Glass garage door - pay extra for insulated?

[DanWheeler]

I'm about to order a Clopay 902 commercial glass garage door. The quote is around $3500 for the door and a jack shaft opener and install. My question is, should I spend $500 more for insulated glass? is it worth it? I realize I'm not going to get much R value out of glass no matter what but I dont know the difference between regular glass and insulated and if its worth it.

thanks!
dan

http://dano.smugmug.com/gallery/2816341#P-4-15

 

[Major Ramifications]

Well, I don't know your situation, but I spent a little extra to get the insulated glass in mine. I figured I could use all of the R-Value I could get, not to mention the noise reduction that the double pane glass offers. I mean, I would put double pane windows in my house if I were buying new ones, so why not the garage?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Where are you located? Is the building heated? insulated? I had installed a Windsor door 14 ft high, 12 ft wide, in year 2000 for $1500. It had stamped metal panels top and bottom and five aluminum and glass panels in between. I used regular tempered glass. It faces west, in the summer it is open, and in the winter it is closed but lets the sun in to heat the place.

I'm in Georgia, doesn't get that cold but I have seen steady temps in the mid to high 20's for days on end, unusual however. My building is not heated, would not have made sense to use insulated glass. If you are in very cold country, it might be a consideration.

Charles

 

[DanWheeler]

i'm in western washington and the door would face West and get full sun in the afternoon in the summer. We in Seattle don't get sun 9 months out of the year so thats not really a concern. I'll definitely get some greenhousing going on in the summer but I can just open the door and air it out. As far as cold, it does get cold occasionally but not very. it's usually around 45 degrees in those 9 months of grey/wet.

are you happy with your Windsor door? did you get the model 1800? Does the $1500 include an opener and install?

thanks,
dan

 

[nova65ss]

I'm about to order a Clopay 902 commercial glass garage door. The quote is around $3500 for the door and a jack shaft opener and install. My question is, should I spend $500 more for insulated glass? is it worth it? I realize I'm not going to get much R value out of glass no matter what but I dont know the difference between regular glass and insulated and if its worth it.

thanks!
dan

http://dano.smugmug.com/gallery/2816341#P-4-15

Any reason for the all glass door? Is it a design element your looking for?

 

[Franz©]

Are you talking clear glas full door, or a fiberglass door with a few windows?

 

[bmwpower]

****. I didn't even know you could get insulated windows. Do they make full panel insulated glass only or do they make inserts as well?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

i'm in western washington and the door would face West and get full sun in the afternoon in the summer. We in Seattle don't get sun 9 months out of the year so thats not really a concern. I'll definitely get some greenhousing going on in the summer but I can just open the door and air it out. As far as cold, it does get cold occasionally but not very. it's usually around 45 degrees in those 9 months of grey/wet.

are you happy with your Windsor door? did you get the model 1800? Does the $1500 include an opener and install?

thanks,
dan

The $1500 included the install, the opener was an additional $500. It is a chain drive/slide in a rail type drive.

The Windsor is a good door. I don't recall the model, The metal panels are model 240 parts and I don't recall the model of the aluminum sections. The Windsor uses stamped hinges (like many do) that are different height so the door is supposed to stay away from the jam till it is nearly all the way down, the track being mounted tapered causes the door to sorta wedge up to the jam. If doesn't fit tight to the jam, the opener cannot get it open or closed if it is, so its a little sloppy when closed, typical I think of tall doors.

You can see the door at my web site

http://charles-dusty.tripod.com/hangar2.html


The rest of the hangar build is on this page.......

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

Charles

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Any reason for the all glass door? Is it a design element your looking for?

I simply did it for the natural light. I wasn't worried about security or other similar issues, I just wanted light. It looks neat too. I did the metal panels to cut cost slightly, each glass panel was $150 more than the stamped metal panel (in year 2000) Also with the lower metal panel I'm less likely to break a glass with a rock from a lawnmower.

Are you talking clear glass full door, or a fiberglass door with a few windows?

I think he is discussing the all glass (clear tempered) or nearly all glass doors like you see in fire stations, jiffy lubes and tire stores and the like.

Charles

 

[Charles (in GA)]

i'm in western washington and the door would face West and get full sun in the afternoon in the summer. We in Seattle don't get sun 9 months out of the year so thats not really a concern. I'll definitely get some greenhousing going on in the summer but I can just open the door and air it out. As far as cold, it does get cold occasionally but not very. it's usually around 45 degrees in those 9 months of grey/wet.

Given your location, weather, and temps, I would not bother with the insulated glass. Just something to cause problems if the seal between the panels leaks (I assume its double pane glass.

Charles

 

[boiler7904]

Insulated glass will only do so much for thermal comfort before another weak link in the system overcomes it. The seals at the head, jamb and sill are more important and will do more for you than the insulated glass.

Seal failures like Charles mentioned are a potential issue with any insulated glazing unit but units have gotten way better than they were when they first came out. I wouldn't use that as a reason not to buy insulated an insulated glass door.

The main problem with insulated glass in overhead doors that no one mentioned is the weight of insulated glass. It will wear on the rollers, springs(if it has any), operator, and tracks and other moving parts a lot more than a comparable insulated metal door.

When I was working on building a car dealership a couple of years ago, insulated glass was considered for all of the tech bay, quick lube, and service entrance overhead doors until the installer presented the cost and then guaranteed that he would be doing regular maintenance on all moving parts due to the added weight.

 

[DanWheeler]

well it's decided, thanks everyone. I'll just go with single pane glass. Even the people giving me the quote say it's not really worth it. I completely forgot the insulated glass could get cloudy and that would drive me nuts.

Charles, thanks for the price - that sounds about right then for me. They want $480 for the liftmaster 3500 jack shaft motor and around 3k for a Clopay door. 3k seems a little steep for a door so i've requested quotes from a few places for Raynor, Amarr and Windsor glass doors.

anyone know which of these manufacturers has the best door for the money?

thanks,
dan

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Amarr also makes a very good door. I was quoted a substantially higher price in 2000 for an Amarr door, but for some odd reason the dealer didn't want to sell me the door. At first he told me "you can't afford it" without knowing whether I was a pauper or a millionaire, and then it took a couple of phone calls to get them out for an estimate. A local fellow finally quoted the Windsor door and I went went with that. I think it must have been the largest door he ever installed, but it all went OK and has worked well for seven years + now.

The $3K probably isn't out of line, this is 2007 and I'll bet everything has doubled since I did mine.

Charles

 

[nova65ss]

well it's decided, thanks everyone. I'll just go with single pane glass. Even the people giving me the quote say it's not really worth it. I completely forgot the insulated glass could get cloudy and that would drive me nuts.

Charles, thanks for the price - that sounds about right then for me. They want $480 for the liftmaster 3500 jack shaft motor and around 3k for a Clopay door. 3k seems a little steep for a door so i've requested quotes from a few places for Raynor, Amarr and Windsor glass doors.

anyone know which of these manufacturers has the best door for the money?

thanks,
dan

What size is that door, it looks like an 18 x 8? With Amarr anything over 12' wide will need a solid aluminum or steel bottom section. They also only recommend a max of 2 glass sections on anything over 16 wide.