There are many elements to consider when designing your home’s exterior, but oftentimes we overlook the garage doors–whether that be aesthetics or functionality. We take great care in choosing just the right color for shingles, paint, brick, and just the right style for windows, doors, and decor, yet don’t take much time to consider how the garage door(s) complete the look.
Your Home’s Personality
Next time you drive down your street, pay close attention to the garage doors used. They’re probably all pretty much the same–16- or 32-raised panels. Predictable. Boring. The homes in your neighborhood don’t all look the same, so why should the garage doors? An attractive garage door can actually enhance your home’s street appeal and become a focal point rather than an eyesore!
Size Matters
Single-wide garage doors can make a huge difference in terms of complementing your home’s architectural design and street appeal. But in another case of practical MEETS aesthetics, be sure your garage is large enough to take 9-foot wide garage doors. One homeowner we talked with, moving from a home with one double wide (16-foot) door into a new, custom built home with two 8-foot wide garage doors, lived for years with having to fold the mirrors in on her minivans every time she came home. Even when it was raining or snowing outside, she had to power the windows down and manually fold the mirrors in—an expensive lesson learned after suffering the consequences of knocking off one of those expensive side mirrors.
Let There be Light
Step from your home into your attached garage and the first thing you’re doing is flipping on the light switch. Even on sunny afternoons, if there aren’t any windows in your garage or garage door, it’s too dark to see.
Windows in garage doors are a matter of personal style and preference. Traditional windows in a garage can be wonderful, but if public, everyone can see in to the garage. Even if the windows are more privately located, they can still present a security/break-in issue. Consider transom windows for your garage. Because of their smaller size and high location they keep the curious from peeking in as well as preventing forced entry!
Read more about Garage Door Design.
(photo courtesy Amarr)
