The Most Common Garage Door Design Options
Installing a new garage door or updating your current one is an exciting process. Choosing colors, materials and styles that complement the rest of your house is only made more rewarding by seeing your plan come to life right in front of you.
Sometimes, though, a simplistic design can become lackluster when you see it in person. If that’s the case, it’s time to do what you do when any part of your house becomes boring — decorate! Custom Door & Gate has a great selection of decorative hardware for you to dress up your garage door design with.
Decorative Hardware Options
When exploring your decorative hardware options, you have a few choices to accessorize your garage door:
- Handles: Even if your garage door is automatic, you’ll likely want to have handles on it in case of a power outage or breakage. A decorative hinge is a perfect way to add a flair of extravagance to your door.
- Hinges: Long hinges are quite popular on garage doors, especially for buyers looking to add a rustic element to their house.
- Plates: Adding step plates to the bottom of your garage door is excellent for balancing your door’s look if it has windows at the top.
- Windows: Adding windows to your garage door is another popular customization option that can totally transform its look.
Every Clopay® door on our website has suggested styles to fit with the door’s aesthetic. These styles are:
- Spade: Spade handles, hinges and plates have raindrop-shaped ends that come to a long, narrow point.
- Spear: Accessories with spears look similar to spade decorations, but the raindrop shape is more rounded.
- Colonial: Products with this shape have a fanlike appearance with a half-oval design on the hardware ends.
The Pros and Cons of Owning a Garage Door with Windows
Before deciding on a remodel, consider the pros and cons of adding windows to your garage door.
Pros
Topping the list of benefits of garage doors with windows are:
- Natural light: Having more natural light in your garage is ideal. There’ll be less need to turn the garage lights on when you’re working on a project or inside during daytime hours, which saves electricity. Insulated garage doors with windows generally retain their energy efficiency to lower your bills.
- Boosted curb appeal: Many homeowners switch to a garage door with windows for an attractive appearance. These doors may cover as much as a third of your home’s exterior. Adding windows breaks up the otherwise plain space with style.
- Customization: Today’s options allow you to tailor window designs to your home. You can choose from multiple rows or change the basic shapes, and some door styles mimic your home’s windows for a cohesive look. Homeowners can also customize the window glass with finishing options and colors for a unique appeal.
Cons
While windows look great and add value to your garage door, there are also some potential disadvantages to consider. Here are some cons to installing windows on your garage door:
- Privacy: Some homeowners feel that windows compromise their garage privacy. They don’t want neighbors to be able to peek into the interior, especially when storing valuables in the garage. You can place windows at a height that doesn’t allow for prying eyes to see in easily, and finishing options can preserve privacy while maintaining natural light.
- Security: Some choose not to add windows over security concerns. In most cases, you can resolve this challenge with customization options. Choosing styles like the popular carriage house garage doors allows you to outfit them with smaller, multipane windows that aren’t large enough to permit entry.
- Fragility: Living in an active neighborhood or playing sports in the driveway means you might end up with a broken window. Fortunately, replacing glass is easier than replacing steel or wood panels. Plus, options like tempered glass provide more durability. If you do experience a broken garage door window, the pros at Custom Door & Gate promptly respond to repair calls!
- Door balance: Your garage door opener and the door weight align for proper operation. Adding windows to a previously installed door changes its weight, which affects the door balance and performance. That’s not usually an issue for a newly installed door with windows, since your garage door professional will adjust the settings at installation. To put windows into your existing door, it’s best to consult with an expert first.
Glass Options
If you decide to add windows to your garage door, you have many finishing options to choose from. Clopay® also offers doors consisting of all-glass panels and aluminum frames.
If you love the design of a glass garage door but have concerns about privacy or lighting, rest assured we have various treatments available to provide you with a beautiful oasis away from the world. Aside from our clear glass, options include:
- Gray and bronze-tinted glass.
- Obscure glass.
- Frosted (satin etched) glass.
- Mirrored glass.
- White laminate glass.
If you decide glass is not the material for you but still want the style, we offer clear and tinted acrylic or polygal and aluminum paneling as replacements.
Make Your Garage Door Stylish and Unique
Start on your new garage door design by using some of these clever ideas. If you’re ready to design your garage door with stylized plates, hinges, handles, and glass windows, contact Custom Door & Gate to request an estimate today!