Garage Windows -- Yes or No?

[newgene]

I am on the fence on this one. I am planning to build a very nice sized garage, but I am debating on whether to put in windows or not. What is everyone's thoughts on them? They look nice, but it seems to be a no-no.

Thanks.

 

[rdnkjeeper]

I put them in, but tried to get them almost as high as I could go. I wanted the light they offer....they do add a lot of light.

 

[dink]

Yes I also recommend windows.....natural light is a good thing....Possibly even put some of those tint sheets for privacy....they still allow a good deal of light but hard for people on the outside to see through

 

[newgene]

I am planning to have separate garage doors, with 2 windows on the side wall. I currently only plan to put a door in on the back wall. I was planning to keep the back wall dedicated to toolboxes, etc.

Does that all make sense. BTW, thanks for the advice on the windows. I feel a whole lot better about it now.

 

[shopking68]

I say NO, just another way for thieves to get in.

I have sky lights in mine, helps alot on light.

 

[dink]

I am planning to have separate garage doors, with 2 windows on the side wall. I currently only plan to put a door in on the back wall. I was planning to keep the back wall dedicated to toolboxes, etc.

Does that all make sense. BTW, thanks for the advice on the windows. I feel a whole lot better about it now.

I would put a door in either way for when your neighbors try to come over and borrow something of yours you can sneak out the back hahaaa

 

[newgene]

I am a little concerned with thieves, but I guess not really much more than the house itself. I am rebuilding the house after Katrina destroyed the old structure. Prior to the hurricane, I would leave my toolbox, air compressor, and other tools unlocked on my front porch. I can't say the same now because we do have a whole bunch of strange characters in town now, but in general I never used to be concerned with it.

What do people generally think is more important, appearance and lighting, or security?

 

[newgene]

If I am going to add windows to the side of the garage, does it make sense to add at least one to the back, as well. It will have the door.

 

[dink]

I would go with appearance and lighting first....with a slight focus towards security....test the waters out first....if your area seems alittle more strange....beef up the security

 

[newgene]

I plan to put in a security alarm this time around. I am also a part-time officer with the local police department. That doesn't mean much for stopping them at my house, but it did help me pick the area before I moved there.

 

[Steve_S]

My vote is a strong yes! The more natural light the better. Not only will it help light the garage but sunlight is more soothing than any artificial source that I've seen. And we all need as much soothing as we can get when working under a broken down car!

As for security, just install an alarm with a motion sensor. Even if someone gets in at least the alarm will sound and scare them off before they can get anything big out. You can also get glass shatter sensors.

I have windows across the top of my main door and one large 5' x 6' window on the front wall. In a small 18x22 garage that's a good amount of light. One thing to consider is whether or not you want direct sunlight. Personally I prefer indirect light because direct light can be damaging to some types of materials or painted surfaces. It also makes the lighting in the garage very contrasty. On the bright side (pun intended) it offers more overall light.

I didn't put a window in the back because A) a window which is not visible from the front of the property or by any neighbors allows a thief all the time he needs to examine and bypass your security system, B) The view is just of my side yard gate 3-feet away, and C) Because I wanted that wall space available for other things.

Here's my setup during construction...

 

[barn9]

The main part of my garage has no windows, and between having no natural light, and that "boxed in" feeling, I would never build one without windows. If there were the need, security bars are pretty easy to weld up and install, and there are plenty of other security options available these days. I put small windows in my workshop area I added to the garage, and put up some cheap mini-blinds to deter anyone peeking in the windows to see what is in there, and make it easy to have the natural light when I'm working in there.

 

[Roadster]

I wanted that wall space available...

Besides security concerns, that is one of the biggest reasons for eliminating windows and using artificial light in a garage. Wall storage space is at a premium in any well-equipped garage. I have slot-wall storage throughout my garage, and almost every bit of it is put to use. The more things you have up on the wall, the more free floor space you will have. On the other hand, ceilings typically have plenty of free space, which is why artificial light makes perfect sense in a garage.

 

[Cutch]

I prefer natural light at times...plus in the winter it helps warm my garage but that isn't a concern for you.

I never lock my garage or my house for that matter...guess I'm just lucky where I live...I'm an ex Cop and my wife still is...we have insurance plus very nosey neighbours.

Security bars are something to consider if security is an issue.

 

[RonBou]

I put a small window on either side of the garage, up high where from the outside you would need to stand on something to pear in. I don't get as much light as I would like but I feel more secure.

 

[DynoDave]

I'm going to try and do a little of both (security & light). I'm going to put 28 8x8 glass blocks in the gable end of the shop. I will have scissor trusses on that end of the shop, and they will fill the "scissor" area very nicely. They are up high and made of wrinkled glass, so people looking in is not an issue. The are pretty strong, and will be about 12' up in the air, so someone crawling in shouldn't be a problem. And, they should add some natural light.

A friend of mine with a 6 car added some tubes that bring in light from the roof. They work well too.

 

[BoostAddiction]

Windows

IMO, all garages need some kind of natural light. Even a very small window makes a huge difference. Having said that, there are security concerns to be addressed for most people.

I would echo the solar tube idea- we have one in the house that illuminates the upstairs landing. Works great. It is too small to be used to gain entry, yet provides a good maount of light during the day. Skylights are also a popular thing but may be a security risk unless they are on a sloped roof that is visible from the street.

If security is a concern, using glass blocks (as one has pointed out here) is a great idea. So too might be a series of small windows that are too small to crawl through, but admit light. Mounting windows up high in a visible part of the building is a good idea as well.

Other ways to secure windows include making them of baliistic-grade lexan so they can't easily be broken, adding bars to discourage intruders, and making some (but not all!) of the security system visible so that the casual thief will move on to easier pickings.


-Will

 

[REFLEXX]

Why not just put in a bunch of SOLARTUBES?

No thief can fit thru a 12" diameter and they give off a LOT of light. Easy to install.

Or just some porthole windows up high?

Nothing beats sunlight for color and lighting up a room. Gotta get your B12, especially you pasty white people in the north!!!

 

[drbill]

Don't do what one of my brothers neighbors did. He lives on a corner lot and put a door wall in. Even tho this door faced his house it was still broken into.
I put a window in the back wall of my garage, it's 5' off the floor and with the way my yard slopes down it's at least 6'6" to the bottom of the window if your outside.
One other thing a window provides is a place to put a fan for ventalation in the summer.

 

[Gregdoo]

Another vote for glass block! I was at a home show recently that had a glass block window that could be opened for ventilation. With the opening only being about the height of a single glass block, there would not be a security concern with someone getting in the opening.

 

[fireman]

Absolutely put in windows. I have two large windows in my shop. They let in alot of light plus they open for ventilation. I also have an alarm system so I don't worry about crooks. A shop without windows would be like working in a dungeon.

 

[Roadster]

Absolutely put in windows. I have two large windows in my shop. They let in alot of light plus they open for ventilation. I also have an alarm system so I don't worry about crooks. A shop without windows would be like working in a dungeon.

I work in my shop a lot at night. What do you windows-only guys do (besides get depressed)?

 

[krooser]

I put five in my shop...wish I had ten...

 

[bmwpower]

Windows?.....Yes.
I put 4 windows in, 2 with transoms. I also have glass in the upper panel of each garage door. I have a half-glass mandoor, too. On a sunny day, I don't need to turn the lights on to do light work.

If you're really worried about intruders, install an alarm system.

 

[NHCharger]

Another vote for windows here. Natural light and some cross-ventilation. But as mentioned before depends on how safe you think the neighborhood is. The walls in my shop are 10' so I put 2 awning windows up high on the back wall. I just stand on the work bench to open them. On the side and front I used double hung windows. Where I live I have a better chance of tripping over a bear walking from the house to the shop than having someone peeking in my garage.
However, last fall i had a paving contractor come over to give me an estimate. While we were talking his dirtbag, toothless helper went over and was peering in the front window of my shop. He wanted to know how much my Chargers were worth. Since then I painted the inside bottom half of the windows so no one can peek in, but the paint still let's light in.

 

[G M]

I am putting 9 windows in my 24x40 8 of which are glass block windows up 9' off the ground to give it an old warehouse type of look.

 

[mleichtle]

Windows yes gets my vote, Mine has now windows, is unfinished, and and doesn't have enough light. If i'm in there for 10 minutes or more, and the sun is out, it just about knocks me down when I step outside. Its like a flash bulb that stays on.

 

[BowtieNut]

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I just built my 28x48 garage without windows. My biggest reason for doing this was for thermal efficiency. I do most of my work out there in the winter, and keep the shop heated all winter long. And the advantages of extra light would be pretty minimal for me, since I do most of my work out there in the evening/night hours when there's no sunlight anyways. The heating probably isn't such a big concern for you in MS though.

Security is another concern, but not a big one for me where I live. And even if I had wanted the windows, there are ways to still make it fairly secure as others have stated. In the garage I built at my previous house, I put in two good sized windows up about 8 ft off the ground, but I just felt that the light they provided wasn't worth the heat they lost in my specific situation. If I lived further south, I guess I probably would have put in some windows.

 

[sca037]

Natural light is priceless, so another YES vote.
Like has been well stated many times here, you have to balance it with your security and heating needs.
Glass block is best for security & thermal efficiency, and skylights are good if you have the roof slope to guarantee the flashing won't leak over time (4/12 isn't enough where I live but anything over 6/12 should be acceptable). Tube type skylights are fantastic (I've installed 2 in the house) if you can get a good Southern view for the head. One thing though, if you need to pipe them down very far, it gets expensive real fast buying those internally-mirrored extensions (ask me how I know )
I live in a very low crime area, so decided to put a very large conventional window plus a doorwall in my large bay and have zero regrets.

Have fun,
Brian

 

[autoist]

 

[Steve_S]

That's a thousand words right there, Tony!

 

[byrdman]

Only you can decide what's best for your situation. My 28x35 was built without windows, here were MY reasons:

-potential thieves can't see in from the outside
-no extra holes in the wall to break in through (although if someone wants in bad enough, they're gonna get in)
-doors take up enough room on my walls, without windows I can use more of my space
-Better insulative qualities, for both temperature and sound
-cheaper

Daylight would be nice but it's not the end of the world without it. I open the doors if I want daylight that badly. Again, that's me and my situation!

 

[JohnZ]

I have five 6' x 6' Andersen Thermopane Low-E double crank-out windows in my 44' x 58' garage, for natural light; each is alarmed, and has vertical blinds. Can't imagine how dark it'd be without them. The natural light and light-colored epoxy floor really brightens up the place during the day.

 

[stimpy]

on my friends garage which we just finished he put in some crank out window 48x48 concerned about security we put a coat of whitewash on the glass ( with a roller looks like frosted glass ) and on the frames we used expanded metal ( the large diamond pattern ) sandblasted it and powdercoated it gray then welded it to an angle iron frame thats lagged to the studs surrounding the window , it looks like its part of the window ( english tudor style) he has the natural light and the security he needed to keep out the amatuers .

 

[D-Cal]

I stuccoed over two windows. Not worth a break in, and considering we live in the country an alarm is a waste of electricity. The temps in the winter here drop to -40 or -45C every winter and with the rising cost of gas...

Don't get me wrong, would love natural light in there but it's just not practical for me. I may add some skylights in the future.

 

[bmwpower]

Don't get me wrong, would love natural light in there but it's just not practical for me. I may add some skylights in the future.

Yea, but didn't you see Gone in 60 Seconds? They broke in through the roof skylights.

 

[krooser]

I put in FREE single pane sliders with storm windows. I also put plastic on the outside of the windows in the winter. There is really no difference in the temps around the windows vs. the rest of the outside walls.

During the summertime I put in the screens and I get great flow-thru ventilation. I can work with the overhead door closed and have good fresh air ventilation while welding, cutting etc. with minimal chance of disturbing the neighbors. I can pretty much work anywhere in the shop without having the lights turned on because of the natural light.

I guess if I was really concerned about losing heat (and $$$) thru the windows I'd take all the windows out of the house, too.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I second all of the ideas in Will's quote below. Very good suggestions. For a Garage the skylights are an excellent idea, the slightly domed ones like used on houses. You will never regret natural light and all of it you can get.

I have a large metal building. I don't like roof skylight panels in metal buildings, they are usually a rough fiberglass that is the same profile as the sheetmetal and they get black with dirt and look terrible. I used a couple of side wall skylights and one whole end is translucent fiberglass sheeting and also a glass garage door, but security was not a problem for me. Private neighborhood, and private streets, one way in and out. pretty secure in those respects.

http://charles-dusty.tripod.com/hangar.html

Charles

IMO, all garages need some kind of natural light. Even a very small window makes a huge difference. Having said that, there are security concerns to be addressed for most people.

I would echo the solar tube idea- we have one in the house that illuminates the upstairs landing. Works great. It is too small to be used to gain entry, yet provides a good maount of light during the day. Skylights are also a popular thing but may be a security risk unless they are on a sloped roof that is visible from the street.

If security is a concern, using glass blocks (as one has pointed out here) is a great idea. So too might be a series of small windows that are too small to crawl through, but admit light. Mounting windows up high in a visible part of the building is a good idea as well.

Other ways to secure windows include making them of baliistic-grade lexan so they can't easily be broken, adding bars to discourage intruders, and making some (but not all!) of the security system visible so that the casual thief will move on to easier pickings.


-Will

 

[z28toz06]

If someone wants in they're getting in. Put an alarm in if you're worried about thieves. You are going to have a door, they'll get in if they want to. Light is important and so are looks. Get windows that go up high that are wider than tall and it will let light in and be difficult to see in without a ladder.

 

[red caddy]

Living, as I do, in hurricane country, I opted for no windows in my 36 X 60 shop. I engineered this building as a 160 MPH rated hurricane shelter with stand alone water and power systems. 8- 21 inch suntubes will supply plenty of natural light, and a 12 X 18 ft, overhead door on the west end, a 6-0 X 8-0 french door on the north wall, another 6-0 X 8-0 F/D on the east end wall, a 10 X 10 ft O/H door and 2 3-0 X 6-8 man doors on the south wall will give plenty of access and still not compromise security. The 2 X 2 openings in the end walls are for vent fans. RED