by Rachel Lyon, Editorial Director for The House Designers®
The world of garage door options is wider than it ever has been before, but if you’re still struggling to find the perfect fit for your home, look into custom options. Custom garage doors remove most of the limitations you’ll come across shopping catalogs and home improvement stores, and they offer you the chance to create truly one-of-a-kind curb appeal. Here’s what you can do when you choose to go with custom garage doors!
Fit Doors to Any Opening
Don’t have a garage door opening of standard size or shape? That would be a major hindrance if you could only find standard garage doors. Luckily, many product lines come in extended and mini sizes to accommodate things like recreational vehicles and golf carts, so make sure to ask! In the rare event those don't work, truly custom garage doors allow you to tweak their dimensions to suit your specific needs—an invaluable freedom if you’re renovating an existing structure or have a particularly unique house or vehicle to fit.
Of course, you have to work with a professional to make sure the doors you craft are actually feasible. When you start expanding the possibilities, you still have to account for things like weight and operability. It wouldn’t do much good to create a stunning garage door that can’t open and close properly, after all!
Choose Your Wood
When you’re designing a custom product from scratch, you need an easily moldable material. Wood is the most natural choice as it can be cut and carved any number of ways and still offer the appeal of its color and grain pattern. The results will always impress, and while wood requires more maintenance than other garage door materials, a good manufacturer will properly finish it for longevity.
So, what are your wood options? If you opt for a truly custom garage door, it could be anything you desire! Reserve® Wood Custom doors from Clopay® offer unlimited wood species and a plethora of stains and finishes to get the look just right. If you’re primarily in the market for a gorgeous natural wood door and aren’t as invested in creating the whole design from scratch, take a look at the Semi-Custom, Limited Edition, and Modern lines of Reserve® Wood. You’ll find a variety of wood types—including cedar, fir, redwood, meranti, luan, and paint-grade Extira™—and finishes available on doors made to suit traditional and contemporary architectural styles.
Create a Unique Design
This is where most homeowners get excited—it’s not often they can be involved in the actual creation of one of their home’s finishing products! Custom garage doors start with your own vision, so put pencil to paper or fire up your favorite digital program and start drafting your ideas. Then just hand your concept over to the professionals and they’ll figure out how to bring it to life! Feel free to get others involved if necessary—an architect, designer, or even your builder could bring some unique and architecturally appropriate concepts to the table. Take their advice but remember—nobody knows what you’ll like to come home to every day better than you!
Clopay® offers spectacular handcrafted wood doors that’ll set your home apart on the street. They use sustainably harvested and naturally fallen lumber and premium stains and sealants to give you a durable, furniture-grade finish. Whether you go the fully custom route or opt for one of their own beautiful designs, you’re sure to love the results. Find a local dealer to discuss the possibilities!