We are in the pre-construction phase of our garage addition project and we made our first big material selection decision a couple weeks ago, the garage doors. Lead times are crazy so we needed to get the garage doors ordered so they don’t hold us up later. Our permit has been issued and we are waiting for work to start any day!
Choosing Garage Doors
In the drafting phase of our project, we knew we wanted to upgrade our garage doors to a carriage-style look. Our contractor recommended Clopay Coachman doors. Clopay makes a variety of style doors. Their Coachman line is made to look like old-fashioned wooden swing-out carriage house doors. There are several design options to choose from.
I immediately gravitated toward series 1. I didn’t want the cross design you see in series 2. I love the idea of vertical boards on the garage doors to complement the board and batten on the exterior of our home. The breezeway will also be board and batten so it will repeat that look, making it all look like it goes together. The top section is customizable and includes options for glass. We love the idea of natural light coming into the garage and the extra detail the windows give the doors.
Because we have 3 garage doors on the front (and one on the back) I didn’t want them to be too busy or have too many vertical lines like design 13. I mocked up some options in Photoshop and we decided on design 12 with 6 small windows across the top. I love the way it looks! The garage doors will be painted black, as well as the breezeway. The garage will be a mix of brick and siding to match the exterior of the house. Can you imagine it painted? I’m so excited!
How Much Do They Cost?
Our contractor budgeted $10k for garage doors but to upgrade the style of doors to include the glass panels, and due to the increased cost of goods, our 4 garage doors are totaling around $22k. Our contractor is covering some of the increased cost because he misquoted us, but we officially had our first change order to our contract since they are over budget. It’s not ideal to spend more than anticipated but in this case, the garage doors make such a big impact on the exterior design and appearance of the addition so we think it’ll be worth it.
