Garage Windows

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Garage Windows
Garage Windows
Other Names:
Garage Replacement Windows
Description:
Remodeling a garage allows a homeowner to install any type of window that fits with the new room's design.

Remodeling a garage allows a homeowner to create an extension to the main house or build an entirely separate room. Homeowners can maximize their property by adding on an additional bedroom, family room, guest room, home office or rental unit. A renovated garage can add anywhere from 200 to 400 square feet to the house using the existing foundation, walls, floor, and electrical wiring. Maximizing the new addition includes installing quality replacement windows to enhance the new room's décor while providing an energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing window solution.

Replacement garage windows can go a long way toward making an otherwise simple garage room into an attractive living space. It may be hard to envision an old garage as a future charming addition to a home but a good architectural plan and quality materials provide the basis for creating appealing new living quarters. The replacement garage windows are often the basis a renovated garage's new room whose design can be as extravagant or as simple as the design plan and budget allow.

Contents

[edit] Considerations for Garage Windows

When remodeling a garage, window considerations should involve available lighting, thermal insulation needs and aesthetics.

[edit] Lighting

The position of the garage will go a long way in determining the daylighting requirements. If the garage is overshadowed by surrounding homes, there may be little direct sunlight that reaches the garage room, necessitating a larger number of windows and more oversized windows. If the garage room receives direct sunlight the windows may be smaller but the homeowner may prefer to install windows with a Low Emissivity coating. Low emissivity coating, also called "low-e" coating, controls the heat that transfers through the windows using an insulated glazing. Window treatments such as shutters, curtains and blinds can also aid in blocking the sun's radiation. In addition, reviewing the ratings for visible transmittance allows the homeowner to reduce dependence on artificial lighting for the garage room and lower energy costs.

[edit] Thermal Insulation

Garage windows which offer a high level of energy performance lower the renovated room's heating and cooling costs. Homeowners can check the thermal performance of a replacement garage window by reviewing the window's U-Factor, an independent rating test that measures the level of a window's heat loss.

[edit] Aesthetics

The aesthetic considerations of garage windows revolve around aspects of how to best utilize the windows to enhance the garage's available space. A garage generally measures between 200 and 400 square feet. This is a small to medium-sized room. A creative architectural plan can produce a window design that presents the illusion of a larger room with expansive views and even additional shelf or seating space.

[edit] Garage Windows Framing Materials

Replacement garage windows are available with wood, wood clad, fiberglass, composite, vinyl or aluminum framing materials.

[edit] Wood Windows

All-wood replacement window frames are a traditional window option which display the wood frame on both the interior and the exterior of the garage. Wood frames can warp or rot if annual maintenance, which includes painting or varnishing the window frames, is not undertaken. When properly maintained, wood window frames offer a well-insulated window frame alternative.

[edit] Wood Clad Windows

Wood clad frames combine the traditional look of a wood window frame on the garage room's interior with a weather-resistant treated aluminum or vinyl cladding on the garage room's exterior. These windows do not require any maintenance and are a durable window choice.

[edit] Vinyl Window Frames

Vinyl frames are a budget replacement window framing option for garage renovation projects. These frames do not require maintenance once installed but they cannot be repainted, so the homeowner should be sure that the original vinyl frame color will serve for the lifetime of the window.

[edit] Aluminum Window Frames

Aluminum frames present an additional low-cost frame option for replacement garage windows. Condensation can build up on aluminum window frames during cool weather in heating dominated climates. Some newer aluminum materials provide a quality window framing material that does not experience problems with condensation. Aluminum windows installed in cooling dominated climates are also not subject to condensation problems.

[edit] Fiberglass Window Frames

Fiberglass frames offer a sturdy and durable replacement garage window frame choice. Fiberglass windows are not liable to condensation, rotting or warping but are generally a more expensive window solutions.

[edit] Composite Window Frames

Composite material frames are a new framing material and have not been evaluated in long-term studies but short-term evaluations indicate that they offer an energy efficient window frame alternative. Composite frames can be repainted.

[edit] Garage Windows Glazing

Garage renovations can include a variety of glazing options.

[edit] Multi-Pane Glazing

Glazing options for garage windows range from the less-energy efficient single pane glazing to double pane windows and, for extreme climates, triple pane windows.

[edit] Privacy Glazing

The glass in replacement garage windows may be clear or clouded. A homeowner who is renovating a garage which is located near the street may choose to include tinted, patterned or clouded glass in the windows to increase the new room's privacy. These glazing options may also be included in a bathroom window in the new garage room. If the garage is set back from the street, privacy may not be as much of an issue and the homeowner may prefer to use clear glass windows.

[edit] Garage Window Sizes and Shapes

When selecting garage replacement windows the architectural plan must take into account the existing garage structure, the existing garage doors and windows and the location of the garage relative to street traffic. The plan must also address lighting and venting concerns. All of these elements combine when selecting a functional and aesthetic replacement garage window application.

[edit] Casement & Awning Windows

Casement and awning replacement windows are a common window choice for garages. These windows provide full ventilation and operate using a hand-crank or by remote control and can swing inward or outward. Garage casement windows are located at ground-level so consideration should be given to the foot traffic outside the garage when installing a casement or awning window. Casement windows open fully at 90 degrees, necessitating consideration as to whether the window should be an inswing or outswing casement window. Awning windows and casement windows can be installed near the garage room's ceiling, above eye level, which can address privacy concerns regarding foot traffic outside the renovated garage room.

[edit] Double-Hung Garage Windows

Double-hung replacement garage windows are vertical sliding windows which are attractive, functional and, due to their tilt-in mechanism, easy to clean. Double hung windows allow either the upper or lower sash to operate within the window's frame, so the bottom sash can remain closed while the upper sash opens to offer increased privacy for a garage room.

[edit] Bow and Bay Garage Windows

The architectural elegance of a bow window and a bay window provides a heightened functionality and aesthetic appearance to a renovated garage room. Bow windows are formed into an arch using four or five non-operating, operating or a combination of operating and non-operating windows. Bay windows are formed into an arch using three operating, non-operating or a mix of operating and non-operating windows. The advantages of replacement bay and bow windows in a renovated garage unit include the additional lighting and ventilation that they provide as well as an added seating or shelf area which can be installed within the arch.

[edit] Picture Windows

Picture Windows are a good window solution for a space in the garage in which the homeowner wants heightened daylighting but no venting. Picture windows are an economical window solution for such applications since the lack of an operating mechanism creates a lower-cost window.

[edit] Horizontal Sliding Windows

A horizontal sliding window is an economical and functional option for a garage renovation project. The sliding window sash glides horizontally along tracks within the window's frame. Cleaning a sliding window is simple. Horizontal sliding windows do not occupy any space within the room or outside the room when they are in an open position. Sliding windows feature a secure locking mechanism for enhanced security.

 
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