What is the most dramatic, eye-catching home improvement project you can launch into this year? It’s an exterior upgrade that adds style and curb appeal to one-third or more of the front of homes: the garage door.
Chances are, if your home is 10 years old or older, you’ve been living with a good old-fashioned raised-panel steel door – just like every other home on your street. And they probably all look pretty much the same. Here are some observations highlight by Nancy Labbé, Marketing Dept., at GARAGA, garage doors, Inc. (www.garaga.com)
You’re probably thinking, “How much difference can a garage door really make? It goes up, it goes down; what does style have to do with it?” GARAGA features “before & after” garage door photos that show the effect that a replacement has on a home. All the major Canadian garage door manufacturersare producing dramatic new styles and you can review them and decide what’s best for your home.
Hot Trend: Carriage Doors
The industry’s hottest trend is the carriage house door. The look that was popular on carriage houses and stables a century ago is today’s new chic in garage doors. The styles, windows, accessories and colours vary so widely, there’s little chance the garage door on your home will look like another one down the block. Did you note also for 70% of Canadian homes, the garage is front to the street?
The Latest Features
What else is new in garage doors? How about energy savings? Many of today’s garage doors feature insulation that helps reduce heat loss in Canadian winter and helps your home stay cooler in the summer, Nancy Labbé says. And as energy bills continue to rise, a new door begins to pay for itself soon after installation. If you’re thinking about a new garage door, think about a new opener, too. Today’s garage door openersare quieter and provide more convenience and safety features than ever before. Yes, garage door openers have gone high tech.
Keypad Kids
Homeowners with keypad entry consider it a necessity, not an option. Yesterday’s “latchkey kids” have become today’s “keypad kids”, Nancy Labbé says. But even the keypad has taken a step up the technology ladder. How about fingerprint-activated entry? It is here and available today. Only those who have scanned their fingerprint into the system can open the door with the pad. Another modern tech update is laser-aided parking accessories that tell you exactly when to stop in the garage. Battery back-up systems mean that your door will open every time, even when the power goes out. Finally, there’s even an in-house monitor that tells you when your garage door isopen, a handy tool for those of us who forget to close the garage door atnight.
Garage door: not a DIY Job
This is really very informative and useful too. Thanks for the great analysis/review. Hubby and I are contemplating on totally changing our old fashioned garage door and you've made me realize that its the best thing to do.
Posted by: Amanda | March 04, 2009 at 01:41 AM