Features to Consider in a Custom Garage Door

If you're renovating your primary residence or have decided to build a custom home, one of the most prominent features that visitors will take note of is your garage door. The garage door is an integral part of any home, a calling card if you will that announces the overall style of the residence and offers a presence that speaks of security, durability, and comfort. As a premier installer and provider of garage door services in Broomfield, we offer the knowledge and experience you can rely on to help you select your next garage door.

So the question becomes: What features should you look for in a custom garage door?

Do You Prefer a Specific Material?

When reviewing your options, there’s lots to consider: maintenance, design, durability, and cost.

You also need to think about aesthetics, of matching the garage door service Northglenn with your homes other architectural details, like windows and roof tiles. Here the most popular build materials that our clients ask about.

1. Aluminum
• Offers numerous stock colors, styles, and designs
• Little to no maintenance
• An excellent choice for humid or salty environments because it's rustproof
• Less stressful on the operating mechanism, door openers and tracks because of its low overall weight, also making the door simpler to operate manually
• Dents easily and is less durable than steel
2. Steel
• Available in an almost unbelievable range of styles, stock colors, and finishes
• Stronger than aluminum
• Can rust if dented or scratched
3. Wood
• A great choice for your inner traditionalist with many options for custom design
• Veneers or overlays offer the look of wood at a lower cost
• Requires regular maintenance (painting or staining)
4. Fiberglass/PVC Overlay
• Many available designs and styles
• Though stronger than wood, fiberglass can crack if hit hard enough
• PVC Overlay is newer to the industry and not as widely available as metal and wood
• Less than solid wood it generally costs more than metal

What Style Suits Your Home?

This is a popular question we’re asked, and we understand why. You want to select a door that complements your home’s architecture, and not regret your decision any time soon. Here are general guidelines on door features and styles that will fit your house’s architecture.

1. Victorian/Georgian/Colonial
• Paneled wood or duplicates
• Stable look or coach house style
• Divided-light windows, perfectly matched with house windows
• Decorative hardware, such as iron handles or hinges
2. Arts and Crafts/Edwardian
• Raised sections or panels
• Arch-top or divided-light windows to complement or match up your house’s windows without looking fussy
3. ’50s Ranch Style
• Plain finish with uncomplicated, horizontal prominence in design, like banding or wood slats
• Simple windows or hardware that represent balance with overall structure of your home’s exterior
• Doors without handles provide a streamlined look
4. Contemporary/Modern
• Choose a door style and material that makes a statement
• Features to consider include horizontal or V-ribbed banding, stained wood, frosted or pebbled glass

What About Colors?

We’ve been offering garage door services in Northglenn and beyond for over 24 years, and are always amazed by the colors and combinations our clients decide on.

• Normally, colors should supplement your home and mix in with the overall architecture rather than jump out; eschew extreme contrasts and vivid colors.
• You might want to think about pairing the garage door with your home’s window trim instead of the front door. Or choose a color that blends in with the brick or siding.
• For a reduced amount of contrast with red brick, select a tan or beige which matches the mortar in the brick, rather than a white.

It’s All About the Finish to Add Character

As you might have guessed, garage door installers and manufacturers offer many decorative accents and hardware options.

• Paneling which may include multiple rectangular or square sections for creating styles from a coach house to a colonial look.
• Decorative hardware including handles and hinges available in many designs, including a forged-iron style to conjure the image of stable doors or a coach house.
• Decorative strapping in the shape of an X or Z and perhaps in a contrasting color for a hint of country nostalgia barn door look.
• Windows of different styles including divided lights, archtops, large panels, and etched glass; sandblasted and textured styles offer more privacy with less transparency.

Other Choices for Comfort and Convenience

• Installation from garage door service Broomfield. For safety, use a reputable company that offers a known door brand.
• The higher the R-value of a door’s insulated core, the more protection you’ll have from the elements and noise. Many customers ask for increased insulation – R14 or more – and better weatherstripping to make the interior more comfortable and save on energy costs.
• Think about safety. Newer automated door openers retract if they sense a blockage, but you may also add finger guards to prevent pinched fingers.
• While a half-horsepower door opener will raise or lower all but the heaviest and largest door, it may not have the performance lifetime of a three-quarter horsepower model. The more expensive, in-line openers do away with chains and have less moving parts, so they’re much quieter.
• What about security? There are now plenty of security features available like keyless entry, handless doors, remotes that alter frequencies easily; and even “smart” garage door openers which provide separate access codes per-person, or allow for the garage to be opened remotely or when a person using the app is in close proximity to the door sensor.

A Better Garage Door has been in business for more than 24 years and prides itself on helping customers make informed decisions. We can help you design a custom garage door, and never promote options you can’t afford. For more information, contact us online or call us today at 303-920-2267.