With the garage occupying nearly a third of the average home's facade, garage doors are playing a bigger role in shaping a home's look, leaving owners and builders clamoring for unique styles and features. People are taking a more serious look at what the garage is going to look like because it does have such an effect on the neighborhood's appearance. Garage doors are "one of the last great frontiers," in home design. To conquer this frontier, manufacturers are offering packages of doors plus garage openers, doors designed to match front entrances and shutters, and other pairings.

Once reserved for custom homes, carriage-house-style garage doors now are appearing in affordable versions made of steel, aluminum, and composite materials that mimic the look of more costly wood. The design is so popular that some neighborhood covenant committees require it.
Manufacturers continue to further the carriage house trend. In January, Wayne Dalton introduced the 9800 door, which features a fiberglass skin molded to mimic the appearance of wood that can be ordered pre-finished. Also released in January, Jeld-Wen's polymer composite carriage house door is made from 100 percent recycled material. It features a pressed grain pattern to duplicate the look of wood without the maintenance issues. Many companies sell a variety of composite, vinyl, or steel raised panels that can create a cross-buck pattern. Others offer handles, black piano hinges, clavos, and straps to create a finished look.

Insulation Issues

Most garage doors come with some insulation, typically blown-in polystyrene or polyurethane foam. In addition to protecting against heat loss, the insulation materials muffle noise. There is always a need in the market for higher R-value doors, especially in northern parts of the country and Canada. Consumers seem to be looking at that more closely when they replace their door.

This year, Amarr is offering its Classica collection with foam polyurethane sandwiched between steel panels. A single-car Classica polyurethane door retails for about $1,500 in comparison to $1,000 for a single-car Classica model made with polystyrene and an interior vinyl backer.

With more builders constructing heated and air-conditioned living areas above garages, insulation is becoming even more important. So, some products manufactured by CHI Overhead Doors include a thermal barrier to prevent the door's metal skins from conducting heat or cold, which can create frost and humid conditions in a garage.

Code Issues

In the wake of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, building codes increasingly require new garage doors to be wind-resistant. Introduced in January, Wayne Dalton's FabricShield is intended to protect homes and garages from wind and storm-driven objects. Made of translucent, PVC-coated woven fabric panels, the shields attach to a garage's exterior with grommets. Meanwhile, Designer Doors crafts a hurricane-rated wood garage door with impact-resistant glass panels. The model features extra through-bolt struts, longer roller stems, and a higher-gauge track.

In addition to new fashions, the future will bring an increased focus on electronics and garage interiors. Garage doors now can be linked to home automation systems, and they can connect to security systems and remote Internet access.

Because homeowners are sprucing up the inside of their garages with attractive cabinetry, unique floor surfaces, and fancy lighting, manufacturers are revamping garage door interiors. We’re seeing finish treatments on the insides with beadboard paneling and powder-coated hardware.

And then there is the truly custom. Our current vendor, Professional Garage Doors of Indianapolis, works closely with us on designing our garage doors. We treat these doors as important architectural elements when designing our homes and Professional Garage Doors simply builds what we design.

With customers always looking for fresh products, the necessity to bring on new designs will be ever present.