Expensive or Just Right?
When it comes to selecting the right kind of garage door for you one popular option is the glass garage door.
Is it too expensive or a solid price?
Well, as with all things, it is relative. The fact of the matter is a glass garage door will always cost more than one made out of vinyl, aluminum, or other materials.
With that said, the price can vary widely depending on how many extra features you go with or if you go all-out in terms of customization. With all of that said, the average glass garage door will cost you $1,500 and the general range for non-commercial glass garage doors can be anywhere from $1,000-$5,000. Depending on your personal budget that may sound perfectly reasonable or prohibitive.
Now, when it comes to custom glass and more uniquely-shaped garages, it can be shockingly easy to find the costs balloon to somewhere near $10,000, which is a massive chunk of change for everyone except those with the deepest pockets.
Are Glass Garage Doors Expensive? Overall, glass garage doors cost more than other kinds, but are still not that expensive in general. It is smart to look at some different kinds of glass garage doors as well as take into account possible concerns that arise when having them.
That way, you’ll be fully informed when it comes to both the benefits and possible issues of glass garage doors! First, it is smart to touch upon the benefits of having a glass garage door, as that makes it clear why they are worth considering!
The Benefits of a Glass Garage Door
Why would you spend the extra money on a glass garage door? Well, the contemporary look is fantastic for more modern homes and the light provided is incredible. Plus, when you’re looking out of your garage you can take in some great views if you live in a scenic area (or simply enjoy peering out at the neighborhood you reside in).
Having a glass garage door is like having a special extra room in your house that provides the utility of a garage, but also is a piece of art that matches the architectural elegance of your home.
Depending on how much privacy you want it is possible to have tints and frosting as well, with those accentuating the beautiful look of a glass garage door. Frankly speaking, a glass garage door almost always looks better than one simply made of vinyl, aluminum, or other materials. With that said, you are paying extra for this beauty. Keeping that in mind, the types of glass garage doors that exist shall now be delved into.
Types of Glass Garage Doors
When considering your glass garage doors there are a number of options to examine. The main ones will be looked at now, without going too in-depth on the many sub-varieties.
Tempered Glass
A somewhat, “Standard,” glass garage door will be tempered glass, and that generally is 3/16 or 1/8 inch. Having just this is going to cost less initially, but offer a lot less privacy, security, and temperature control/climate efficiency.
Insulated Glass
Having insulated glass such as 1/2 inch can provide a great deal more energy efficiency–the kind of windows in your house are insulated windows, for example. Unless you live somewhere very temperate or want to spend a bare minimum you should almost always have at least insulated glass as the kind for your glass garage door.
Frosted Glass
Adding frosted glass to your glass garage door will likely result in costs of an extra $200-$500 overall, but it can be a stellar investment. The tint offered makes it easier to have your garage be a great deal more opaque (we’ll talk about that more in a moment) which provides a large deal more of security and energy efficiency.
Keeping Things Transparent or Opaque
As mentioned when covering the types of glass garage doors, there is the big question of how transparent or opaque you want things to be. Having glass that cannot be seen through much at all may be good for security and temperature control (as discussed later), but can also arguably diminish the whole pleasure of a glass garage door offering beautiful views.
Basically, it comes down to personal preferences and overall feelings about safety, energy costs, and so forth. It is your glass garage door and as long as you’re happy with it there is no absolutely right or wrong way to design it.
Possible Complications to Consider
Whether you’re using frosted glass, insulated glass, glass that’s clear, glass that’s opaque, and so forth, there are possible issues to think about when using glass garage doors, regardless of the type of glass. Certain problems just are common with glass garage doors and need to be considered by anyone who is interested in one. Those will be explored now.
Privacy and Security
If your glass is mostly transparent as opposed to being opaque or heavily frosted, it may be alarmingly easy for someone to peer inside. The thought of a potential burglar, “Scoping-out,” your garage for easy items to take is indeed scary, and there is the general security issue of how glass can be easier to break than other materials.
A, “Smash-and-grab,” robbery with a glass garage door is a possibility and can necessitate possibly adding further security futures such as cameras or alarms so as to ward off potential thieves looking for an easy target. Not to mention, a glass garage door is simply more expensive than vinyl or aluminum, making it possible it will, “Look,” wealthy and therefore enticing to robbers.
Overall, a glass garage door does not prevent burglaries as well as those made of other materials.
I’ve written an entire article around the security of glass garage doors. I highly recommend checking it out. Are Glass Garage Doors Secure?
Temperature Sensitivity
Anyone who has ever dealt with a cold glass that suddenly is exposed to a hot liquid and cracks can tell you that glass is a material that isn’t always the best for extreme temperatures.
Even though the kind of glass used for garage doors is treated, thick, and so forth, it still can carry some sensitivity to the extremes of somewhere super-hot or super-cold, risking getting brittle or forming cracks over time when exposed to extremely hot or frigid temps.
Overall Energy Effiency
Even if not dealing with widely hot or cold temperatures, simply having a chilly Winter or steamy Summer can result in a need to heavily heat your garage or crank-up the air conditioner in it should you be using a glass garage door–especially one without a solid deal of coating.
Glass obviously can create a greenhouse effect for the heat and be more porous for the cold. It won’t jack-up your energy bills too much, but it should be kept in mind.
Windows, a Solid Alternative
If you’re desiring some fantastic views from your garage or at least don’t want it to feel like a closed-in box, there are solid alternatives in the form of different kinds of windows! By having your garage be primarily vinyl or aluminum but including some nice widows as your glass in your garage door provides a degree of, “Openness,” without going all-in on glass.
Plus, it can assist with the aforementioned concerns of security (a small window is harder to get through than a whole glass garage) and temperature whilst still looking great. It is, of course, a compromise from having a whole glass garage door, but is a good in-between.
Glass Versus Transparent Plastic
Before closing out this article it would be a mistake to overlook one popular option that isn’t glass but can provide many of the desired cosmetic aspects of having a glass garage door. We are talking, of course, about transparent plastic.
It can cost about the same overall as glass and should you want that glass garage door, “Look,” but something about that desire is prohibitive (such as the earlier discussion of frigid temperatures being an issue for glass garage doors) then choosing transparent plastic can be a stellar option. As this article is not focused on transparent plastic it won’t be further explored, but it deserved a mention.
Final Conclusions About Glass Garage Doors
Glass garage doors cost more than other kinds, that is a fact. However, if you have a budget for a bit more money than the other kinds of garage doors, however, a glass garage door can be a fantastic investment.
They are beautiful to look at or look outside of and accentuate a home wonderfully. Now, as mentioned earlier in reference to how transparent or opaque to make your garage, it is your glass garage door and as long as you’re happy with it there is no absolutely right or wrong way to design it.
That applies all-around to everything involving choosing a glass garage door, or if you decide that a glass garage door isn’t for you and maybe a lot of snazzy windows ends-up your preferred choice. As long as you end-up happy overall in terms of the cost, effort, and the result, you did a great job with your garage door!
I hope you enjoyed reading this article, if you found it useful then share it with other people. It really encourages us to keep writing high quality articles!
Steve
P.S.
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