DIY Faux Garage Door Windows

Materials Needed:

• SteamMachine Model 53
• Super Finish Max
• Small Spray Shelter
• Plexiglass, 20" x 32" x .093
• PVC trim 1/4"
• Stainless steel crews, #6 x 3/4" oval head
• 1/8" drill bits, metal and glass
• Exterior paint
• Black flat spray paint
• Dropcloths and painters tape
• Cleaner
• Plexiglass cutter or exacto knife
• Bar clamps

Project Steps

BEFORE

AFTER:

Hi Friends, I'm Wendi with H2OBungalow. Today, I'm going to share how you can update your plain garage door with faux garage door windows in a weekend. These DIY faux garage door windows look so realistic, no one will know they are fake! The best part is this project is budget friendly! See my tutorial below. If you need more detailed instructions watch my video and see my post on How to Make Faux Garage Door Windows on H2OBungalow.

STEP 1:

Prepare your garage doors for a fresh coat of paint by removing stains, grease and dirt first. Spray a cleaner on the surface area and follow with the a HomeRight Steam Cleaner to get the tough stains and mildew off the doors and trim.

STEP 2:

Use drop cloths on the ground and tape off the areas surrounding the garage doors before painting.

STEP 3:

Save time when painting the garage door with the Super Finish Max paint sprayer. To get an even coat, walk from one side all the way across the door, move the paint sprayer down and paint the next section walking back across the door.

STEP 4:

Measure your garage panel area for your faux windows. Score and cut your plexiglass to fit the window size you need. Leave the protective plastic coating on the plexiglass for this step.
My garage door has 3 panels 39" wide and 11" high across the top. I choose to put 2 faux windows in each panel with a 7" space between them. At 10" x 16" per window panel, you can get four panels from one sheet of plexiglass.

STEP 5:

Set your miter saw at 45° and cut the outside window frame to 10" x 16". Set your miter saw straight to cut the inside frame dividers.

STEP 6:

Spray paint each panel by removing one side of protective plastic coating and covering that side with an outdoor rated black flat spray paint. Protect surrounding areas from overspray with a HomeRight Small Spray Shelter. Stick the screws into a cardboard box or foam surface to hold them and spray paint them black as well.

STEP 7:

Assemble the windows. Remove the protective plastic coating from the non-painted side of the plexiglass. Use an outdoor rated adhesive and glue the pvc window frames to the unpainted side of the plexiglass. Allow to cure for 24 hours.

STEP 8:

Use a 1/8" glass bit and carefully, without pressing hard, drill pilot holes in the four corners of the faux garage windows. Place each window in place and mark where the pilot holes are then drill pilot holes with the metal drill bit.

STEP 9:

Attach the faux garage door windows to garage door panel with the stainless steel screws. Be careful not to tighten the screws too much or you'll crack the plexiglass! Tighten just enough to attach the windows to the garage doors.

STEP 10:

Caulk all around the outside of the faux windows with white painters caulk.

STEP 11:

For an even bigger impact, add carriage style garage door hardware.

STEP 12:

That's it friends! You've updated your garage door in a weekend! I love looking at the before and after photos of this project! I spent about $60 on these windows, which is a huge saving over buying pre-made faux windows or changing out the entire garage door!
I hope you've enjoyed this project as much as I did creating it. If you're a visual learner, or need more in-depth instructions, don't forget to check out my video and post on DIY Faux Garage Door Windows on my blog. While you're there, don't forget to subscribe and get notified when I share a new creative DIY project!