Decorative iron or aluminum hardware is traditionally added to garage doors to create a style. There are two types of elements that can make a striking difference but are presently underused. Faux Lite Panels and Clavos. When designing a garage door to enhance the look of the home or structure many times these certain elements can be added at very little expense. Certain recessed or  flat panel high definition doors like the Style Setter Pro can have grids added to the solid top panel. These grids mimic the look of a window without the added cost of glazing. Clavos can also be added. Clavos , Spanish for “nail”, are large headed iron or aluminum  square or circular embellishments. Lines or arcs of clavos can create divisions where none naturally exist or can enhance or focus the eye to one area or another.

Faux Lites and Clavos

Oh No ! , You just found out your garage door is in need of repair. Broken spring ? , Cables came off ? What to do ?

Call a professional, period.

I have always said that the installation and repair of a garage door is 50% science and 50% art. Anyone can do simple repairs by following the directions but you generally count on the door to work flawlessly for years and years and that’s where the “art” of the garage door repairman comes into play. A well trained craftsman will be able to ” fine tune “ the installation or repair.

The most common way of finding a garage door repairman is to look in the Yellow Pages but be wary of the companies that have big ads that don’t list a local physical address as you are probably dealing with a referral company that actually is not in the repair business and is just contacting a local handyman.

I have heard of some of these companies charge 3 and 4 times the going rate for the same repair eleswhere and also remember …. never ever sign a blank work order.

Don't Service This Yourself

The importance of a garage door can be overlooked. The garage door is sometimes the only unobstructed view of the entire home. Selecting the “right” door for the home is very important.

1.) Choose an architectural element on the home to carry over onto the garage door.

2.) Add windows or some other design that will put a “head” on the door.

3.) Paint the door to match the homes’ body or trim color.

Below are two examples:

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The door shown above show the element of the crossbar or gridded windows on the home was added to the door to tie the two together.

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This garage door design features a “head” or “top” design to the garage door, A Style Setter Pro, without adding lites or windows. The home already has a lot of glass and adding more would overwhelm the overall design.

Creating a special design can be fun, easy and economical too. Contra Costa Door in Concord, California has a product called the Style Setter Pro that is adaptable to many homeowners design ideas.

Northwest Door makes an excellent aluminum Coach House Door. The Infinity series Coach House Door features a very smooth finish. Unlike most steel garage doors that feature a rotary embossed fake wood graining the Infinity features a finish that is as smooth as glass.

I came across these old doors in my travels in northern New York State. The one on the left shows an interesting alternative to the mock Coach House Door styling that is so popular. By adding an extra row of windows to the top row the look of the door is completely changed. The door on the right has divided lites popularly called “contempo”.
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www.garagewownow.com is a website that helps homeowners and contractors find accredited garage door dealers and garage door installers in their area. By entering the zip code of your town www.garagewownow.com will target the garage door professionals you need for your garage door project. As an example by entering the zip code 94520 for Concord California and allowing a 5 mile radius around that zip code the result is information about Contra Costa Door.

A great way to save money on a garage door replacement is to check with your local garage door dealer for unwanted doors. You should never have to settle for a used garage door. There are plenty of unwanted new doors looking for a home.

Sometimes these sectional garage doors are former display models from the garage door dealers showroom, they may have been shown at a Home & Garden show and although they had been “installed” previously they cannot really be considered “used”, just previously displayed. Another way to save money is to ask your local garage door dealer if he has any unsold “Special Order” doors, these might have been ordered for a contractor or homeowner who cancelled the order and now they are unclaimed. Most garage door dealers that have been in business a while might have “old stock”; these doors might have been discontinued when a manufacturer changed the style slightly or the dealer changed his source for garage door product. Check www.craigslist.org for garage door dealers in your area like Contra Costa Door in Concord California. Contra Costa Door occasionally lists overstock or unclaimed special order doors. If you are a subscriber you might also check out the reputation of the garage door dealer at Angie’s List.

In the garage door industry the names of different styles of garage doors are used quite arbitrarily. In general the terms Coach House, Carriage House or Craftsman pretty much define the same styling and can be used interchangeably but opinions differ even among professionals.  Coach House Industries, also known as CHI, use phrases like “traditional architectural features” and “classic look of wood” to help describe these doors. Summit Door of Corona California says:

“With clean lines and classic designs, the Coach House Collection is a contemporary take on a historic American symbol - the barn door. Architecture enthusiasts will appreciate its Craftsman-like details and the simplicity of its form. Whether a true detached barn or a modern application, these doors will remind you of simpler time.”      

 Traditionally the Coach House door is an outward acting garage door. Today, most homeowners interested in this design type want the ease of use of the overhead style door but the look of the Coach House Door. Generally speaking there are three elements that make a Coach House or Carriage House look like a Coach House or Carriage House door.

• 1. Large windows in the top section.

• 2. A mock “kerf” or faux separation giving the appearance of being outward acting.

• 3. A deep relief to give good straight “shadow definition” generally but not always vertical in orientation.

 

Outward acting Carriage doors are available through a small variety of custom door builders. Although the “real” Carriage House doors function just as they did 100 years ago and lend themselves to be more “authentic” they lack the function most homeowners are striving to achieve. The overhead sectional type of Carriage House door can be easily motor operated, moves upward as opposed to outward allowing vehicles to park closer to the door and use traditional overhead door track and springs making service and repairs  available from almost any garage door dealer.

 

Whether you call them Coach House, Carriage House or Craftsman these “new” old style doors will easily allow you to spruce up the face of your home giving your home a unique and elegant style.

 

 

 

Most sectional overhead doors are counter balanced with a torsion spring. This part is one of the most misunderstood parts on a garage door.      

When a spring breaks…. call a pro ! Get a quote in writing BEFORE the professional starts his work. Depending on your region the cost to replace a pair of springs on a double car size  sectional garage door should be about $ 300.00. Generally the total is calculated as the going labor rate plus the cost of the springs, plus tax.

   

Contra Costa Door’s introduction of the Style Setter Pro has turned the garage door industry on its head. Most garage doors available to homeowners, builders and contractors have very little definition and this gives a very flat unattractive look.  Contra Costa Door’s Style Setter Pro provides the homeowner with an extremely attractive panel design that accentuates the beauty of the design.  

 The “shadow” definition is unlike any other garage door product in the industry.  Contra Costa Door’s Website provides the homeowner with a variety of slideshows of possible designs. Contra Costa Door’s Design Team will work with each customer to ensure the garage door design that meets their architectural needs as well as their budget.