Are you in love with the all-glass panoramic garage doors that are all the rage right now? You’re a fan of modern design and the versatility of these doors seduces you? You’ve seen them on the patios of hip restaurants, between the living room and the outside pool of your friends’soooo cool cottage, and even between the kitchen and the deck of fabulously different homes on Pinterest and Instagram.
The Black aluminum frame of this California full-view double garage door really make the pale gray stone and the blond wood stand out. The chrome-colored hardware adds a bit of an industrial flair to the overall décor. But you could also have chosen Black for them to blend with the garage door. Imagine how awesome it must be to have this inside/outside space!
The California all-glass garage door is perfect to create the amazing inside / outside space you’ve been dreaming of for a while. You’ve started making plans for your very own home improvement project. You’ve got a fantastic idea and a special place to install your all-glass garage door. Not so fast. Here is important information you must know before making your move.
1) A Full-view garage door frame is aluminum
According to AZO Matering, the good news about this is:
- Aluminum is lighter than steel or wood > So your garage door springs won’t have to be as powerful as for the 2 other materials.
- Aluminum resists corrosion > Aluminum naturally generates a protective thin oxide coating which keeps the metal from making further contact with the environment. It is particularly useful for applications where it’s exposed to corrosive agents. So, you should consider a California full-view garage door or an aluminum garage door for your boathouse or your home by a big lake or saltwater (even worse).
- Aluminum is a good reflector of light and heat. So, your home or the special place with your full-view garage door might actually stay a little bit cooler in the summertime. But don’t forget these large windows you’ll have. Chances are they’ll cancel each other out.
But, as you already know, after the good news, there’s always a not so good news.
Aluminum is also a great thermal conductor.
So, if you live in someplace that gets pretty cold in the wintertime, you have to understand that any full-view garage door frame will conduct the outside cold inside your room.
If you choose a full-view garage door, you have to feel comfortable with the fact that this type of garage door construction doesn’t have a high R-value.
You have to be ready to choose aesthetics over insulation level and saving energy.
As an example, for a heated attached garage, where the thermostat is kept between 46 and 50℉, we recommend a garage door with at least an R-12 value, with R-16 construction being even more efficient when it comes to reducing power bills. So, you could imagine how much it would cost if your full-view garage were between your living room heated to 72℉ and the outdoors.
Winter does not get any harsher than in Quebec, Canada. That didn’t stop this homeowner from adding a California full-view garage door with a crisp White frame and Clear windows between her cottage’s kitchen and the outdoors. Look how much natural light gets in. How nice it must be to drink your morning coffee in this cozy, warm, and eclectic space.
Maybe you live in a mild weather area? Maybe your energy bill aren’t too bad because you have an alternative way of heating, like with wood or solar panels? Maybe you love the full-view garage doors’look soooo very much that other considerations don’t bother you? We agree. Look is everything. But we thought you should know.
2) Full-view garage door windows might fog up in cold weather
Just like any other windows in your home, your full-view garage door windows might be more subject to condensation when it gets cold outside.
What causes condensation?
Condensation forms when warm, humid air contacts a cold surface.
Moisture is in the air all around us and warmer air can hold more moisture. Just everyday inside living by itself increases the indoor moisture level. Just think of showers, baths, cooking, washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning and even breathing. These actions often go unnoticed when the weather allows us to keep our windows open because air circulates.
As air cools, it contracts, and its moisture condenses. When the temperature drops, the first place you will see any condensation is on the windows. Your windows are the coldest surfaces indoors. The larger the window, the larger is the coldest surface. So, full-view garage door windows might get fogged up just like patio doors.
Many people think full-view garage doors just suit modern, contemporary houses. That’s sooo NOT true! Look how it blends well with this shed transformed into a cute, cozy cottage found on Houzz. The Anodized frame color fits with the exterior siding and adds a bit of an industrial touch.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to prevent condensation from forming on windows
- Lower your thermostat from 72℉ to 68℉ > Instead of walking around in t-shirts, get your family to wear sweaters! Plus, outside weather will seem less chilly if it’s not a tropical temperature inside.
- Use your fans > First, make sure you have good-quality fans. Your appliances, like the stove and dryer, create a lot of humid air. Same goes for your shower. Make sure that these areas and appliances are vented outside of the house. Run a vent fan in your bathroom when you shower and turn on your range hood while cooking.
- Get a dehumidifier and / or air exchanger > Your air exchanger basically exhausts internal air and sucks in external air. In winter, the outdoor air is drier and cooler than the one inside. So, yes, an air exchanger can reduce the condensation in your windows.
- Install a wood burning stove > Did you know that heating a space with a wood stove dries out the air? Plus, it’s lovely! The sounds, the smell, the fact that your floor will be warmer than with any other heating sources. Can you picture yourself watching the sunset through your full-view garage door, with your favorite blanky and a nice Chardonnay, by the fire? Heaven on Earth!
- Do NOT ever dry clothes indoor > Obviously, you can use your dryer. But never ever use a clothesline inside your home in the coldest season. Waaaaaaaaay too much extra moisture in the air. Kudos for wanting to be lean and green though.
As you can see, condensation will not be a problem if you think ahead. Besides, large bay windows or patio doors will have the same condensation challenges as a full-view garage door. Fixing the problem before it even becomes a problem is easy.
3) Full-view garage doors have a lot of windows!
Well, isn’t this right, Captain Obvious, you must be thinking. Although it seems straightforward, you will have many choices to make for your full-view garage door windows. Some of them will be rather easy since they are based on Style, your very own taste and project. Other will involve safety or energy efficiency.
This California all-glass garage door is in the More layout with Clear windows. As you can see it’s not behind or beside a building but just upfront, on the façade and the driveway. Since this a care center project, people didn’t mind passersby seeing in their community kitchen.
First > Do you want to feel outside, or do you need intimacy?
If you’re in a more urban area, your neighbors might be closer than you wish. If you have no fence or big trees around your property, you might get the feeling of being too exposed with Clear windows. Especially at night when the lights inside are on.
Spectacular space from Houzz! This large trendy formal and open concept living room with white walls and a brick fireplace doubles the feeling of always being outside with 2 full-view garage doors!
Choosing Sandblasted windows (frosted glass) for your California all-glass garage door is a great solution when you want privacy. It adds square lines and light by day. At night, when the lights are on, it looks like a Spectacular Giant Lantern! You get this beautiful glow.
There are many types of glass to choose from for your full-view garage door, ranging from 0/5 to 5/5 privacy level. Clear glass for more light transfer to the interior while enjoying nature from the inside. Tinted, frosted, and translucent glass panels that allow light to enter inside, yet still maintain your privacy.
If you have a fence and trees, even though you live close to your neighbors, you have the privacy you need to pick Clear windows on your full-view garage door. This beautiful modern kitchen from Jeannette Architects on Houzz proves it.
When you have a lake or a mountain view, the California all-glass garage door is perfect! You get the soothing effect of being surrounded by nature even though you’re inside.
Second > Do you want to improve energy efficiency?
If so, you can choose an energy-efficient thermopane window with LOW-E Argon.
During colder seasons, this type of window allows the sun’s rays to penetrate the home, letting in heat and light. As well, it limits the escape of heat outward. In the warmer summer months, the windows limit the amount of seasonal heat as well as that produced by various sources (paved driveway, vehicles, etc.) from entering, while nonetheless allowing the light in.
This chart compares the performances of the 2 clear panes with space and 1 clear pane + 1 Low-E pane with argon. Learn more about LOW-E Argon thermopane windows.
Third > Do you want to improve safety and resistance?
Do you live in a really urban neighborhood where vandalism is unfortunately more common than you want? Or maybe you have many active kids, who like to kick soccer balls, play football in your courtyard or, even worse, hockey?
Maybe your full-view garage door dream coming true will turn into a nightmare? With you getting stressed out by your kids’behavior, screaming, and shouting all the time for them to stop playing so roughly around your precious door.
Well, think again! You just have to choose tempered glass and all your worries will go away!
What is tempered glass?
Extreme heating and cooling of standard glass produces a glass that is 4 to 5 times stronger than the original. If it does break, it shatters into small, dull, less harmful pieces, and has been used for car windows. You should know that a thermopane window can have tempered glass on only 1 side, that of the garage interior or on both sides. For an all-glass garage door, like the California, it’s suggested to ask for thermopane glass tempered on both sides.
Maybe having a full-view garage door in your kitchen or your living room is finally not for you. But California full-view garage doors are also perfect for your garage!
Ready to replace your garage door by something that add value to your house?
When you start home improvements, you want to change everything. From your exterior color scheme to the sidings, the lighting, the roof, and even the landscaping. You’re thinking of improving everything on your property.
Change your overhead door as well! Otherwise, it will just be a 9’x7’ bland space.
Think of your garage door as another accessory, not just a utility object. After all, it covers up to 40% of your home’s façade.
To get great advice and know-how, visit a GARAGA dealer in your area.
They are experts in garage door openers and overhead doors!
They have extensive experience, and they love helping you find the perfect garage door system at the right plus for you.
Find the door of your dreams already? Ask us for a quotation by email.
You’d like to shop online a bit first? You can browse our residential photo gallery. Do you like interactive design apps? If so, grab your smartphone and try our Design Centre. You’ll have fun building your dream door.
Add new comment