do windows belong in a garage??

[trdtaco]

ok we are having a garage put up at my new house.. original plans I dealt with the architect with call for no windows..

I feel like windows give oppertunity for people to peek in and see what is in there.. I know it will get no breeze and may get hot but I can always put an ac in the wall.. so whats your opinion?? windows or not.

I say no as well as my father
but my grandfather, brother, contractor, and cement guys all say I will regret not having windows down the line..

garage will be 42x35 with 3 10 ft doors

 

[lane meyer]

I agree with the comment about the ability for people to peek in, but I like windows, it makes things feel more open, and light, I have an old set of curtains over mine and keep them closed most of the time.

 

[APEowner]

I really like a lot of natural light in a working shop. If you don't want people to see in then use frosted glass or some of the stick on diffuser stuff. Another option is to put the window up high enough that people can't see in.

 

[A29]

I put a couple of windows in my shop. Not too worried about people looking in. You do lose some wall space though.

 

[Jagmandave]

Clerestory windows allow a lot of natural light without the worry of break ins, and you can get them that open too, allowing air circulation and venting the heat out the top.....

On those days when it's too hot or too cold to have the garage door open, it's nice to have the natural light, but they do add cost.

 

[davidlee]

Pro: lets in natural light, cools in summer, looks good.
Con: lets people see in, gives up wall space, easy entry for thieves, cost extra money.
You have to decide. I have them in my shop.

 

[hh76]

I've got a very old shop that was probably built at a time when electricity wasn't an option for it, so it has windows spaced 17" apart the entire 50' length. They are a pain in the ***. They break, they allow the cold in, they take up wall space, and they are a great place to break in.



If I were building, I would install a few, but with the bottoms at about 7' just to let in light, and offer some ventilation. They would be just big enough to put a box fan in front of.

 

[mrodgers]

Front window of our house is 48"x120" and anyone walking up on the porch can look right in. We put some window tint on them and now even cupping and looking through your hands, we can't see into the house during the day. Can still see through at night when the lights inside are on, but we put up blinds for that.

 

[Chaz]

There are no windows in the shop portion of our place. Lotsa windows in the home portion. There is a bit of windowglass in the shop man door.
On nice days I can open the big door.
SUPER easy to heat and lots of wall space.
Its well lit so I don't miss windows.

 

[NHBandit]

I've got a very old shop that was probably built at a time when electricity wasn't an option for it, so it has windows spaced 17" apart the entire 50' length. They are a pain in the ***. They break, they allow the cold in, they take up wall space, and they are a great place to break in.



If I were building, I would install a few, but with the bottoms at about 7' just to let in light, and offer some ventilation. They would be just big enough to put a box fan in front of.

No windows in my shop. Nice Norton by the way so you're ok in my book.. We'll just have to agree to dissagree on the moonshine thing.

 

[kc-steve]

Skylights in the roof might be a better option for natural light. I have a loft in my garage. But you'll always have the rain leakage problem to deal with. I have a window in my garage but I wish it wasn't there, in my neighborhood. Burglars broke in a neighbor's house next door through the garage window. They leave me alone probably because someone is home all the time.

Steve

 

[ez-duzit]

There should at least be clerestory windows to let in natural light.

 

[hh76]

No windows in my shop. Nice Norton by the way so you're ok in my book.. We'll just have to agree to dissagree on the moonshine thing.

Unfortunately, I sold the Commando, but I have a featherbed and a pre-unit triumph project in the queue. Still might change my mind, though and find a Norton lump for it.

The avatar is just a ploy to throw off the darn prohibitionists.

 

[McKay]

I have just finished framing mine. I put in 26 windows total with 16 skylights. Most are up high (about 14' to the bottom) except for a couple that are in my showroom area which are normal height. This is a larger garage though.

 

[Cryptic1911]

The only way I would put in windows is if they were way off the ground. They do look nice from the outside, but the less holes you have for someone to climb through, the better. I don't want people looking at my ****, plus I don't have the wall space to give up for windows. To me, it's a shop, not a sun room. If I want sun, I'll go outside

 

[NHBandit]

Unfortunately, I sold the Commando, but I have a featherbed and a pre-unit triumph project in the queue. Still might change my mind, though and find a Norton lump for it.

The avatar is just a ploy to throw off the darn prohibitionists.

LoL.. I also sold the Triumph before finishing it to a guy who wanted it more than I did. Had many of them over the years but have Harleys now. That one was a 69 TR6C originally. Powdercoated frame, lots of polished Aluminum & chrome. Sonny Routt big bore kit, Joe Hunt mag, Megacycle cams, etc, etc.. Had my own shop for a little while until I realized that there's no money to be made in a small town wrenching on old British stuff. Still blowing out a few remaining used parts on Ebay but I'm down to the floor sweepings.

 

[Sachseguy]

First, I think garage design is highly dependent on how you plan to use your garage. Is it going to be used as a working shop filled with expensive tools, equipment and vehicles? Or is it just going to be a place to park everyday cars?

Regarding windows, I also like a lot of natural light. Windows can also have a positive architectural effect by allowing the garage to match or blend with the design of the house. This seems especially true with a detached garage if aesthetics are important. Beyond that I'm really not a fan of windows in a garage used as a shop.

The downside of having windows in your shop include the following:
* Windows take up valuable interior wall space.
* Windows cost more in parts and labor when building a garage
* Windows provide easy access to your shop by thieves or vandals
* Windows (especially cheap ones) are the biggest source of energy loss
* Windows and sills tend to be dust collectors and require frequent cleaning
* Windows (generally) make your shop more vulnerable to severe weather events

Obviously, some of these downsides issues can be mitigated or eliminated, but in my experience, it generally adds cost to your build. And, depending on where you live, some of these may be more or less important to you. As we all know, most things in life involve some kind of compromise and you just have to decide which compromises you're willing to accept.

Again, I think it depends on your individual situation. Determine your needs and priorities and I think it will be reasonably clear what's best for you.

 

[McKay]

I use to be against having windows in garages. But after visiting some nice shops with high windows I love them. Like I said most all of mine are up high at 14' to the bottom. My main floor of my shop is approx 6800 ft sq. and has 4 levels overall. I am bricking my whole shop so the cost difference between brick or windows is not huge. We are installing solar band 70 for energy loss and on the west and south facing windows have ordered them in a bronze tint as well. I am putting radiant in about 9500 ft square total and am planning on air con in about 4000 sq. ft of it so I am concerned greatly about heating and cooling loss.

 

[steve308]

Wish I had put a window or two in mine. Had to cut a hole in the wall to install my extra 'window' unit a couple of summers ago - then I had to fix the hole after I installed the mini split. You can always tint or cover the windows.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Yes to windows. Inexpensive vinyl vertical blinds will solve the privacy issue. I love to have the light in when I am working in the shop. Sometimes I turn the AC off and am grateful for the ventilation option.

 

[TechnoMayor]

I put windows in one of the upper sections for my Overhead Doors. They're double pane and factory installed so less of a chance of leaking and they're so high no one can see into them without a ladder.

 

[BD1]

Go with glass blocks, 12''x12''. I don't have any, too much wasted space.

 

[Tripp2012]

I'm building a small 16x20 building at my house. I only did one window and now I wish I had planned for 2 or three. At this time I'm doing the electric and without the lights done it's dark in there. Yes you give up privacy and wall space but they are missed when they are not there. You could look into casement windows to allow light but be high enough from the ground to block nosey lookers.

 

[NHBandit]

I actually do have one in my office only and as soon as the wife finds the time it will have curtains. I don't miss having them in the shop area one bit. I have good lighting when it's dark out or when it's too cold to have the doors open and on nice days the 2 10x10 overhead doors let in more than enough natural light. Not that crime is much of an issue where I am, but I have way too much valuable stuff in there to allow prying eyes to peek in. My overhead doors face the backyard where nobody belongs when I'm home working out there so keeping them open when I'm home is not an issue.

 

[Wood'nMetal]

Plus 1 on windows, there is no substitute for natural light, especially if you are a woodworker. If you are worried about privacy, go with skylights, dormer windows or just windows high up on the wall.

 

[finn]

I put 5 5'X5' windows in my shop for the natural light. I'm in a low crime area (UP) with good neighbors (and insurance) so I'm not paranoid about crime.

They do take up wall space and I'n a little concerned in that 2 of them are behind workbenches, Those two should have been a little shorter for safety.

Air flow is great. Can work with the door shut (bug protection) and still have a comfortable cross ventilation.

Main con besides the loss of wall space is that the spiders tend to colonize the sills and frames.

 

[Kevin54]

No way would I want a garage with no windows. I have three, plus a window in the man door. You can always put windows up high. Plus the fact that if someone sees one time what's in the garage, they will get what they want, windows or not.

A friend of mine runs a scrap yard and built a new 75' x 175' pole barn. He didn't have any windows in it other than the front door that faces the road. A cordless screwdriver with the appropriate nutrunner and they removed the siding off of the back corner that was hidden from view and stole all of his high priced metal that was inside. He solved that with security cameras everywhere now.

If you are in a high crime area, then maybe I'd say "no" to windows, but if you're rural, or in a subdivision, thieves know when you come and go and will get what they want, if they want.

 

[mikeyr]

no windows in my shop, that was the way I wanted when it was built. I did not want to lose the wall space. I put in 4 big skylights instead and absolutely love them, they let in lots of light and are double pane for insulation so heat loss is minimal (yes there is some but I am ok with that). And they open which allows me to keep the place cool in summer by letting all the heat out.

I did get windows in my garage door, but only along the top, you have to be about 6' to see inside and will be very visible to my very nosy neighbors (retired on both sides with nothing better to do).

 

[macattak]

My bike shed is 10'x20' and attached to the south side of the house. I put two 24"x36' windows on the side. I decided not to put one on the 10' side, which faces the street, so people couldn't look in. Now I kind of wish I went ahead and put it in. The house looks kind of awkward without one.

 

[gpalmer77]

I have 8 windows in my 2-car, but only one is downstairs, and it faces my fenced in yard. No windows at ground level around the two sides that are not on my property. I have 4 windows in the upstairs shop above the 8 ft bay for ambient light, and three vaulted down into the 12 ft bay for the same reason.

 

[bgarrett]

I have 14' walls with the windows at the top. No worries about people peeping in

 

[WhyMe]

Skylight are the way to go. new ones are a lot more leakproof than ones in the past.

 

[ez-duzit]

3 of the 4 high windows in my shop are boarded up for security, privacy and noise control (was broken into, once--caught the bad guys--got the tools back). The west facing 4th window is located near a main workbench (or vice versa) and faces a gated yard; it provides filtered, shaded, indirect sunlight.

Natural light and ventilation come from my south facing overhead double-garage door normally being partially open (whenever I am working during daylight hours and in tolerable weather. When infrequently necessary for security or noise control the big door is closed and the light from the 1 remaining window is welcome though insufficient.

Smallish windows, high up on the wall (clerestory), don't take up valuable "working" wall space; they offer complete privacy (except for light); are relatively out of danger from accidental breakage; they're cheap to buy and require little/no maintenance as they are protected by the eaves.

 

[wedge40]

I put windows in, but the bottoms are at 6'6", and I plan on putting blinds over them.

Wedge

 

[firecracker]

I think most peeps have said it, I did'nt put windows in my garage when I built it 25 years ago, but the garage doors were fibreglass so let lots of light in.Now my man cave has 2 windows in, 1 is obscure and 1 is clear glass, I am worried that someone would see my gear and it could go walkies, so I'm going to put a black board over that one when I'm not at home.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

up high solid block glass bricks w bars ok

 

[TOOL MASTER]

if i didn't have to go in and out it wouldn't even have a door...

 

[2012 LML]

I have 8 windows, and a window in a door in my 40x60.

I have 2 big windows in my house garage.

I would not have changed a thing.

 

[skyking]

I have central Air and Heat in my shop. 4" insulation and no windows. The doors are also insulated including the 40x12 hangar door.50'x40'x14' with t5 lighting . I like it.

 

[rednecklimo85]

I like lots of natural light and air flow, I want as many windows as possible and still retain plenty of wall space. I also live in an area were crime is almost non existent, but to be safe I would put up some cheap blinds. I'm sure I would think different if crime were an issue.