Garage door window privacy

[sevach]

Hello everyone! I'm new here and need help. We remodeled our garage and just installed a new carriage house garage door with windows and realized that lost our privacy. You can see inside, especially nighttime when the lights are on. Are there any kind of blinds, covers or films, that won't impair the aesthetic look of the door from outside as well as from inside too? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

 

[astroracer]

Limozine black window tint, or the mirror tint. Or just paint them black on the inside.
Mark

 

[falconero]

Frosted window film
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RCX088/?tag=atomicindus08-20


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[astroracer]

Frosted window film
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RCX088/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Or that...^^^^
Mark

 

[lakeroadster]

Walmart also has the window film. We used some of it on our pantry door that leads out to the garage. Works great and still lets light in.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brewster-Home-Fashions-Mosaic-Privacy-Window-Film/17154531

When we bought our home somebody had sprayed some sort of aerosol frosting product onto the glass... first time we went to clean the glass with some Windex, it ate the frosted product off.

 

[gungatim]

you can also get the frosted window stuff in a spray can. works great. just did a bunch of windows on a buddies house/garage and was quick, easy, and cannot tell it is from a spray can...available at box stores or amazon, krylon or rustoleum make it.

 

[sevach]

Thank you so much for your replies. We'll try to see which gives the most privacy when the lights are on. I've checked the amazon films suggested by astroracer, I'm thinking about the black.
in the worst case we can change that one panel right? It's 16ft x 7ft, woodlike panel. Don't know how much will cost us.

 

[firworks]

You could get an additional piece of glass and treat that (film, spray) and then hold it against the back of one of your current windows to see how it will look without potentially messing up your mounted windows. It doesn't even need to be the same size but will give you an idea. Once you pick one that you like then you can treat the garage doors.

 

[Dustball]

Go for the frosted window film. I have that applied on my bathroom window and it works great for privacy while still allowing light in.

 

[Cyberbear]

I'd opt for obscure glass as used in bathroom windows. It's easy to clean and no worry about scratching any of the applied coatings available. Talk to your local glass shop, or check online for custom made glass pieces. Or, simply sandblast the glass you have for privacy purposes.

 

[Todd.Brock]

We used Gila brand frosted film from Home Depot.bit ***** to apply because it's like normal window tint with a backing. It works well to block out all view , lets in light and has not peeled or bubbled in 2 yesrs

 

[Beemer533]

I used the film from home Depot as well and it works very well. Still let's some light in but, you can't see inside at all.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Use clear shelf liner paper. Used it on my last garage.. It looks frosted and no where near as cheap as it sounds like it would look. Lol

 

[doorsdoneright]

For future reference, most garage door manufacturers provide an obscure window option. It only costs the dealer maybe $30 more on a single-wide door $60 on a double-wide.

Sevach, there's a good chance you can contact your door dealer and ask them to order the obscure glass for that door from the manufacturer, pick it up from them and install it yourself. Most garage door window frames just screw out. It might be a 2-person job, though, since the outside portions of the frames fall out of position when you are trying to screw into them.

 

[thickhead]

I am planning to use curtains with top and bottom rods on my overhead doors.
Might use roll-up shades if I can find a hook or holder that will hold then in tension when drawn.

 

[matt_i]

In a pinch I've used regular white Xerox/copy paper. It lets a lot of light in and you put it up with masking tape or push pins.

Also, "stick up blinds" are a fast cheapo option.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Shelf paper..

 

[My Old Tools]

One wonders what activity in a garage requires that kind of privacy?

 

[SMKS]

Frosted window spray. I got mine at HD. Lets light through but doesn't let people see inside.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Specialty-11-oz-Frosted-Glass-Spray-Paint-1903830/100195608

One wonders what activity in a garage requires that kind of privacy?

It helps prevent prying eyes from seeing expensive tools.

 

[tinmanwpk]

One wonders what activity in a garage requires that kind of privacy?

One of my first thoughts as well...

I am planning to use curtains with top and bottom rods on my overhead doors.
Might use roll-up shades if I can find a hook or holder that will hold then in tension when drawn.

The curtains collect dust and bugs over time and just get dirty.

Frosted window film
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RCX088/?tag=atomicindus08-20

We used something quite similar to this on a stairway window and it worked tremendously. Your best bet in my humble opinion.

 

[George in Rancho Cordova]

I notice that the plastic trim around some garage door windows discolors after a couple of years.
Anyone know of a brand that doesn't do that?

 

[BillK]

Sevac,
My wife made curtains for ours. They are hung from a piece of nylon cord strung through the hinges on the top and she sewed in some magnets to keep them against the door on the bottom but still allows you to look out if you want to.

 

[Danno1]

.


Get a 2x4 fluorescent light panel. Cut to size and use 4 pieces of Velcro to hold it to the window. Now it's removable for cleaning.

Did this on a bathroom window years ago. Worked great.


.

 

[Beemer533]

One wonders what activity in a garage requires that kind of privacy?

One of my first thoughts as well...

/QUOTE]

For me at least it isn't about what I'm doing that I want privacy for, it's to keep random strangers from seeing all expensive stuff I have. I'm in a fairly busy area and my garage faces the street and I don't need encourage any "window shoppers" ..

All that aside, why would it bother you if someone wants privacy?

 

[Doorguy]

I had my shop door windows tinted with a reflective tint. works like a one way mirror. I can see out but no one can see in.

 

[Garagebound1]

My garage door wasn't insulated enough and the glass was single pane so I cut 1/2" blue foam insulation to fit inside the window frames and stuck black contact paper on the outward side. It friction fits and insulates and is easily removable, if needed. I also put a layer of same foam board in each door panel to dbl the r-value. I got some vinyl panels and cut them to cover the foam on the inside.

 

[onewheat]

Tints are ok during the day - at night when it is dark outside and a light is on in the garage, you can see in but not out. This will be true with reflective or limo black. For true obscurity, you'll want the frosted - no look in (or out, if that is important). Curtains would work for Martha Stewart's garage, I guess. I'll abstain, I think.

 

[visiting guest]

One wonders what activity in a garage requires that kind of privacy?

 

[Jess]

I have two windows in my home attached garage. Since we are away a lot, I covered them with the frosted 'mactac' type stuff. I still lets in light, but keeps prying eyes from determining if the car is in the garage. Its put inside and look pretty decent even up close. Inexpensive too.

 

[George in Rancho Cordova]

My garage had a 4' x 5' window in the side wall. It had shelves in front of it, but i was always concerned about it getting broken or someone trying to get in.

When I replaced the siding, I downsized to a 1' x 4' frosted horizontal slider. Moving it horizontally aligned it with the siding, so there wasn't a need to notch two sheets.

 

[4495]

We had a neighbor that used the clear shelf paper from the grocery store. Worked great and looked nice too!

 

[kingstrider]

Years ago I painted my garage windows black, it kept unwanted eyes out but blocked the light. The limo and mirror tints work fine during the day but you can still see in at night.

I recently added frosted white film to my garage windows which works great, keeps unwanted eyes out when I'm working at night and lets light in during the day. I wouldn't use the sprays though, too messy to clean.

 

[PhantomEB]

Hmm I should check out that shelf paper. I would like the gf to know when I out in the shop.

 

[slip knot]

What. nobody uses tinfoil anymore?

back in highschool a buddy had a neighbor who tinfoiled all his windows. We'd be up drinking in the early morning and see a little leak of lite coming from one of his windows. it looked like he was arc welding in there. we tried peeking thru the tiny hole to see what was going on but couldn't see anything. Never did figure out what he was doing in the wee hours but I did see how tinfoil kept prying eyes away.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Hmm I should check out that shelf paper. I would like the gf to know when I out in the shop.

It works great. We used it on my shop and actually wound up using some on our front door that I ran through my vinyl cutter to make it look fancy.

A roll is like $12 and will last forever.


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[Spelunca Sanctorum]

Reviving this thread instead of creating a new one.

I have an HOA, and need to match the neighbors' garage doors, so I need a row of windows along the top of the garage door. I do like that they make the garage lighter, but like the OP, I live on a busier street and don't want people window shopping to see what's inside my garage or if I'm home.

I'm in the process of getting a new garage door (probably Clopay), and they offer frosted glass as an option. I want to get it, but what I need to know is:

Does frosted glass look noticeably different than non-frosted glass?

When there's no light on inside the garage, does it look like regular glass until you get close and see that it's frosted? That would be ideal for me, since it would keep the HOA from having a reason to complain about the house looking different.

My other thought was that I could still get frosted glass, then put limousine style window tinting on the exterior side of the glass, but I think that would cut down on the amount of light that enters the garage, which is the only reason I can see to have garage windows in the first place.

Does anyone have any pictures (especially of a Clopay garage door with their OEM frosted windows) that they could post? I haven't been able to find anything online.

 

[n20junkie]

I removed the inside window trim, cut out off white card stock to match the window and installed in behind the window and re attached the frames.

The look of glass with no one looking in, or knowing when I am in the shop.


My new shop was built with not a single window, bunker style.

 

[PhantomEB]

Wish I put in windows on the top panel of my big door which faces South. Wouldn't need half of my lights on then.....hmm I need to go visit the overhead door company!

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Frosted spray or film would be the easiest, although I do like the idea of a 2x4 light panel. Window tint can still be seen through if close enough, I believe.

A while ago there was a thread about this, and someone used masonite panel that comes white on one side, I think it's meant to be used as marker board. He painted the back side black, and made a track for each panel to fit against each window. I thought about doing something like this but with mirror clips to hold each piece in place.

 

[Dr Stan]

When remodeling our bathroom I used Contact brand window film. Lets lots of light in, was easy to apply (cut over sized and trim in place) and looks good. It was way cheaper than some of the other window privacy films I priced.