When little things make a big difference and curb appeal is a consideration, custom garage door accents have great impact. Adding custom garage door hardware to your Janesville WI area home is a cost-effective boost to its appearance. Most older homes and even many new ones, feature garage doors that are basic and dull. Face it, they’re big, flat and boring, right? Why can’t older doors make a statement and reflect latest modern designs? With a little creativity they can – and many do.
Add new hardware to older doors and you create a modern, sleek look. Or, if you like the carriage house style garage door, revert to a bygone era with a classic facade. Consider “accessorizing” your garage door with decorative hardware accents. You can do it without breaking the bank!
If you’re thinking about selling your house curb appeal is vital. It’s the buzz word in real estate and a serious topic when a sale is in the future. Adding decorative garage door hardware is an easy way to make a significant visual change. Hardware accents come in many styles, shapes, colors and materials. Look at your garage door, it is a large, basically blank, canvas. Get creative, and use it to put “sizzle” into your exterior décor.
Benefit From Custom Garage Door Accents
If you’re planning a facelift to your home’s exterior your garage door’s appearance adds visual interest. Does including updating your garage door make sense? Take a look from street-level and consider what you’re working with. What’s the best use of your space? Ask yourself:
- Does the garage face the street and sit in front of the rest of the house, so it’s more prominent than the doors in your entryway?
- Or, is the garage tucked around to the side of the house – where any decorating is for your own pleasure? If it isn’t visible from the street, it isn’t really “curb appeal.” It does add to the value of your home, though.
- Will new accents to the garage compete for attention with the style in the front of the house?
- Finally, is the goal to make a statement and draw attention to the garage door or just freshen the overall look of your home?
There are so many options available resist the urge to add one of everything – don’t go overboard with decorative hardware.
In the majority of cases, cosmetic hardware changes and accents work to help plain doors mimic the style of carriage house doors. There are other style choices, including Southern plantation, mid-century ranch and ultra-modern, as well. The goal is to blend accents with architecture. Add accents that look as if they belong in the overall plan.
The most popular hardware once actually opened the doors. Accent hinges, latches, etc. top the list. Making it look real is the key, right? Take time to consider where hinges would go to actually swing a giant door, where latches make sense, etc.
Guidelines For Adding Accent Hardware
Garage door designers apply a variety of basic rules for planning an upgrade to a standard door, including:
- Understand the style you expect to recreate – a swing-open style, a barn door style, one door made to look like two, etc.
- Choose hinge sizes appropriately – most original carriage house doors were the same size as a modern single-car garage door. Revamping a standard two-car-size garage door means treating it as if it were two old-style doors. Add sets of hinges on the top and bottom of outer edges and near the middle.
- Place handles and latches to mimic double doors, too. Make sure they’re at a natural height – not too high nor too low.
When was the last time you thought about the hardware on your garage door? Most people don’t give it much thought unless something breaks or they decide to make a change. A lot of people are looking to upgrade the look of their garage door accents. It isn’t as easy as you might imagine. Without experience mistakes happen. The most common pitfalls to watch out for include:
- Adding strap-type hinges to a door that doesn’t look at all like a swinging door
- Installing strap hinges that are too short, too long or too thin for the size of the door
- Putting accent hinges in where they don’t make sense
- Adding only a single handle instead of a pair
- Not adding enough hardware on double doors
- Forgetting to removed the old handles
If there’s a garage door hardware change in your future, review catalogs, websites and magazines. You’ll find a lot of options and ideas to apply to your home. Your garage door need not be boring.
Seek Professional Advice On Garage Door Accents
Applying the right elements and the right guidance are reliable and cost-effective ways to boost your garage door’s curb appeal. But changing the style of your garage door isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, is it?
Tour your neighborhood. What are neighbors doing with their curb appeal? Have your exhausted all the other resources without a good plan? Buying a new garage door is a significant expense. Making a hardware change is less drastic and often equally dramatic. Before you make a change, take advantage of all the latest information and get a hands-on appreciation for what’s available.
Country Door Systems the area’s best residential garage door manufactures and brings the latest technology to every home door inspection, installation and repair. Country Door Systems is commitment to quality, working with elite garage door manufacturers. These relationships insure high-tech solutions from well-trained technicians. Take advantage of our wide service area and decades of experience. Call or email Country Door Systems at 608-752-9537 and select the perfect garage door accents for your Janesville WI area home.
Better Homes & Gardens – How to Install Garage Door Hardware