When it comes to the outward appearance of homes, the garage is quite often only considered an afterthought. People in Toronto tend to put much more thought and effort into the design of their porches, windows, doors, verandas, and so on. For the garage, people far too often simply settle for something that seems to fit with the rest of the house. This is a mistake, both in terms of your property’s outward appeal and maximizing your use of space. As the garage often represents a good portion of a home’s space, it’s worth properly considering how to make it as appealing as possible.
If the garage is often the most overlooked part of the house, then glass garage doors are probably the most overlooked choice for its renovation. These days, garages are less often used as storage spaces and are more and more seen as part of the home’s living space. Even if your garage is still mainly used for storage, however, there are still many advantages to installing glass garage doors. There are still a number of commonly-held misconceptions, however, about them:
They Reduce Your Home’s Privacy – Whether you use your garage as a place to leave your car, as a place to work or socialize, you might feel that you don’t want people outside to be able to see right in. However, modern glass technology enables you to fit glass garage doors which still protect your privacy – tinted glass and one-way glass are just two of the many available options.
Glass Offers Poor Insulation – Again, while this is generally true of older glass, it has little relevance to the types of glass commonly used in modern construction. Reinforced glass and advanced insulation techniques enable homeowners to maintain the desired temperature without additional fuel expenditure. In fact, in winter, glass doors can actually help reduce your heating bill.
Glass Reduces Your Home’s Security – Once again, this is a common misconception that simply isn’t true. Strong glass sends a message to potential intruders that the home’s contents are secure. Burglars are far more likely to look out for flimsy, old garage doors that can easily be opened and closed again. Glass doors offer no hiding place for home intruders.
Glass Garage Doors Put Off Potential Buyers – This is not only untrue, it’s the wrong way around. Glass garage doors actually attract increased interest when it comes to buyers. When done right, they open up the whole space, which may otherwise have been of minor interest.
Glass isn’t Safe for Families with Kids – While there may have been some truth to this 50 years ago, these days reinforced glass is more than strong enough to handle whatever your kids can throw at it – whether that may be a Frisbee, a softball from the garden or something else.
Glass Doors Look Out of Place for Storage Spaces – Again, this is another case where the opposite is in fact true. If you choose to use the same type of glass and frames as you use for the windows and doors in the rest of your homes, glass doors actually provide a pleasing uniformity of appearance.
Whether you live in Toronto or elsewhere, it is, therefore, essential to put at least as much thought into the appearance of your garage, as you do into the rest of your home. And there’s no better place to start than by considering glass doors for your garage.