Buying New Garage Doors: With Or Without Windows?

When the time comes to replace a garage door, many homeowners are faced with a choice: should the new garage door have windows or not? There are a number of factors that potentially impact your decision including security, privacy concerns, aesthetics and cost (windows typically add a bit to the price of a door). But ultimately the choice is entirely yours to make. In the following guide, our experienced service team breaks down some of the pros and cons of having windows in the garage door.

Garage Door Installers List the Pros and Cons of Windows

For the most part, the decision whether to have windows in your new garage door is a personal one based on your own tastes and any other criteria you choose to interject. However, there are some objective considerations that should be taken into account that may help tilt your decision making process one way or the other. Here are the pros and cons of windows according to our professional garage door installers.

Pros

• More light in the garage - Let’s face it. Unless you’ve put a lot of time and energy into refurbishing it the garage can be a pretty dreary place. Anything that livens it up a bit should be considered a positive thing and windows in the garage door certainly qualify. Not only do they look good from the outside but the light they bring inside can make the garage less foreboding and also help warm it up in the wintertime.
• Better aesthetic integration - The garage door is the single biggest component on the exterior of your home. As such it exerts considerable influence over the curb appeal or lack of curb appeal exuded by your house. If yours is a house with a lot of windows, having a garage door that is little more than a block of solid color is going to interfere with the aesthetic balance of the house. Likewise, if your home has few window facing the street a garage door with lots of windows may seem out of place. The goal is to find balance between the door and the rest of the house.
• More choices - Choices are a good thing and windows significantly ramp up the number of choices you have when it comes to selecting a garage door style. The number of different window styles, colors and shapes is boundless and there is certain to be a glass style that appeals to some aspect of your taste. So embrace the choices the garage door is offering you and include some windows.

Because there are two sides to every coin we’ll now take a look at the potential downsides of having windows in your garage door.

Cons

• Loss of privacy - This is a big one for some people. They don’t want to feel like there’s a chance someone is watching them when they are in the garage. Windows certainly bring with them the chance that someone may try to sneak a peek. However, even if you believe your neighborhood is one where this may be an issue you can install mirrored panels that let you see out while blocking others from seeing in.
• Loss of security - Again, no one wants to think someone is peering in through the garage door windows and sizing up their garage. In addition, glass panels could be broken by a branch falling from a tree or by a baseball coming over the fence from the neighbor’s yard. If a window is broken and you are not aware of it you are then vulnerable to weasels who might try and take advantage of the situation. However, if this is a major concern you can have reinforced glass panels installed that will withstand pretty much any type of impact.
• Expense - Glass panels cost more than standard garage door panels and the fancier the glass the more expensive it will be. Reinforced glass costs more than standard glass and etched glass is more expensive than plain glass. Same for mirrored glass or frosted glass. The added cost however, is not as much as you might think and the aesthetic boost it is likely to give the house is typically well worth it. Keep in mind too that the garage door has a direct impact on the market value of your home. So a door that is aesthetically pleasing may boost your home value to a degree that more than offsets whatever the glass panels cost.

The Bottom Line

While the decision whether to include windows on your new garage door is entirely up to you keep the above considerations in mind when making your decision. Read our previous guides for more information ongarage door panel styles orcustom garage door features. If you're interested in having a new garage door installed in the Broomfield area, call our service team to discuss your options.