Stately Elegance
Many of us appreciate the sophisticated and inviting appeal of a historic home. If you do, you will want to check into Amarr’s Biltmore® For Your Home collection. Inspired by America’s largest home, the Biltmore estate in Asheville, N.C., the collection includes six distinctive looks including the one pictured here — the RH Hunt design with decorative hardware. Custom handcrafted in the U.S., the style shown is constructed of a layer of wood, then environmentally safe polystyrene thermal insulation with an R-value of 9.25, and then another layer of wood.
You can choose from a wide variety of wood options from paint-grade woods to various cedars, mahogany and more that can be stained. Doors are shipped in their natural finish and require finishing, but priming is available for paint-grade doors. Amarr offers more than 300 residential garage door designs in three different levels of energy efficiency. Besides the wood construction style, the company also features collections in steel and an “environmentally friendly” recycled wood composite material.
Cost: From $3,500-$6,000 (single to double door), excluding installation.
For more info: www.amarr.com
Low-Maintenance Steel
From a distance, it looks like wood. But get up close. It’s steel. Surprised? This door is the Tuscany design with Madeira windows and decorative hardware from Amarr’s Classica collection, its most popular line of garage doors. Made in the U.S., doors in the collection are available in three construction styles, Classica 1000, 2000 or 3000, based on the layers of material, insulation, and energy efficiency. If you are comparing R-values (an insulation’s resistance to heat flow – remember: the higher, the better) in your search, the 3000 has an R-value of 13.35. If you are in a high wind area, look into Amarr’s wind load reinforcement system. With this Red Flag Ready system, the garage doors don’t look any different on the exterior but inside they are engineered to meet local building codes. The Classica is part of Amarr’s carriage house collection, which look like turn-of-the-century carriage house doors but operate like modern sectional doors.
Cost: From $750-$2,000 depending on Classica model 1000, 2000 or 3000 and whether single or double door. Excludes installation.
For more info: www.amarr.com
Look of Wood without Upkeep
You can get the beauty of a natural wood appearance – check out this Pecky Cypress faux wood door (custom stained by the homeowner) — with the latest innovations in polymer composite engineering. Clopay’s Canyon Ridge Collection features faux wood cladding with a high-definition grain that imitates real wood’s charm and character. To make the look realistic, the cladding is molded from actual wood so it takes the natural textures, grain patterns and knots, holes, cracks and pockmarks. The half-inch-thick material then is attached to an insulated three-layer steel base door for added strength and energy efficiency. The R-values range from 8.5 to 19.2. (An R-value indicates an insulation’s resistance to heat flow so the higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness).
While it may look like real wood, the cladding apparently does not have the drawbacks that natural material is heir to. Unlike real wood, it is resistant to ultraviolet radiation and impervious to moisture. Company literature boasts that it won’t rot, split, shrink, separate, or crack, thereby reducing the use of materials, energy and resources needed to maintain or replace door components. You can choose from three overlay species: the Pecky Cypress (pictured), Clear Cypress and Mahogany. Two Clopay factory-finished stain options are available or the doors can be finished on site by the builder or homeowner. And if you want to enhance the look of your door, there is an array of decorative hardware options to consider. The doors are available as overhead sectionals or swing-outs and can be automated.
Cost: Single doors start at $2,600; double at $4,600.
For more info: www.clopaydoor.com
Old World Charm Modernized
So you appreciate Old World Charm but you don’t want to give up modern technology? Clopay’s Coachman Collection may resolve your dilemma. This door is a three-layer insulated factory-painted white door with decorative black spade lift handles. It is from the company’s Series One line which complements classic architecture styles such as Shaker and Mission. While these doors appear to be of the traditional swing-out carriage house door style, they open overhead, just like other modern garage doors.
Described by the company as durable and insulated, the doors are said to not fade, rot, warp or crack. This door was constructed using a four-layer sandwich method: steel, insulation, steel, and composite overlay. With the Coachman, you get two options of insulation with a thermal break producing R-values — insulation’s resistance to heat flow — ranging from 6.5 to 9. If energy efficiency is important in your garage, do your R-value homework. The heavy-duty steel exterior creates a dent-resistant surface, which could work well for the active household. Coachman Collection doors also are available with Clopay’s built-in WindCode® reinforcement system for homes located in coastal and high wind areas.
Cost: Start at $1,200 for a single door; $2,500 for a double
For more info: www.clopaydoor.com
Achieving Harmony
If you enjoy your home’s architectural features and would like your garage door to complement the look, consider Designer Doors’ Historic Lites garage doors. The company can match muntin profiles and patterns to those existing on your home’s windows and doors. It allows the doors to achieve what the company calls “Architectural Harmony ™, a design unity that goes beyond the usual limitations of garage doors.
Besides the complementary looks, the company’s doors are hurricane-ready. They can carry both a Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance and Florida Building Code product approval. Most of the company’s doors exceed the .3 requirement of the Energy Tax Credit, being rated with a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of .25. The garage door pictured is made of Western red cedar and finished in white paint. From consultation through personal delivery and local certified installation, Designer Doors handles all the steps of the process, including the hauling and disposal of your old door.
Cost: Starting at $3,200 completely installed with openers.
For more info: www.designerdoors.com
Showcasing Wood
With almost a furniture-quality appearance, this custom door by Designer Doors offers a smart look. This garage door is created of Western red cedar and finished with a stain grade natural finish — but that wood is not the only choice. The company crafts doors out of mahogany, Spanish cedar, white oak, black walnut, cherry, Sapele, teak, old growth cypress and more. For a wood door, you can select a paint grade or one of two types of stain grade. Copper, aluminum and stone options also are available.
According to the company, it creates doors to address a variety of customer needs. While most of the doors are designed to roll up overhead, for example, the company also makes historically accurate swinging doors and sliding doors for those who prefer that method of operation. The doors can meet customer storm needs with doors able to withstand severe wind loads. The doors can carry both a Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance and Florida Building Code product approval. Interested in the energy tax credit? Designer Doors reports that three of its door lines have a U-Factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) 0.25, easily beating the 0.30 qualification threshold.
Cost: Starting at $3,200 completely installed with openers.
For more info: www.designerdoors.com
Carriage Door Beauty
Authentic carriage doors can not only put some “wow” into your garage, they can pack extra value behind the attractive exterior. Evergreen Carriage Doors crafted these side-hinged, weather-tight all-wood doors in its Pacific Series with elegantly arched windows. The changeout to these doors enables the homeowner to use the garage as an extra room, while still allowing it to function as car storage when needed. Because the doors are side-hinged, the interior does not include the industrial rails or suspended overhead slab that could get in the way of ceiling lighting or detract from other uses. Picture, for example, an extra family room, workshop, or office. With these doors, it is possible to have the convenience of remote operation and the beauty of a custom wood carriage house.
Cost: Approximately $3,500.
For more info: www.EvergreenCarriageDoors.com
Copper Elegance
This garage door in the flushline pattern is from a unique line of copper garage doors by Martin Door Manufacturing. The copper door’s multiple patterns and designs are based on its steel door line. They can be customized with 37 available window designs to suit your needs and insulation also is an option. As one of nature’s most enduring metals, copper is resistant to corrosion and will last for centuries. You can let these copper doors naturally develop the beautiful gray-green-black patina for which the metal is known or, apply a protective coating to keep the copper as shiny as new. Make the rare look of your door even more distinctive with optional antique strap hinges and matching rustic handles in black or silver. Safety feature: The copper doors have a patented FingerShield™ barrier to keep section joints covered so fingers can’t be accidentally inserted — and harmed — during operation of the door. In addition, the doors come with the assurance of a lifetime warranty.
Cost: Prices vary with the metals market, but range from $3,600 up.
For more info: www.martindoor.com
Smoked Glass Door
This distinctively sleek garage door by Martin Door Manufacturing comes with a full package of style and safety options. Known as the Athena™ Glass Garage Door, it is crafted of extruded aluminum and is available in 77 powdercoat color options. To create your own look for this garage door, you can choose either solid aluminum panels or from more than 100 window options (the door shown here is the full window option with smoked glass). The windows come in tempered glass or acrylic, and in clear, smoked or frosted panels. And if you need a singular look, you can have windows custom designed.
Whatever style options you choose for the Athena, they will not compromise the safe operation of the door. All of Martin Door’s 30-plus safety and quality upgrades are standard, including the FingerShield™ joint. This is a special barrier to prevent fingers from getting caught and injured during operation of the door. The Athena door comes with a lifetime warranty.
Cost: From $2,600 on up.
For more info: www.martindoor.com
Unified Look
The design of these out-swing garage gates by Evergreen Carriage Doors was developed to resonate with the adjacent farmhouse. The door’s details echo diamond divided windows on the home. Made entirely of wood, they give the impression that they are antiques, taken from some historic building. Instead they are newly handcrafted from vertical grain Douglas fir and Western red cedar grown in the Pacific Northwest.
The divided light effect is achieved with custom-fitted muntin inserts. The company’s out-swing doors include an interior shear panel of marine meranti — a waterproof plywood also used in boat building — to keep them square and prevent sagging. That rigid reinforcement is crucial for side-hinged doors to keep them swinging out into the elements for years to come. And, while they do look traditional, they carry the option of an automatic opener system. Authentic carriage doors leave the interior space free of obtrusive rails and mechanisms to allow you to transform a typical garage into an extra room in your house. In addition, if you have a home with a specific period style, these doors are a way to honor that heritage and provide a cohesive look.
Cost: Approximately $3,800 including hardware and automatic opener. Check with the company for pricing details.
For more info: www.EvergreenCarriageDoors.com
Eco-friendly and Good Looking
If you want earth-friendly quality but don’t want to sacrifice looks or value, review Overhead Door Corporation’s line of EcoBuilt® garage doors. You may take comfort in knowing that these garage doors are not only good looking but they offer the environmental benefit of containing recycled content. The EcoBuilt® garage doors are certified by Scientific Certification Systems – a global leader in third-party environmental, sustainability and food quality certification, auditing, testing and standards development — to contain a minimum of 88% recycled content. The door panels are 100% recycled wood fiber – 81% recycled Douglas fir from mills.
The door shown is from EcoBuilt™ Verde Collection™ Elite Series which is insulated to an R-value of 7.31. The doors are available in four primary designs and you can choose from an assortment of top panel options and decorative hardware. The doors arrive ready to paint or stain so you can enjoy the luxury of customizing your door while keeping the green goodness of recycled materials construction.
Cost: $650 – $1,100, depending on size and options selected
For more info: www.OverheadDoor.com
Let the Light Shine In
If light transmission, visual access and a sleek look are what you seek in a garage door, look into the Modern Aluminum Collection by Overhead Door Corporation. The collection is a new one, an adaptation of the company’s aluminum commercial door series. This door, shown in RAL Black with insulated frosted glass, is from the 521 Series of the collection.
If you can’t find the color you want, you aren’t trying. The doors are available in 197 colors of powdercoat finish that helps protect against corrosion and staining. While you can choose a door without glass, if you want maximum visibility and enjoy natural light, choose from the glass options that include tempered and insulated. The door’s 1 3/4-inch-thick 6063-T6 aluminum sections with galvanized fixtures and hinges are corrosion-resistant and durable. Quarter-inch diameter through-rods on all stiles and rails enhance the strength and sturdiness. The panels can be sealed with weatherstripping for extra protection against the elements. Doors in the 521 Series can be fitted to meet wind load building requirements.
Cost: $4,000 – $9,000, depending on size and options selected
For more info: www.OverheadDoor.com