If you’re thinking of getting a new garage door, one of your first considerations will be which style to choose. A sub-category of that question will be: should you get a garage door with windows or without? Great question. It’s a highly personal decision, but we can help you with that decision here.

Garage door windows come with many benefits as well as drawbacks. Check out the pros and cons of each.

Pros

There are many reasons why it’s a good idea to install a garage door with windows. These types of doors will:

  • Allow for plenty of natural light to flow in, which means you don’t need the lights during the day, saving you on energy bills. Plus, all that sunlight keeps your garage warmer during winter days.
  • Offer an added aesthetic that gives your door more depth, dimension and character.  You can choose horizontal or vertical windows, selecting from a variety of designs and patterns.
  • Offer a natural look for your home, as they blend in well with the rest of your exteriors. Your garage will look like a natural extension of your home because you’re pulling the overall window design into the garage addition.
  • Ensure a higher resale value: Garage door windows are considered an added perk in the eyes of buyers and will boost the resale value of your home.

Cons

There are also a couple of reasons why you may not want to include windows in your garage door: 

  • Lack of privacy: Anybody can walk up and look in the windows to see inside the garage. From nosy neighbors to would-be burglars, you’re allowing an unobstructed view into your home where people can see what you’re doing in there as well as what potential items of value are stored there.
  • Lack of security: In the same vein, if someone were to break into your home, they could easily break the windows to gain access if the windows are big enough.
  • Potential for heat loss: Any heat that your garage does contain can be lost through the windows during cold months. 
  • They can easily break: Windows can be broken by accident, from the neighborhood kid who throws your daily newspaper into your yard, to stray baseballs during a pickup game. Also, if your garage door were to be struck, such as by a slowly backing-up vehicle, the door may stay intact or just dent, but the windows would surely shatter, which is an expensive fix.

The type of garage door you choose will be a highly personal decision. You can’t go wrong with either option. One side note: if privacy is a concern with windowed garage doors, consider tinted or frosted glass.

Contact M&M Garage Doors

To view our selection of garage doors – with and without windows – feel free to browse our site or contact us at (586) 610-5434. From our Classica Collection to our Lincoln Collection, you will love our variety.