When you purchase a new garage door, you’ll want to think about whether you want windows. Garage door windows serve both a functional and an aesthetic purpose. They let light into your garage, making the space brighter and more pleasant, and they contribute to the overall visual harmony of your home.

When purchasing a garage door from Creative Door, you always have the option to add windows. You also get to decide the exact type of windows you want. The many garage door models we carry offer a wide range of customization options. By selecting the style, material, opacity, and arrangement, you can get windows that complement the design of your house and  suit your personal preferences.

Here are the main factors to consider when customizing your garage door windows.

Window Style

Broadly speaking, garage door windows come in three shapes: squares, rectangles, and arches. These three basic templates branch off into an array of styles, ranging from simple and modest to ornate and stylized. Moreover, an individual window can be made up of a single pane or two, four, six, or even twelve panes. The more decorative styles are achieved using inserts, which may be made of wood, aluminum or plastic, depending on the garage door model.

Popular insert styles include Stockton, Cathedral, and Sunray. Stockton is a simple cross design that divides the window into four panes and gives it the look of a classic house window. Cathedral is a simple and elegant dome-shaped design. Sunray, also known as Williamsburg, is a sun-shaped design for arch-shaped windows which typically span the uppermost row of panels. To get an idea of the insert options a brand like Wayne Dalton offers, take a look at the brochure for its 9100 and 9605 Classic Steel garage doors.

Some garage door models, such as the Briarcrest Landmark Series by Richards-Wilcox, have wrought-iron inserts that add an elegant and classic touch to the windows.

Window Placement

The placement of the windows is integral to the overall look of the garage door. It also has a functional purpose in that it determines how much light will come into the garage.

The two most common placement choices are to have the windows span the top row of panels or the second row from the top. This is a visually appealing layout, and it’s optimal for lighting the interior of the garage. It’s also practical in terms of security. With the windows being higher up, it’s difficult for people outside to look through them and into the garage.

If you want to give your garage a more modern look, an increasingly popular arrangement is to have the windows form a vertical column on the left or right edge of the door. If you aren’t concerned about maximizing the light coming into the garage, a column of small square windows can look very stylish. If the natural light factor is important to you, a column of long rectangular windows will maximize light while retaining an original and modern look.

Window Material

When choosing the material for your windows, the major factors to consider are durability, safety, security, insulation, and lighting. Generally, your options are plain glass, tempered glass, laminated glass, and acrylic. You can customize each of these window materials in various ways, depending on your needs.

Tempered and laminated glass are more robust and safer than plain glass. Tempered glass is four to five times stronger than regular glass. In addition, it shatters into small, dull pieces that shouldn’t cause cuts when it breaks, making it safer than traditional glass.

Laminated, or insulated, glass is made out of two or more panes of glass separated by a layer of vinyl. If broken, the glass pieces stay bonded to the vinyl, presenting no safety risk. It’s not as strong as tempered glass, but it offers better insulation and can deflect up to 90 per cent of the sun’s UV rays.

Plain, tempered, and laminated glass windows can be obscured to increase privacy. Options include tinted, pebble, frosted, and etched satin class. Tinted and frosted glass tend to allow more natural light to enter the garage. However, there’s always a trade-off. The more opaque a window is, the less light it’ll let in.

Acrylic, also known as plexiglass, is a shatter-resistant thermoplastic. It’s a great insulator, and it can be tinted. However, unlike glass, it’s prone to scuffing.

Trust Creative Door for all your garage door needs

If you’re looking to purchase a new garage door with a beautiful set of windows, then Creative Door has got you covered. Our top-of-the-line Wayne Dalton, Martin Door, and Richards-Wilcox products are available with windows customized to suit your preferences. Browse our wide selection of garage doors to discover an array of design options, and reach out to one of our team members if you need any guidance.