Panoramic garage doors are in and you’re in love! You must have one of these doors that you’ve seen at your favorite watering hole or in your boss’s backyard between the living room and the deck, and you love how versatile and sleek they look. Perhaps you’ve just spotted them on design sites or social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest.
The stunning California full-view double garage door includes a black aluminum frame that stands out among the stone and wood. Plus, it features chrome hardware for an industrial flair. The hardware is also available in black to blend in with the door for those that want it. Regardless, this creates a beautiful indoor/outdoor space that will make you the envy of the neighborhood.
Our California full-view glass garage door is a great choice. If you’re already working on plans, this is an easy addition. Get your ideas in motion and figure out exactly where you want your door to go and then you can—not so fast! Before you just install this door in your home, there are some things that you must know.
1) The frame is constructed of aluminum materials
AZO Matering tells us this is good because it offers:
- Corrosion resistance: Aluminum is protected naturally by a layer of oxide, which helps prevent the metal from being damaged by the environment. These full-view garage doors are great for lake homes, ocean-front property, and even your boathouse.
- Lightweight construction: Aluminum is a material will be lighter than wood or steel, thus your springs won’t have to do as much work when you choose an aluminum garage door.
- Reflective properties: Aluminum also reflects heat and light. Therefore, the room where you install a full-view California garage door could be a little cooler in the summer, but then there are those windows letting in all the light—it’s probably going to cancel out.
And of course, although these are great properties, there are some less-desirable things you should know…
Aluminum is also notorious as a thermal conductor.
That means that if you live somewhere that gets really cold (or really hot), these doors could conduct the outside cold or heat into your room—consider this when installing the door and choosing the glass style (more on that later).
Full-view garage doors don’t have a high R-value. In most cases, you’ll have to find other ways to insulate.
While saving energy is nice, you’ll have to choose aesthetics here if you live in a climate with extreme temperatures.
For example, when you keep the space between 8 and 10℃, it’s suggested to use a door with insulation of an R-12 value. If you want to go even higher, you can choose R-16 construction and see a huge reduction in energy bills. Imagine the added cost to keep your living space around 20℃ when you’ve got a full-view garage door.
Everyone knows the winters in Quebec are no joke. And yet, this homeowner still decided to install a California full-view garage door in their home. The white frame offers a crisp finish that blends with the snow, and the clear windows provide a panoramic view that offers natural light throughout the day. Imagine how cozy this space could be on a snowy winter morning.
For those who live in areas with mild weather, or those with wood or solar panels as an alternative heat source, these issues may not be as big of a concern. And then there are some people who just love the style so much that the other stuff doesn’t matter?
Well, you’re not wrong. These doors really are great. We just wanted you to know.
2) Condensation is common
Full-view garage doors contain nothing but windows of course it’s more likely that you’ll see condensation when the temperature drops.
Science lesson: Condensation 101
When damp, warm air hits a cold surface like window glass, condensation occurs.
The air around us is always potentially full of moisture. The daily events of life also create a lot of excess dampness—showers, baths, dishes, laundry, and even just breathing can impact the humidity in your home. During the nicer weather, these actions go unnoticed, but when things get cold and the house gets closed up, the fog increases.
What happens is that cool air causes moisture to contract and condense. Then, a drop in temperature creates moisture in the air that needs a place to land— your windows are the first spot since they’re the coldest area in your home. And if you install a full-view garage door, you’ve got an entire wall of cold just waiting to welcome condensation.
Houzz proves that the full-view garage door isn’t just for modern homes. Check out this cozy cottage with a full-view door that creates an inviting space.
The good news is that there are ways to avoid condensation, or at least reduce it. Consider the following:
- Drop the heat. This is a big one—most people like to keep their homes at 21-22 degrees Celsius. If you lower your thermostat to 19-20℃, you’ll see less condensation. Family complaining of cold? Socks and sweaters for all!
- Invest in a dehumidifier and / or air exchanger. This will pull in the moist air and exhaust cool, dry air, thus reducing the condensation in your home. An air exchanger or dehumidifier will offer other benefits, as well.
- Fans go a long way. Invest in good-quality fans and even a premium vent fan for every bathroom that has a shower or tub. Fans circulate air and exhaust fans can pull in moisture while cooking or bathing to keep things drier in the home.
- NEVER dry clothes indoors. We’re not talking about your clothes dryer—that’s fine. We are referring to hang drying or drip-drying as some people call it. This can create tonnnnssss of extra moisture in the air and that’s going to lead to—you guessed it—more condensation.
- How about a wood burning stove? Using a wood stove automatically dries out the air. Plus, who doesn’t love the smell of a wood-burning stove in the cozy winter months? Picture it now: watching the sunset on a cold January night with your wood stove glowing and your favorite blanket—it’s like a permanent vacation right at home.
Thinking ahead resolves basically all the concerns that come with a full-view garage door. Anyone who tells you it’s a bad choice clearly hasn’t done their homework.
3) All those windows, though…
Yeah, we know, the windows again.
But when these doors are made primarily of windows, it’s important to discuss. Here, we’re referring to all of the different design choices and glass styles that you’ll be able to select from. Whether you want frosted glass, clear glass, or any other style, it’s an option. You can even choose glass based on things like energy ratings and safety.
This California all-glass garage door features premium windows and a black frame, and is uniquely featured on the front of a building. This is a care center, though, so showing off the kitchen is actually a good thing.
One: Privacy
If you live in the city or have a lot of neighbors close by, you might not want to be exposed to the rest of the world with clear windows. Especially when it gets dark outside, and you turn the lights on inside—the whole neighborhood can see in!
Check out another great design from Houzz! Here you have a large, open-concept space used as a living and dining room, with mirrored full-view garage doors to create the feeling of outdoors right inside the home.
If privacy is a concern, or even if you want a unique look, frosted glass is one option. Check out this Sandblasted glass on the California full-view garage door. It offers light without exposing privacy and it even creates the look of a lantern at night—it’s a real winner.
With so many types of glass to select from, you’ll need to consider what’s best. The ratings range from 0 to 5, on a scale of 5, with zero being the least private and five being the most. Tinted or frosted glass allows you to enjoy the natural light without having to sacrifice your privacy.
Look at this beautiful design from Jeannette Architects on Houzz —proof that if you have trees and fences, you can definitely enjoy clear windows and still enjoy privacy. Consider all of your options here because you might have more privacy already available than you think.
Lake and mountain living are always made better by the California full-view garage door. People love having all the beauty of nature visible and being safely warm and comfortable indoors.
Two: Energy efficiency
Do you want energy efficient windows on your door? Choose LOW-E Argon windows with thermopane glass.
In the colder months, thermopane windows allow heat and light into the home and limit the amount of air that leaves the building, as well. In the summer, you’ll get less heat in the room and still enjoy the beautiful summer sunshine. Even light reflecting off your driveway, vehicles, and other elements won’t impact your comfort.
Check out this chart to see how windows perform when they have one or two panes of glass and other features. You can also find out more about LOW-E Argon thermopane windows here.
Three: Safety and protection
Whether you’re concerned about your kids playing around the door, potentially breaking the glass, or you live in an urban area that could be prone to vandalism or other petty crimes, you might be thinking an all-glass garage door is asking for trouble.
Think again. Full-view garage doors with tempered glass are designed to hold up to all kinds of potential risks, including incoming sports balls from the kids, theft, and so much more. You’ll never have to worry about keeping an eye on the kids near the door or even keeping an eye on the door itself.
Tempered glass means everyone can have a good time and you’ll have less stress about all of it.
Tempered Glass: An Explanation
Tempered glass is made by heating and cooling a standard piece of glass to extreme temperatures in a process that takes multiple steps. Once the process is complete, this glass is 4-5 times stronger than it was before and when it does break, it is designed to break into pieces that aren’t harmful or dangerous. It’s like the glass used on car windows—safety is paramount. You should also know that you can choose to have tempered glass on one or both sides of your thermopane window. If you choose a full-view model like the stunning California all-glass garage door, you should consider tempered glass inside and out.
Here’s a crazy idea—instead of installing a full-view garage door in the living room or den, how about just using it on your garage? Think of how many great looks you could create while keeping your cars safe.
Ok, ready to talk about your options?
It can be easy to get swept up in the improvement craze, changing everything from colors to siding, to lighting and more. You want to do as much as you can—but slow down. Take it one step at a time and start with the garage.
If you don’t update the garage door, you’ll have that same bland, boring wall of space on your home.
You can call us at 506-858-7052.
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