One of the most beautiful scenes you can imagine is sitting inside of your garage when it’s encased in glass. Having a full panoramic view of everything around you can provide some breathtaking moments and is one of the most stunning options when it comes to garage upgrades. You’ve probably seen them at fancy restaurants or attached to fire department and paramedic buildings. You could be the talk of your neighborhood by installing one of these amazing garage doors.
This California full-view double garage door really goes well with the Black aluminum frame around the perimeter. The way it makes the light gray rock and the golden wood stand out makes this whole space unique and serene. Can you picture yourself relaxing with a beautiful view like this?
One of the best all-glass garage doors that allows you to enjoy the best of the outdoors while you’re indoors is the California. Maybe you’ve selected this very garage door for your new project, and you’re ready to pull the trigger on construction. However, there are some important things you need to understand before starting work.
Making the decision to install a full-view garage door provides many benefits. However, you may have to prepare yourself to make certain sacrifices in other areas. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know regarding switching to these full-view doors.
1) The Frame on a Full-View is Aluminum
AZO Matering claims that the good news regarding these aluminum frames is this:
- Because aluminum is much lighter than wood or steel, the springs won’t need to be as powerful as they normally are for garage doors.
- Aluminum is one of the strongest metals when it comes to standing up to corrosion. This metal generates a paper-thin layer of oxide that has a very important job. This layer protects the aluminum from outside elements that may cause corrosion. Consider a California full-view door or even an aluminum garage door for your mancave, boathouse, or home on the ocean or lake. Salt is one of the worst materials for the lifespan of any metal. However, if you’re going to expose any metal to the elements of the sea, aluminum is probably your best option.
- Do you want to reflect large amounts of light and heat? In any other situation, having this aluminum installed around the door would make your space much cooler, especially during the summer. However, large panes of glass for the windows cancel this effect out. Keep in mind how much warmth and sunlight will be directed into the space by the huge windows on your full-view door.
Even though this is good news, we’re sorry to say that we have to follow it up with bad news.
Aluminum is one of the best thermal conductor.
This means if you live in an area that experiences frigid temperatures during the winter, you need to be aware that any full-view door frame will promote outside cold temperatures entering your room.
Thermal conductors do a fantastic job of matching the elements that surround them. This means that if the temperatures around aluminum are frigid, the metal is going to take on this same effect.
When you install a full-view garage door, you need to understand that these doors don’t have the best R-values. The R-value of a door gives you an idea of how well the door holds insulation. Because of the large windows on full-view doors, don’t expect much in the way of keeping warmth inside the room it’s installed on.
This is a situation where visual appeal holds precedence over comfortability, insulation, and saving energy. However, most people consider this a small price to pay for the beauty of a full-view garage door. After all, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Use the following situation as an example. In a heated garage that’s attached to the home where the thermostat is kept between 8 and 10℃, the garage door needs an R-12 value at the minimum, with R-16 construction being even more efficient for lowering utility bills. You can probably estimate how high the cost would be if your full-view garage fell between the living room heated to 20℃ and the outdoors.
There are few places that can say they experience the same level of winter as the North of Quebec, in Canada. Even in this type of climate, it didn’t stop this person from adding a California full-view garage door. The white frame and the completely transparent windows between the building’s kitchen and the outdoors make for great contrast and a beautiful view. Can you picture a better place to sit down and read your paper in the morning?
So, you probably have one of the following reasons for justifying getting a full-view garage door:
- Maybe you live in a hot, tropical climate where you barely experience cold weather and the need for insulation
- It’s possible you heat with wood or solar panels, and your utility bills are much lower than in other areas.
- It’s also possible that you just want a full-view garage door that bad. Some people would be willing to pay any price for a beautiful panoramic view like the one a full-view garage door brings.
2) Cold Weather May Cause Full-View Garage Doors to Fog Over
Whenever you have any large glass surface installed in your home, you’re going to run the risk of dealing with condensation. This is a natural reaction whenever you deal with contrasting temperatures between a glass surface or window.
What Leads to Condensation?
When humid air hits any cold surface, the subsequent reaction is condensation. These are the small droplets of water you see form on glass surfaces and windows. Do you have a glass shower screen? If you answered yes, then you’ve no doubt experienced the effects of condensation. Do you have a mirror in your bathroom? This is another great example of the effects of condensation.
At any given moment, there is a significant amount of moisture in the air all around us. Warm air often holds higher levels of this moisture. Regular activities like showers, baths, cooking, cleaning dishes, doing laundry, and even breathing all drastically increase the moisture content of the air indoors. We don’t normally think about it because open windows allow air circulation to relieve some of this humidity.
When the air gets colder, it shrinks, and the moisture content condenses as a result.
Any time temperatures fall, the first areas you see condensation is on glass or windows.
The windows are the coldest surfaces inside of your home. The bigger the window is, the colder the surface ends up being. This is why full-view garage door windows fog up even worse than patio doors.
Most homeowners believe that full-view garage doors are only made for modern, contemporary types of designs. However, there are multiple design styles that match these amazing doors. Check out this cottage we found on Houzz. The color of the frame matches the siding of the building and even gives it a futuristic look.
However, there is some relief in store when it comes to preventing condensation on these large glass surfaces.
- Decrease the thermostat from 22℃ to 20℃ > Don’t walk around in thin layers of clothing. Grab a hoodie or a jacket! The outdoor temperatures will seem less cold if the temperatures inside your house aren’t set to a tropical level. Trust us; you won’t freeze to death if you sacrifice a few degrees of warmth. In the end, it’ll be worth it to have clear glass on your full-view door.
- Turn your fans on > Make sure you have good-quality fans. Simple appliances you use regularly cause a lot of humidity. Your stove, dryer, and other electronics significantly raise the moisture levels inside your home. Your shower will produce the same effect if the hot water is on. When there are vents available running to the outdoors, this will lower the humidity. Run a vent fan in your bathroom when you shower and turn on the fan over the hood range when you cook. These fans are one of the most effective ways to usher humid air out of your home and prevent condensation from building up on glass surfaces. This includes full-view garage doors, patio doors, mirrors, and other large windows.
- Get a dehumidifier and / or air exchanger > An air exchanger acts as an exhaust, blowing out internal air and sucking in external air. During the winter, the air outdoors is much drier and cooler than the air inside your home. Because of this, an air exchanger will significantly reduce the levels of condensation on your windows and glass surfaces.
- Install a wood burning stove > Were you aware that heating your home with a wood stove will dry the air out? It also smells good and changes the environment of your home. Many people consider wood-burning stoves very cozy, and they are efficient at heating large spaces. Picture yourself in your full-view garage watching the sunset with a wood-burning stove. Life doesn’t get much better than that. With a wood-burning stove, you get the benefits of the smell and ambiance, plus the prevention of condensation.
- NEVER DRY CLOTHES INDOORS > We don’t mean you shouldn’t use your dryer. Don’t use a clothesline inside your home when the weather is the coldest. This brings in way too much humid air and will cause massive amounts of condensation. Think about it in a common-sense way. After clothes come out of the wash, they are soaked and normally in hot water. Leaving them out in your home is like having bowls of hot water sitting around all over the place.
If you plan ahead, condensation doesn’t have to be the big problem that you think it is. Even large bay windows and patio doors will have the same issues as a full-view garage door. You just have to plan ahead, and the problem isn’t as difficult.
3) There Are Lots of Windows on a Full-View Garage Door
Isn’t that a given, though? The surface is all glass, so it’s obvious that there are lots of windows on a full-view garage door. However, there are many choices to make when it comes to the windows on these garage doors. Your options are based on style and other elements, so adding a touch of your own taste won’t be difficult. There are other options according to safety and different elements of energy efficiency.
This California all-glass garage door is in More design. It has a black frame with completely transparent windows. It doesn’t sit behind or beside a building but is actually at the forefront of this property. These folks must not have minded random strangers looking into their space when they walk by?
The First Decision: Do You Want to Feel the Outside as Well?
If you live in more of a city-type area, the neighbors may be a lot closer than you’d like. If there’s nothing adding to your privacy, having large windows in the garage might leave you feeling naked. This is especially true when the lights are turned on.
Some people are comfortable displaying all of their business on the front street. However, many homeowners enjoy the elements of privacy. It’s all a matter of personal opinion, and you’ll have to make some decisions regarding how exposed you’ll be.
Check out this amazing space from Houzz! This beautiful open space with white walls and an exposed brick fireplace produces a cozy feeling. This gives the distinct feeling of constantly being outdoors with two huge full-view garage doors. You’ll really feel one with the elements with a space like this.
Sandblasted windows, otherwise known as frosted glass, installed on your California full-view door, produce a great element of privacy. You can still enjoy natural light and warmth without being too exposed. The square lines of the frame give this space the look of a Chinese Lantern, which creates the perfect relaxing ambiance.
There are many types of glass you have to pick from when it comes to your full-view garage door. The glass types range from 0/5 to 5/5 when it comes to privacy. More light transfers through clear glass, which can bring you closer to nature. However, translucent, frosted, and tinted panels still allow light but will give you higher levels of privacy.
In situations like this, having a fence or trees would allow you to have clear glass for your full-view door. These natural elements make great privacy fences, allowing you to shy away from frosted glass. We found this unique, industrial, and modern kitchen from Jeannette Architects on Houzz.
Anybody could enjoy a view like this. The lake and the mountains give you the best of both worlds. The slightly frosted glass and the white frame add to the overall tranquility of this beautiful lake space.
The Second Decision: Energy Efficiency
If you want more energy efficiency, you could choose a thermopane window with LOW-E Argon.
When the weather becomes colder, these windows allow the rays of the sun to enter the home, trapping heat and light. It also limits the outward flow of heat, making the home more efficient in staying warm. When it’s summer, the windows also limit the levels of seasonal heat produced by sources like a paved driveway and hot vehicles. This drastically lowers the heat levels in the home while still letting light enter.
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 Decision: Are You Concerned with Safety and Resistance?
Does the neighborhood you live in have more vandalism than you’d like to admit? Maybe there’s a lot of kids that play soccer or other games like baseball that raise the chances of broken glass.
Do baseballs commonly come crashing through you and your neighbors’windows? No wonder you’ve been scared to install a full-view garage door. We would be afraid, too!
In this case, the full-view garage door could turn into your worst nightmare. This will only lead to you constantly yelling at your kids and others about playing too close to the glass. Nobody wants to be that parent, right?
You’re in luck because there is a solution to all of your glass-breaking woes. You can still have that full-view garage door you’ve always wanted.
You don’t have to be! Choosing tempered glass eliminates the risk of all the glass shattering.
How Does Tempered Glass Work?
When standard glass is heated and cooled to extreme levels, this produces a surface that is 4 to 5 times stronger than normal. However, even if this glass does break, it smatters into smaller, non-dangerous pieces and is typically used for car windows. It’s important to understand that a thermopane window can have tempered glass on one side only. For all-glass garage doors like the California, we recommend asking for thermopane tempered glass on both sides of the windows.
This type of setup can give you the full-view door you want without worrying about shattered glass or injuries. These types of window installations are great for accidents and even natural elements like hail and other high-risk weather events.
California full-view garage doors are great for the garage or other areas of your house. That’s one of the best things about these unique doors. You can install them anywhere on your home or adjacent property.
Want to Pull the Trigger on Something that Actually Adds Value to Your Home?
Once you begin renovating your home, it’s hard to know when to stop making changes. It can be difficult when you attempt to improve everything at once on your property. Trust us, we understand. When you start working on one part of your home, it almost becomes an addiction to chasing perfection.
One of the most significant changes you can make is to your garage door. Nobody wants a 9’x7’ blank, boring canvas in the front of their home. This just makes the space boring and uninviting!
Call us now. We’re ready to help with all of your needs!
Miramichi: 506-622-3146
Bathurst: 506-546-6988
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At Allison's Manufacturing Ltd, our goal is to help you out in replacing your garage door or any other garage repair. Our expertise ranges from lifts to doors and everything in between. There’s nothing garage-related that we can’t handle, and we’re at your service at all times!
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You can browse our residential photo gallery. This will give you real photos of jobs we’ve helped people finish. Grab your smartphone and try our Design Centre. You can get a real peek at what your new garage door will look like actually attached to your home. It’s like a virtual construction project.
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