage was so dark and scary without them.
My garage door resembles a sectioned candy bar. Rectangular segments are set into the frame, and any of them could be removed to make room for a window.
I like having narrow windows like this way up high. Someone would have to stand on a chair to peep in, and that would look suspicious to my nosy neighbors.
The glass has a decorative design frosted onto it. It is latticework with curls at the ends, and you can see through it easily.
For safety reasons I have never thought it was a good idea to have garage door windows. People can figure out a lot of things by peering into your garage. They can figure out if you are home or not and what kind of car you drive.
It is better to be safe than sorry so I always opt for windowless garages.
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