How Do You Insulate a Garage Door Window? (The Simple & Easy Way!)

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How Do You Insulate a Garage Door Window?

A Garage Door with Glass Windows brings in light adds a degree of class. It increases the curb appeal of your home but on the flip side glass is a poor insulator. So you may lose considerable amount of heat through those garage door glass windows. So, how do you insulate a garage door window?

Most types of Glass, including Float Glass, Tempered Glass and Laminated Glass, have very poor heat insulating properties.

Only Insulated Glass, which has air or an inert gas sandwiched between two sheets of glass, will have the required heat insulation properties. Alternatively, you can stick an heat insulating or reflecting film to the garage door window glass.

When you buy a new garage door with glass windows you can, in most cases opt for a model with insulated glass windows. It comes at a higher price but will pay for itself in reduced energy consumption.

Pros of Glass Panels on Garage Doors

Glass Panels on Garage Doors give you another element to add to the Garage Door design. A Garage Door, incorporating aesthetically designed Glass Panels will accentuate the character of your house.

It can be a powerful statement of your personality and a great boost to curb appeal. The glass panels become even more enticing in the night with warm backlighting.

Glass Panels will let in natural light into your garage, making it a more comfortable and brighter space to hang out in. Your garage need not resemble a dungeon when the Garage Door is shut.

Glass Panels as a construction material has come a long way. Technological advancements ensure that glass panels are really strong and shatterproof.

Glass Panels can come in unlimited variations. They can be crystal clear, tinted, frosted or even opaque. They can act as one way mirrors so you can enjoy nature outside without compromising on your privacy.  

Cons of Glass Panels on Garage Doors

Glass Panels, unless made from insulated glass, have poor insulating properties. Steel is not a good insulator either but it can be insulated using polystyrene foam panels or fiberglass wool. You could use these on Glass Panels but it would defeat the very purpose of choosing glass in the first place.

For all the technological advances, glass can still chip or crack. Glass Panels can not be repaired or painted over. They must be replaced. If you can’t find a matching piece then you may have to replace all the Glass Panels on your Garage Door. That can cost some!

Though not true, glass panels on garage doors is often considered as a safety risk!

Glass Types Used by Construction Industry

There are 4 types of glass that are generally used in the construction industry.

Float Glass

Float Glass (also referred to as Standard Glass) is the most common form of architectural glass. It is widely used for windows. It may be clear, tinted, textured, patterned or even have a wire mesh embedded in it.

Tempered Glass

Tempered Glass (also referred to as Toughened Glass) is made by using a heat treatment process. It is five times stronger and if broken, will shatter into many small, safe non-cutting pieces.

Laminated Glass

Laminated Glass has a plastic film sandwiched between two sheets of glass so that if it breaks, the pieces remain attached to the film. The glass will crack but not shatter to pieces and fall.

Insulated Glass

Insulated Glass has an air gap sandwiched between two sheets of glass. Moreover, the glass is also glazed to reflect heat.

Can You Insulate Existing Non Insulated Glass Garage Door Windows?

You may not always want to buy and install a new Garage Door. Sometimes that may not even be necessary. Maybe you live in a temperate zone with short and mild winters. You can then use temporary solutions to insulate the windows in your garage door, just to get by in the winter.

TIP: These solutions work equally well in hot summers when you want to keep the outside heat from making your garage unbearably hot!

In that case you should consider insulating the Glass Panels as under:

Bubble Wrap Film

This is really the cheapest insulation idea around. Just use any Bubble Wrap Film, cut it to size and tape it to the internal side of the Garage Windows. If you do not have some lying around in the house, buy it from Amazon or any neighborhood hardware store. Enko Bubble Cushioning Wrap (Each Roll is 12″ x 36′ and perforated every 12″ for convenience) will work perfectly well.

Window Insulation Film

Buy and use 3M Window Insulation Film for Heat and Cold available at Amazon. 3M Window Insulator Kits keep cold drafts out and warm air in through heat shrink window film and Scotch Window Film Mounting Tape. 3M window kits have the clearest film and stay up all season long with Scotch tape technology. The Scotch double sided tape holds firmly between films and surfaces.

Reflective Film

These are ideal for the garage door panels but you can continue to use them on the glass windows too. It will block out the light but it will insulate. I especially like Double Bubble Reflective Foil Insulation (36 inch X 10 Ft Roll) as the cut down heat loss both by conduction & radiation.

Two layers of polyethylene industrialized air bubbles bonded between two layers of highly reflective metalized aluminum polyester film. Industrialized strength, lightweight yet durable insulation designed to hold staples without tearing. Does not compress, collapse or disintegrate. Reflects 97% of radiant heat, emits less than 3% of heat, Class 1 / Class A fire rated radiant barrier that has passed the ASTM E84 test & ASTM E2599.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that windows on garage doors add character and boost the curb appeal of your house. They also let in natural light into your garage making it a brighter and more cheerful space. However, glass is a poor insulator of heat.

You can have insulated garage door windows by buying new garage doors that come with Insulated Garage Door Windows. Alternatively, you can stick an heat insulating or reflecting film to the garage door window glass.

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and useful.