Converting Garages to Living and Working Spaces: Garage Door Blog

Three Trends In Garage Doors For An Updated Look To Your Home

4 April 2016 by Landon Little

If you are contemplating replacing the garage door on your house, you know you could always get a copy of what you have now. But replacing the door is also an opportunity for you to change up how your house looks. Garage doors tend to be one of the more noticeable features on a home just because of their size and location. If you want to give your home a more modern look, here are three trends that you can try.

Carriage Doors

Carriage doors are those two-door models where the doors swing outward like patio doors instead of swinging or rolling upward. They often have decorative hinges and handles added to them to make them look like actual carriage house doors. These doors look stylish, and you can make them look as eye-catching or sedate as you'd like. They use openers placed on the sides of the garage instead of the ceiling, so you'd need to replace the opener if you currently have an overhead door.

You'd also need to look out for clearance outside the garage because the doors are often rather wide. If you get carriage doors, open the doors fully and then pull your car up into the driveway to see where you have to stop the car to ensure the doors don't hit your bumper when they open or close. You may want to mark the spot in your driveway so that you and other people parking in the driveway can memorize where to stop.

Wood Look

Another trend for both carriage doors and regular overhead doors is wood, either real or fake. Wood doors in which you can see the grain of the wood -- or the veneer -- offer a warm, low-tech look that belies the insulation and gadgetry just behind them in the garage. Fake wood doors are often made of lightweight aluminum and other metals, but real wood doors can add a lot of weight -- if you install real wood doors, you'll have to be sure the hinges and opener are rated to work with that weight and offer enough support and power.

More Glass Than Not

You know those overhead doors that you see in auto repair facilities? The ones where the doors are made of rectangular glass panels and not much else other than the frame holding each panel in? Those have made their way into the residential market. These mostly glass doors allow a lot of light in, though the glass is often frosted for privacy. These are great if you like to work in your garage, and they make a house look very up to date and urban. Do be aware, though, that glass panels mean a higher risk of breakage, so security could be an issue if your neighborhood isn't the best.

For more garage door models and information about how each style would affect your home, talk to a garage door company or visit a site like http://shankdoor.com. The staff can give you a complete rundown of what each type of door and its material would require in terms of installation and maintenance.

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