Glass garage doors are becoming more popular as more homeowners are embracing the curb appeal of contemporary home designs, especially around urban areas. These modern, elegant alternatives to traditional or carriage style garage doors add a sophisticated touch to a home’s overall aesthetic and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials.
Residential glass garage doors are also highly customizable and can fit just about any type of house. While some homeowners enjoy the transparent, top-to-bottom glass paneling on their garages, glass garage doors don’t necessarily mean giving up a percentage of a home’s privacy. Many glass garage door retailers provide the option of partial glass paneling, frosted glass paneling or a combination of both — so there’s something for every degree of privacy.
So, what are the typical options for a residential garage door with glass?
Popular Glass Garage Door Options
Glass garage door types are more customizable than most homeowners would think. Garage doors with glass are held together with a metal framework — often aluminum — which gives the entire door added strength as well as the ability to seamlessly fold when the door is opened or closed. Residential aluminum garage doors with glass panels have the added option of looking as if the glass panels are floating on a frameless structure.
Additionally, homeowners have the option to choose between standard or tempered glass. Tempered glass, which is much stronger than regular glass, breaks into tiny fragments rather than large, sharp shards. The tiny fragments reduce the chance of injury if the glass breaks. But the strength of the tempered glass itself is a benefit.
Tempered glass is the same type of glass found in car windows and windshields, meaning it’s designed to be tough and prevent further injury in case of breakage. This may be a good counterpoint for those who are worried that glass garage doors aren’t safe or will be easier to break into. The shatter-resistant glass is not likely to be overcome by a petty burglar. Making sure your entry points — including your garage door — are all securely locked with a sturdy, reliable lock is a good way to prevent burglary.
Many factors go into choosing the right glass garage door for a property, including size, materials and opacity.
Here are some of the ways glass garage doors can vary:
Glass Paneling
Glass panels typically replace regular garage door panels and have virtually identical functions. Some people prefer full-view doors, which feature glass paneling from the ground up. This design allows for maximum natural light and is a common choice for more modern homes. Others prefer partial glass paneling or even accent paneling, which allows for more privacy and less natural light overall.
Some garage door glass panel benefits include a secure and easy-to-maintain structure. But since they’re made of glass, they are generally more fragile than their wood or aluminum counterparts. However, this shouldn’t be an issue unless homeowners have small children or live where there’s a risk of flying debris.
Glass Coverage
Glass coverage depends on how much privacy you want in a garage door, and the desired amount of natural light may also be a factor. Most glass garage door retailers carry an array of options that range from a horizontal line of glass at the top of the door to full-view glass paneling.
The pattern for the windows is also customizable, allowing for coverage down one side of the door, arranged in a mosaic or in multi-panel patterns.
The windows size can also be modified to complement your home, including windows that are:
- Long
- Tall
- Short
- Narrow
- Wide
- Squared
- Rounded
- Arched
Typically, the more modern the home design, the more glass paneling you may want to implement. Nevertheless, the fact that glass garage doors are very customizable means you can let your creativity run free and curate your garage door to best suit the rest of your property.
Glass Opacity
The transparency or opacity of the glass can be another issue for people concerned about burglaries. We understand glass to be see-through, which would allow the outside world to see everything you’re storing in your garage and make your home an easy target. Luckily, there are several options when it comes to garage doors both in terms of the opacity of the glass as well as whether you opt for full-view glass or glass accent panels.
Glass garage doors typically feature three basic options for glass opacity: clear, obscure and frosted. Clear glass is completely transparent and an ideal option if you’re looking for an option that provides as much natural light as possible. For more privacy or a custom, unique effect, many homeowners opt for tinted glass, or obscure or frosted panels, which offer the most privacy.
Mirrored panels are also chic, contemporary privacy options for those who would rather not let their neighborhood see the contents of their garage. You may want to choose between glass versus acrylic garage door panels as well since acrylic and polygal are popular options. Wherever glass panels fall on the spectrum, any type of glass garage door will add a touch of modern elegance to your property.
Glass Customization
Aside from the size of the panels and the glass opacity, there are several more options to customize glass garage doors, including choosing between insulated or uninsulated glass doors, the type of glass used — tempered or standard glass — whether the design will be more traditional or contemporary and if you opt for grilles as well.
While the opacity of the glass is customizable, so is the frame itself. Aluminum frames come in several colors, allowing you to design your garage door to truly complement the rest of your house. Even the color of the glass can be customized, with a tinted glass of varying opacity not uncommon. In addition to that, some companies also offer matching grips that you can attach to the garage and customize to complement the garage door frame.
Frame Materials
Just like traditional garage doors, glass garage doors are available in different frame styles. Most glass garage doors feature an aluminum, natural wood or steel construction. Aluminum is typically the material of choice and modern aluminum and glass garage doors, such as Clopay® glass garage doors, are rust- and corrosion-resistant. Aluminum is also a much lighter material, which makes it ideal for offsetting the weight of the glass itself.
The weight of the glass can cause the entire garage door being heavy enough to equal the weight of a steel garage door panel, so depending on the overall weight of the door, an electric garage door opener may be a good option for the glass garage doors.
You can customize whichever frame you choose for a glass garage door to complement the color and finish requirements of most houses.
Benefits of Glass Garage Doors for the Home
Modernity has brought about many more options for exterior decor, glass-style garage doors for homes. Aside from the customizing options available, the benefits of opting for glass garage doors factor in both style and utility.
- Natural light: With glass garage doors — whether full-view or partial — your garage shifts from dark to bright and sunlit. With the rush of natural light into the space, you may consider transforming your garage into an additional room, one in which you can save on electricity costs as well.
- Energy-efficient: If you’re using the garage as an extra room and saving on electricity by taking advantage of natural light, you can also opt to use insulated paneling to help you save even more on your electricity bill — plus you’ll be helping the environment. Insulated glass is also very useful if you plan to convert a part of your garage into a work station, a home gym or another functional area.
- Scenic views: Alternately, with glass, you have a clear view of the outside, which can be especially beneficial if the outside is a view you love.
- More privacy: Customizing the glass on a glass garage door means you can play with the opacity and make the glass as dark or light as you want. If you’d rather less sunlight and more privacy, tinted glass is a good option. Mirrored glass is also a great idea, especially if you’d like some natural light without sacrificing your privacy.
- Easy maintenance: Glass is a fairly low-maintenance material, needing regular cleaning just as you would give the windows in your home. Have a professional do a maintenance check on the door every couple of years by a trained professional to ensure the door runs without any snags.
- Stylish aesthetic: The sleek, contemporary style of glass garage doors easily suits most homes, modern and traditional alike.
- Curb appeal: A glass garage door that complements the rest of your house is an easy way to increase your home’s curb appeal. Its contemporary style and timeless beauty can easily give your home an updated look.
- More versatility: We’ve mentioned how glass garage doors can be customized, but they’re also a great use in places other than your garage. Glass garage doors are becoming more and more popular for use as room dividers, such as between indoor and outdoor dining at a restaurant or even a home patio.
- Larger space: Because you can see through the glass, your garage suddenly feels bigger and more spacious. Having a view into the outside while sitting inside can make the space much more pleasant. Plus, sectional garage doors are designed with space efficiency in mind, so they can slide up and out of the way, saving you space at the front of the garage.
The option to use glass garage doors isn’t one that will suit every family, so you’ll need to consider factors like your lifestyle, your family — do you have small children or rowdy pets? — potential homeowners’ association rules or regulations as well as your area’s climate and your budget.
The Avante® Collection by Clopay
One stunning example of a glass garage door collection is Clopay’s Avante Collection, sold by Quality Overhead Door. This exquisite modern collection features a variety of glass and aluminum garage doors that come with multiple panel tints and opacity levels.
Providing a modern look using a maintenance-free aluminum frame, the Avante Collection has some of the best-rated aluminum and glass garage doors on the market. These doors can be easily customized to meet your aesthetic and architectural needs, and each item in the collection comes with a three-year hardware warranty as well as a five-year finish warranty.
The collection includes the Avante AX and the Avante AV/AVI. Both types of glass garage doors come with many options for panel customization, as well as rust-free aluminum frames measuring 2 1/8 inches, which are available in several glazing options:
- Clear anodized aluminum
- Standard white
- Painted chocolate
- Painted bronze
- Anodized bronze
- Anodized dark bronze
- Anodized black
Additionally, the panels are available in these different options:
- Clear glass, acrylic or polygal
- Gray glass or acrylic
- Bronze glass or polygal
- Obscure glass
- Mirrored glass
- White laminate glass
- Frosted glass or acrylic
- White acrylic
- Clear anodized aluminum panel
Manufactured in the United States, the collection is also compatible with WindCode® so you can be sure your garage door will remain safe and secure even in the strongest winds.
As with any glass garage door, the Avante Collection is low-maintenance, requiring regular cleaning to keep the glass looking bright and new. Just use a cloth, sponge or soft-bristled brush to wash the panels and use regular household detergent or dish cleaner for any stubborn stains. Once done, simply rinse with clean water and let it dry.
Browse Garage Door Options in Glass
Garage doors have joined the 21st century, and there are more options in colors, sizes and materials available now than there were for generations passed. Glass garage door options are a sign of modernity and can help your home achieve a contemporary look, which can increase your home’s value, curb appeal and overall aesthetic. With multiple customization options, you can design your glass garage door in the style you prefer — and Quality Overhead Door’s hardware and finish warranty provide some well-deserved peace of mind.
Quality Overhead Door also offers services beyond garage doors, including installation and maintenance for fireplaces, security doors and awnings for residential to commercials properties alike. Opting to use experienced, long-term employees rather than subcontractors, Quality Overhead Door boasts long, reliable and credible service in the Toledo, Ohio, area.
For more information about our Clopay glass garage door options or to request a free estimate, get in touch by calling 419-578-8700.
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