As you research garage door styles as you think about replacing your garage door, you’ll see there are lots of different styles that you can buy as a homeowner. There are styles you’ll be familiar with, such as traditional and contemporary styles, but what is a carriage garage door?
Here’s everything you need to know about carriage garage doors, so you can pick a garage door that gives you what you need.
What Is A Carriage Garage Door?
What makes a garage door a carriage-style garage door? It’s all about the way it opens. A traditional carriage door from the 19th century was designed to allow entry to horses and buggies as they walked into the building. As such, the doors would open with side hinges, with a door on either side of the entrance. That means it opened in the middle, so they could be swung open and shut as needed.
While you’re likely not getting around on a horse these days, you may still want the look and feel of that carriage door. You can have these kinds of doors made and installed in your garage, so you can open them, in the same way to allow your car inside.
What Style Home Should You Use A Carriage Door On?
Carriage garage doors look great, but they aren’t going to suit every home out there. For example, if you have a more contemporary-styled home, then a carriage door is going to look very out of place.
However, if your home has a more traditional style, then you can look into having carriage garage doors installed. They are very popular, with around 20% of US homes having them in their garages.
Still not sure if it will work with your home? Not a problem. You can take a look around your neighborhood and see what kind of doors your neighbors have used on their homes. If they have the same style homes as you, it’s a good indicator that the garage door will work with your home.
Getting The Look Of A Carriage Garage Door
For some people, they may want the look of a carriage door, but they don’t like the way it opens. That does make sense, as up and over or sectional garage doors can be used with garage door openers, and that makes getting in and out with your car a lot easier.
The good news for you is that you can have both the look of the carriage door with the ease of use of a sectional door. To get the look, you just need to add some decorative hardware to it. These are things like fake hinge straps and handles to make the door look as though it opens in the same way as a carriage door.
They’re very simple for you to install, as most options are typically stuck or screwed into position. Some options even attach with strong magnets. That’s a great option, as you can easily remove them if you want to paint the garage door or if you’re thinking of moving home.
Pros of a Carriage Garage Door
So, why may you want to install a carriage garage door on your home? There are a number of benefits that you can take advantage of:
- Improve your home’s curb appeal: If your garage door at the moment is looking a little tired, or is in need of a refresh, then installing a carriage door can be the answer. They look great once they’re installed, and that will improve your curb appeal. That’s something you want to think about if you’re thinking of selling the home in the future. Even if you aren’t, though, it makes your home’s exterior look better, and that’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked.
- No overhead track: With a carriage garage door, it swings outwards onto the driveway. That means there’s no overhead track to deal with in your garage and many homeowners like that. It will improve the look of the garage, and that’s something that homeowners may want if they use the garage for anything other than storing their car. Also, it’s very helpful if you have a high ceiling in your garage, and having an overhead track would be impractical.
- Get more space in your garage: On a similar note, as the garage door will swing out rather than in, you actually free up a lot of space in your garage. This is important if you’re looking to get as much space in your garage as possible. If you want room around your car when it’s parked, for example, or you want to have more space for storage, then carriage-style doors can give you that.
Cons of a Carriage Garage Door
As well as the benefits of a garage door, you’ll see that there are a couple of drawbacks that you do need to be aware of before you go ahead and have one installed. Here’s what you need to know:
- More driveway space needed: As the doors open onto your driveway, you will need extra space to allow for this to happen. If you have a smaller driveway, you may not be able to open carriage-style doors with the car on the drive.
- Manual opening only: As touched on above, a carriage-style door needs to be opened manually. They can’t be attached to garage door openers, so you need to be ready to open and close them yourself every time you use them. If you live in a cold climate or you have mobility issues, then you’ll want a garage door that can be opened automatically. On the flip side, though, it’s much easier for the garage door to be opened up in hot weather to cool it down when you have carriage-style doors, so you’ll need to consider what you need from your doors.
Upgrade to a Carriage Garage Door Today
Carriage-style garage doors are popular with so many different homeowners, as they’re versatile and look great. If you’re ready to change your garage door out, get in touch with your local garage door company today! Your Garage Door Guys offers popular garage door styles including traditional, carriage, and modern. We proudly serve Ventura and Los Angeles County.