If you are shopping for a new full-view garage door, you already know the doors are mostly glass. That’s probably why you want a full-view garage door, sometimes called a glass garage door. The slim aluminum frame profile and large glass panels add a modern touch to your home’s exterior. They look expensive, are expensive, and usually face the curb for maximum design impact.
Whether you choose the Amarr Vista, Horizon, or Clopay Avante will be based on a vendor recommendation, price, or design feature. We are partial to the Amarr Vista because of Amarr’s quality control and design options, but all three full-view garage door styles pair well with a contemporary home style. No matter which door you choose, there is one feature you cannot gloss over. If you are close to signing on the dotted line, ensure you know the answer to the safety question, “Should full-view garage doors have tempered glass?”
Who is Doorvana, and why should you trust us?
At Doorvana, we sell, install, and service garage doors from the most popular brands. In addition, we build wood garage doors. Our Owner has over 20 years of garage door experience. His career started as a teenager building garage door frames for his dad. Once he earned a driver’s license, he started installing garage doors across North Texas – some are still in good condition and operating 20+ years later.
Today, we are the trusted garage door vendor for some of the community’s most influential and respected builders. Our commitment to quality, service, and excellence is how we have become one of the fastest-growing garage door companies in the country.
Should full-view garage door glass be tempered?
Yes. A standard 8×7 Amarr Vista full-view garage door has eight individual glass panels. A 16×7 will have 16 panels. These glass panels, if broken, could fall on someone or something below.
You should opt for tempered glass for three significant reasons.
- It is harder to break than the standard glass type, annealed.
- If it does break, it will shatter into small glass pebbles that are significantly less harmful than broken annealed glass.
- Upgrading from annealed glass to tempered glass panels is costly. Your best bet is to choose tempered glass when you order the door.
That said, tempered glass in garage doors is not a code requirement. Unlike windows and doors, garage door glass does not meet the International Residential Code (IRC) criteria. For more details, here are the three scenarios tempered glass is required according to Section R308.4.2, 4.3, and 4.4.
Glass in Doors
- Glazing in fixed and operable panels of swinging, sliding, and bifold doors shall be considered hazardous.
Tempered Glass Adjacent to Doors
- Glazing in an individual fixed or operable panel adjacent to a door shall be considered to be a hazardous location where the bottom exposed edge of the glazing is less than 60 inches above the floor or walking surface, and it meets either of the following conditions:
- Where the glazing is within 24 inches of either side of the door in the plane of the door in a closed position.
- Where the glazing is on a wall less than 180 degrees from the plane of the door in a closed position and within 24 inches of the hinge side of an in-swinging door.
Tempered Glass in Windows
- Glazing in an individual fixed or operable panel that meets all of the following conditions shall be considered to be a hazardous location:
- The exposed area of an individual pane is larger than 9 square feet.
- The bottom edge of the glazing is less than 18 inches above the floor.
- The top edge of the glazing is more than 36 inches above the floor.
- One or more walking surfaces are within 36 inches of the glazing, measured horizontally and in a straight line.
- Does tempered glass increase the cost of a garage door?
What glass types are used in full-view garage doors?
The Amarr Vista has several glass types for its full-view garage door. The default option is 1/8″ clear tempered, but you can also choose from:
- Clear annealed
- Clear polycarbonate (lexan)
- Clear acrylic (plexi)
- Diamond wire glass
- Abrasion-resistant (polycarbonate)
- Laminate
Your choice will impact not only the safety of your door but also the price.
Does tempered glass increase the cost of a full-view garage door?
Yes, but not by much. An 8′ x 7′ Amarr Vista full-view garage door with 1/8″ clear tempered glass retails at roughly $7,500, while the same door with 1/8″ clear annealed glass costs $7,200.
The real glass options that increase your garage door price are the glass finishes. Clear glass is the least expensive, while Black Ice or Snow glass, which offers enhanced privacy, can increase the door’s cost by almost double. The frame finish and color are other options that increase your door price.
How thick is tempered glass in garage doors?
Glass thickness depends on whether your door glass is constructed from a single piece or an insulated glass (IG). Typically, IG thickness measures the overall glass thickness from the outside to the inside pane.
For example, the Amarr Vista full view IG thickness is 1/2″. The single pane thickness ranges from 1/8″ to 5/8″, depending on the glass type.
Glass thickness indicates how durable the glass is. Thicker glazing should last longer and stand up better to harsh conditions than a thinner piece of glass.
Is there a standard thickness for garage door glass?
No. Garage door glazing covers a broad spectrum of sizes and materials. Typically, you won’t see glass thinner than 1/8″ and thicker than 5/8″. Those dimensions allow for a handful of material combinations from lexan to laminate glass and tempered IGs.
In closing
Choose tempered safety glass for your full-view garage doors. The enhanced safety will provide peace of mind for you that it will be safer for everyone in your home. Accidents happen, and tempered glass will lower the likelihood of significant damage from broken garage door glass.
If you have any questions about this topic, call us at 817-500-5988 for more info or even to receive a price on a full-view garage door installation.
