Does A Garage Entry Door Need To Be Fire
Yes, garage entry doors need to be fire-rated, as per the IRC.
The primary purpose of this fire rating requirement is to stop any potential fire from spreading to other parts of the house. Doing so minimizes the damage to your property. After containing the fire, youll only have the garage to repair and not the entire building.
A fire-rated door also contains smoke and other toxic gasses from the garage in one place. Your well-being and that of your family remain in check, even when a fire breaks out in the garage.
// Garage Door With Glass Paneling And Wood Finish
This is a beautiful modern-style home but, as you can see in the before photo, the garage door was taking up a lot of visual real estate and felt forgotten as part of the homes overall look. Our designers turned the garage into a beautiful design element, complete with its own roof overhang and with functional and tasteful accent lighting. The steel garage door they selected has window panels to keep the house from feeling too closed off. Its wood finish warms up the look and ties in with other wood accents on the front porch and second-level deck.
Steel doors may cost a bit more, but they are fairly easy to maintain and are known for their durability. Clopay offers WindCode garage doors that are made specifically for hurricane or high-wind areas.
Modern Garage Door Examples That Are On
These on-trend modern garage door examples are here to inspire you not to overlook this important design element. Its easy to forget about your garage when considering how to update your homes exterior design. So many of us think of our garages as merely a place to keep our car and/or store stuff. Its common for homeowners to have a blind spot when it comes to how their garages come across when viewed from the street.
Note: Front-load garages in particular have a major impact on curb appeal. Sometimes, they can cover a good half of the front of your home. There are two ways of dealing with front-load garages: either make it blend in with the rest of your home by painting it the same color, or make it beautiful with gorgeous materials, design elements, and windows. In this article, were focused on the latter.
From garage doors to gutters to mailboxes, our expert designers pay attention to the details in creating a custom exterior home design that youll love. Learn more about our virtual design services.
Here are some before-and-after images that prove what a difference a modern garage door can make for your homes overall look.
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You Are A Fitness Freak
Do you like to go for a 5 mile run, first thing in the morning and follow it up with some weight training in your garage gym. Then a garage side door is just for you.
Enter your garage gym through the garage side door without the bother of having to open the garage door. Super convenient!
In most of the above cases a side door is useful in an attached garage too! In the case of an attached garage there are a few more reasons to have a garage side door.
Whats The Building Code For A Garage Entry Door
You must install garage entry doors in accordance with section R302. 5.1 of the International Residential Code .
There are many reasons why garage entry doors must follow IRCs guidelines and regulations.
For starters, a garage houses several flammable substances that can raze your home if you dont take proper care. Youll see paint, gasoline, degreaser, and several other stuff that you must carefully look after.
The car itself can always leak gasoline, and when igniting the spark, the gas from this gasoline can also ignite, causing a massive fire explosion. Not only that, its common for most people to leave their cars still running in the garage. With this, the vehicle emits carbon monoxide, which is quite deadly when you excessively get exposed to it.
Thats why the IRC has laid down some requirements that anyone who wants to have an entry door for their garage must follow.
First, your garage entry door shouldnt open directly to a bedroom or any sleeping space.
Second, the door should be of the following three qualities:
- Its thickness shouldnt be less than 1-3/8 inches/ 35mm if its solid wood.
- The thickness shouldnt be less than 1-3/8 inches/ 35mm for a solid core or steel door with a solid or honeycomb core.
- Also, the door should have a 20-minute fire rating to qualify as an entry door for the garage.
Finally, you should equip the entry door for the garage with an automatic closing device for safety and protection.
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Advantages Of Garage Windows
If youve ever been in a garage and felt like something was missing it was probably windows and natural light. A garage without any windows can feel dark and dreary like a tomb. It can be an uncomfortable feeling being in a room thats totally sealed. Even most basements have small foundation windows that let in some light.
Are you wondering if you should add some windows to your garage design? We would definitely recommend it but there are some pros and cons to consider before you start. Lets look at all the benefits first.
Glass Garage Doors: Right For Some But Not For Everyone
Glass garage doors are a right choice for some, but for the majority of homeowners looking to have a durable wall of protection, whether for security or dent resistance, glass isnt the ideal option. Energy efficiency is another major factor that glass doors seem to lack, especially in colder climates.
As a stylistic option, glass garage doors are unique, modern, and contemporary. Their clean look is nearly impossible to beat with other competing materials, but style gets in the way of practicality. For a lower cost, homeowners can enjoy a garage door that provides energy conservation, privacy, security, and functional space for projects.
The right choice for homeowners to make is to go with a garage door that will offer long-lasting durability, security and protection, and energy efficiency. In any case, customers choose Danleys for garage construction since 1959 because they offer unbeatable value for a garage that will be durable, secure and energy efficient. Get a free quote now and speak to a professional about custom styles and sizes.
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Do Garages Need Side Doors
Any garage, attached or detached, will of course have a garage door for the entry and exit of vehicles. An attached garage will usually have an entry door to make it easy for entering the house directly from the garage. But what about a garage side door? Do Garages Need Side Doors?
The IRC has no stipulation that Garages Need Side Doors. Unless the local building code requires it, the decision to have a garage side entry door is totally yours. Garage side doors are extremely convenient provided you have taken adequate security measures.
You may choose to have a side door in a detached garage or even an attached garage. There are several benefits of having a garage with a side door.
You Are A Gardening Buff
If you are a gardening buff and keep your gardening tools and supplies in the garage then you need quick and easy access to it. A great idea is to segregate the storage area for gardening stuff from the parking zone.
Ensure the side door is in close proximity to the storage area for gardening supplies. You can keep moving from the yard to the garage and back, as often as you wish. The big garage door can remain shut all this time!
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Garage Door Styles With Windows
If youve ever seen a garage door with windows, you know how much more aesthetically pleasing it is to the eye.
Adding windows the design adds dimension and visual appeal to your garage door, which enhances the overall look of your home or office. The windows are positioned near the top of the garage and often come in a variety of different visibility levels, so you dont have to worry about people looking through the windows into your garage.
There is a wide range of garage door styles available, so weve put together a list outlining the differences. There a few general types of garage doors that can be varied in terms of color, panel arrangement, and window shape.
If youre not sure what style you want, you might want to take a look at our collection of garage doors first.
Here we go
1. Raised-panel doors: These are more traditional and typical they usually have some pattern of raised panels, typically rectangles of varying lengths. Windows can be added at the top in a variety of styles and shapes. This is a very common garage door style.2. Carriage house: These garage doors that look like barn doors or carriage house doors, hence the name. They usually have a set of square or rectangle windows at the top, with white/earth tone outline contrasts to make them look authentically like a barn door.3. Contemporary: This is a rather modern look that works best with modern homes. A mix of metal, glass, and symmetrical framework makes these look modern and non-traditional.
Beautiful Garage Door Styles With Windows
Thinking about updating your garage doors?
The garage door is one of the first things people notice about a property, so it has a pretty big impact on the overall curb appeal of your home. If your garage doors havent been updated in ten to twenty years, theres a good chance people will notice.
Theres a wide range of garage door styles available, but we thought wed take a moment to focus on a popular request we hear from people in the area
Today, were taking a closer look at 25 beautiful garage door styles with windows.
Lets get started!
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Pros And Cons Of Adding Windows To A Garage Door
If you like the overall look of your garage door, but think something is missing, it could be natural light. Are you wondering if you should add decorative windows to improve the look of your garage? There are several pros and cons to consider before you start but this beautiful and stylish addition to a home is a great way to give your space an instant face lift.
Garage Entry Doors: 11 Things You Need To Know
Having a garage entry door is the best and most convenient way to access your garage from inside the house.
With it, you no longer have to brave wintry, outside conditions to get into your garage. You also get to utilize your residential space.
Since the garage is part of your home, you should only invest in a high-quality entry door. Although getting a high-quality entry door will probably cost you a lot, it will save you money in the long run.
These doors can resist wear and tear and withstand extreme humidity changes. High-quality garage entry doors are also sturdy, making them durable.
Below are 11 things you need to know about these doors.
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They Improve Curb Appeal
Garage doors with windows are simply better looking than most of their solid counterparts, regardless of panel design and color. By adding windows, youre breaking up the simple pattern of the panel and adding aesthetic appeal.
Adding form to the function of your garage door will increase your homes curb appeal and drive up its value.
Can A Garage Entry Door Have Glass
Yes, an entry door for the garage can have glass, but there is a requirement that you must meet if you want to have one.
From the International Residential Code, for a door to qualify for a garage entry, it must be 20 minutes fire rated. Theres no specification for the entry doors material, as long as it meets the above requirement.
Before installing glass in your entry door for the garage, the door must first go through a test to determine whether it meets the IRC requirements. Contact an authorized test laboratory near you for testing and certification.
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Aesthetic Pros And Cons
One of the big things that convince homeowners to give garage door windows a try is aesthetic appeal. If you have recently renovated your homes exterior and the garage door is the last project to undertake, this could be a way to give the garage a fresh new look. A more recent and popular trend has seen consumers clamoring for decorative windows that are not only attractive but that coordinate with the windows in their front doors.
Pro: Front door windows and garage door windows can be coordinated. Take a close look at the design of the windows in your house. Are there grids dividing the windows into smaller panes? Companies such as Garaga and have collections that mimic this grid look so that your garage door windows match the home.
Con: It can be hard to tell what a window can add to the garage door until youve already cut the hole and committed to the change. One way to envision the windows better is to check out Design Centres that some garage door manufacturers put at your disposal, like the one from Garaga. You can upload photos of your garage door and see how a window might look with the architectural style of you home.
Modern Garage Door With Windows On Side
Premium choice of Taurus collection from Hormann german manufactury. You can depend on the Taurus 4250 for safety, convenience and quality, with unmatched innovations in modern technology. The door structure style of this door is polyurethane foam insulation, with 16,1 R value rating in between section seal and heavy-duty steel hardware offering you the most energy-efficient and safe door that will last for years.
To make your new Taurus residential garage door more unique, consider adding stainless steel accent designs windows. We have six distinctive designs to choose from. We also offer three decorative hardware kits to complete the look.
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Is Steel Or Fiberglass Better For Garage Entry Doors
If youre looking for more security, weather resistance, and affordability, steel garage entry doors are better. However, for more style, fiberglass has several options you can choose from.
Below is a detailed comparison of these garage entry doors.
Starting with steel doors, the best part about them is that theyre always available in the market and are much cheaper than fiberglass doors. Steel doors are also energy-efficient, offer more security, and dont need much maintenance.
On the negative side, steel doors are quick to rust. Any dent on them requires prompt fixing. Otherwise, the damage will quickly spread to other parts.
For fiberglass entry doors, the only thing you must take care of is ensuring you dont expose them to severe impact so they dont crack. And when it comes to style, it all depends on your choice because you can paint them the way you want.
The downside is that fiberglass doors arent as durable as steel doors.
Are Garage Windows Worth The Money
In terms of resale value and ROI, garage windows are generally worth the money.
If your building a new garage then including a couple windows wont cost much. Since the areas where the windows go wont need siding, insulation or sheetrock the extra cost of the windows dont end up to be that much. Its cheaper to install windows and doors in a new construction than a remodel because you dont have to worry about demo or fixing siding, trim or sheetrock. In this case its worth spending the extra money. Anything you can do to increase curb appeal and sell the house faster and for more money is generally worth it.
However if your adding windows to an existing garage then youll have to do some math. If the windows cost $300 but the bids your getting are $3000 then it may not be worth it. All that extra demo and patch work adds up. Weight the cost of the windows against the added money youll get at resale.
Install windows that match the value and style of your home. If the home has Marvin then thats what you use in the garage. But if the home has Andersen 200 series then dont use Marvin, use Andersen 200s.
Your windows should match not only the look and style of the home but also the design.
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// Arched Wooden Carriage House Garage Door
The wooden accents on this home are a nod to Italy, with the Italian-style front door and the arched garage doors. The feel is similar to the Spanish ranch style in #5 above, but the lines and wood finish are quite different. Plus, the black accent at the top of each of these doors draws attention to the arches and makes for a cohesive façade.
This garage door option comes from Clopay.
Cons Of Glass Garage Doors
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