School me on transparent garage doors

[Tishabet]

Hi Guys, hoping for some of your collective expertise or ideas here. I want to figure out a new garage door for my shop/working from home space to let in more light and allow me some more connection to the outside. I know diddly about garage doors but figure there must be some knowledge here from my Pelican friends.

The shop is on the ground floor of my house and has a traditional "roll up" garage door opening to my backyard. I use the shop both as a shop (in the past 24 months I've done an engine drop, a bunch of welding and body work, a full body repaint of a Vanagon, etc) as well as my "office" when I am working from home… even before covid that was usually a day or two per week. The attached pictures show a vehicle in the shop but most of the time the bay is empty unless I'm actively working on something.

The door that is on there right now is original to the house, and I want to replace it with something that is more energy efficient (current one is insulated with some glued in foam and gaps pretty badly against the house) and lets in light… ideally I would like something either entirely transparent or with a lot of glass panels so that I can enjoy the sunlight and view of my back yard and the plants and trees. At the same time, a little worried about security: you would have to go to my back yard to even see this door (not visible from the street, no neighbors with a view into my yard) but inside it's a candy land of tools, my work computers, etc. as well as direct access to the living space of my home.

Do you guys have any thoughts on the right mix of visibility/light, security, energy efficiency and price? Any pitfalls to avoid, brands to recommend, etc? I'm open to anything so long as I can still drive vehicles in and out, and while I don't want to break the bank I'm willing to shell out for something good.

Door from outside the house (ignore the boat)


Door from inside the shop, my "office space" at right (though I might move that closer to the door if there were light/a view)

[URY914]

On my garage addition I have a single door and decided to go with windows at the top panel only. They give enough light and since it faces the street I didn't want everyone seeing what I have in there during the day or at night when the lights are on.

Mine is a Clopay and was abut $1000 installed. The installation was $200 and worth it.

https://www.clopaydoor.com/

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by URY914

On my garage addition I have a single door and decided to go with windows at the top panel only. They give enough light and since it faces the street I didn't want everyone seeing what I have in there during the day or at night when the lights are on.

Same here.

[Salty Springs]

I have a Lifestyle screen door. It fits under my garage door. It is awesome, but I live in Florida, so not sure how well it would work for you.
Dave

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by URY914

I have a single door ... with windows at the top panel only. They give enough light and since it faces the street I didn't want everyone seeing what I have in there during the day or at night when the lights are on.

Ditto, and then I applied some frosted translucent film that makes it impossible to see in.

[masraum]

THere are several newish homes in the neighborhood that we live in now where the garage doors almost completely look like frosted glass.

They look just like this.



With cars in the garage, you can see the rear ends of the cars, but you can't really make out any detail. I haven't tried getting up close to see if I could make anything out with my face up against them. I like the idea of them and like the light coming through.

I think it's also often possible to mix and match panels to create your own style. I've seen garage doors with just the strip at the top (more privacy) or just the strip on one side (more arty?) and then there's this one with the top and side. You could probably even get two of the horizontal window panels and have 2 horizontal strips across the top for more light.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Same here.

Here as well. Top panel only and it works well.

I have LED light panels in my barn shop that are fantastic and provide incredible amounts of illumination.

My hardwired security motion sensor lights are also LED.

The life style screen is now on my list!

[gregpark]

I masked mine off (inside) and piss coated white with a rattle can

[notfarnow]

I wanted a LOT of light in my garage, even at the expense of workbench space. I wanted to be able to watch the sunset when working on a car in the summer, but also wanted to be able to work in a tshirt when it is -10* in the winter, so used all low-e argon windows and doors.

I didn't do the bottom row on the garage door in glass, because I knew I'd be too prone to busting them, and also because people are less likely to see the mess on the floor if the bottom panel is solid

[masraum]

Originally Posted by notfarnow

I wanted a LOT of light in my garage, even at the expense of workbench space. I wanted to be able to watch the sunset when working on a car in the summer, but also wanted to be able to work in a tshirt when it is -10* in the winter, so used all low-e argon windows and doors.

I didn't do the bottom row on the garage door in glass, because I knew I'd be too prone to busting them, and also because people are less likely to see the mess on the floor if the bottom panel is solid

Very nice. Around here, west facing windows in the garage would mean blinding and really hot in the afternoons. I guess things are a bit different at the North Pole.

Hey, welcome, fella. It seems like it's been a while since I saw you post. Glad you're still around.

[908/930]

I have one that looks like the 1st pic that Masraum posted but I went with insulated aluminium panels, liked the looks but didn't want glass, one problem with those is they sweat in the winter, the aluminium stiles and rails transfer the cold in.

[Tishabet]

Wow, I knew you guys would have some insights to share... thanks!! Some thoughts:

-Ideally I want more than just top panel to be glass, would consider glass all the way to the floor (though notfarnow makes a good point about the lower panels being easy to accidentally break). notfarnow's doors are pretty close to what I was envisioning, and the energy efficiency is a big plus... the shop is heated by forced air system that heats the rest of the house and is situated directly below the upstairs bedrooms and connects to the rest of the downstairs living space. @notfarnow any info on brand etc?

-After sleeping on it I think I really want clear glass... I have a beautiful view into my backyard and the creek and forest beyond when the current door is open. I think if I went to the trouble of replacing the door but used frosted I would eventually regret it. This shop is on the back of my house so no typical privacy concern per se, my closest neighbor in that direction is about 2k feet away through dense PNW forest, nobody can see the door unless they walk entirely around my house and into my backyard. So still a concern for a prowler (and note I'm ~10 miles from downtown Seattle so not quite the middle of nowhere), but no concern as far as folks walking by on the street etc.

-Screen door is now on my list, that was one issue over the summer... little bugs and flies etc flying into the shop.

-Seahawk and I are on the same wavelength re: electric lighting in the shop, I upgraded about a year ago and what I have now is already excellent both for "office work" (I installed a bunch of LED lighting including under cabinet lighting etc) and "shop work" (have a bunch of ceiling lighting supplemented by more LEDs lower down), so my new desire here is more about natural light and a view/connection to the outside. It's easy to be working here (as I am doing at this very moment) and feel like I don't know if it is light or dark outside.

[herr_oberst]

If I ever have a home where the fully glazed garage door is appropriate, I want to install an image from a classic racing garage printed on perforated vinyl (think urban bus windows). I could see out and my work habits and my stuff would be shielded from public scrutiny:

[masraum]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

If I ever have a home where the fully glazed garage door is appropriate, I want to install an image from a classic racing garage printed on perforated vinyl (think urban bus windows). I could see out and my work habits and my stuff would be shielded from public scrutiny:

THAT'S cool. Although I'm not sure I could get the missus to buy off on it except under certain circumstances.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by masraum

THAT'S cool. Although I'm not sure I could get the missus to buy off on it except under certain circumstances.

Maybe pick a more recent (not-so-vintage) scene from the 24 Hours with Patrick Dempsey in it.

[herr_oberst]

Patrick Dempsey? Why in the world?

[Embraer]

I just have glass in my top panel...and even then, I acid-etched the top windows for a more permanent solution than the rattle can stuff.

[drcoastline]

Most commercial garage doors are all glass and secure, generally an aluminum frame. Can't speak for R-value, but, I can't imagine you can't get double pane argon filled lights.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by drcoastline

Most commercial garage doors are all glass and secure, generally an aluminum frame. Can't speak for R-value, but, I can't imagine you can't get double pane argon filled lights.

That sounds like a heavy, expensive garage door.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

patrick dempsey? Why in the world?

+1