When selecting exterior finishes for your home, a garage door may not be your top priority. Many homeowners get excited over front doors, shutters, and paint colors, leaving the garage door selection somewhere at the bottom of the list. However, whether you have a single or three-car garage, garage doors form a large part of your home’s facade and can make or break the curb appeal. Our architects at our Austin, Texas studio are reviewing the types of garage door openings, styles, and material options for you to make the best selection for your home.

Types of Garage Door Openings

The way a garage door opens will affect the mood of the approach as well as the style of the home. Door openings will also have to take into account the driveway style and available clearance to make sure they are both functional and stylish. Here are three popular types of garage door openings.

Sectional

Sectional garage doors are the most popular option and are probably the style you are most familiar with. These doors have horizontal panels that roll up on a track and store along the garage ceiling. They are typically motorized with a chain or belt drive. However, there are manual options as well. Built-in weather stripping and possibilities for insulated panels make this style a great choice for weatherproofing your garage.

Swing Out

Swing out garage doors operate similarly to a French door. Two doors are hinged on either side of the opening and open outwards. This style adds charm and personality, and it creates a welcoming approach to the garage. Swing out doors also offer a tight weather seal and motorized options are available. These doors can be problematic for climates with snow or high wind, as this can affect how well they are able to open. They also need to have enough clearance and could be cumbersome for small driveways.

Sliding

Sliding garage doors mirror the barn door style. Two doors hang and are able to slide open and close from a track that is fixed above the door opening. These doors are available in manual and automatic styles and operate seamlessly in all weather conditions. When planning for a sliding door, you have to make sure the wall space on either side of the garage opening is large enough to accommodate the doors when open. This door style may be a challenge for garages with a large door opening.

Types of Garage Door Styles

The style of the garage door will have a huge impact on curb appeal. After all, your garage door will probably be two to four times larger than your front door! When it comes to selecting a style, you will want to make sure you take time to assess your home’s exterior and find a good fit. Here are three popular garage door styles.

Traditional Raised Panel

A traditional raised panel is one of the most popular and commonly seen garage door styles. These are usually available for sectional garage door panels and coordinate with many traditionally styled home exteriors. This is a great option for Colonial, ranch, or even Cape Cod style homes.

Modern Flat Panel

Modern flat panels offer a clean and streamlined look for a home’s exterior. Accenting panels with glass can create visual interest and also break up the span. They are most often seen on sectional garage doors as well. Flat panels are a sleek option for contemporary, Mid Century, or transitional homes.

Carriage House or Barn Door

Carriage house or barn door style garage doors offer charm and visual interest to the garage exterior. This style of door is typically seen on swing out or sliding garage doors, but doors with sectional panels also offer the style. Depending on the choice of accents like hardware or paint color, this style of door could work for Craftsmen, rustic, or even Mediterranean homes.

Garage Door Material Options

The final component of choosing a garage door is selecting the material options for the panels. While this choice is partly aesthetic in nature, it is also important regarding functionality. The choice of material will affect the lifespan of the garage doors, maintenance, and interior space. Here are four popular garage door material options.

Metal

Metal garage doors are the most popular option for homeowners. Doors made of steel or aluminum are long-lasting and require little to no maintenance. There are a range of colors offered and some companies even produce realistic wood-look options. We also recommend upgrading to a dent-resistant selection, as driveways can be popular spots for playing catch or shooting baskets!

Wood

Wood garage doors offer charm, customization, and classic style. However, wood garage doors require regular upkeep and maintenance and can quickly become very expensive. In areas with lots of rain, wood garage doors have been known to swell, rot, or splinter. When selecting wood options, it is important to take additional weatherproofing methods into account and to make sure the driveaway drains away from the doors to avoid puddles of water and damage.

Wood Composite or Veneers

Wood composites or wood veneers are great options to get a wood look without the expensive price tag or hefty maintenance. Wood composite doors are made from wood fibers and plastic. They are durable, come in a range of colors, and are easy to upkeep. Wood veneers are thin panels of real wood that can be applied to the surface of a metal garage door. This is a cheaper option that is also easy to replace in sections when water damage occurs.

Glass

Glass panels can be applied to modern or traditional doors either as an accent or across the entire span. Glass panels create a high-end look, and they also allow natural light into the garage interior. Glass panels can be practical for garage spaces that don’t have windows or ones that double as a workshop. Car collectors may even opt for clear glass panels to show off their toys.

With so many style options, we think garage doors are something to get excited about! While they are a practical necessity, they can also be a stylish statement to your home’s exterior.

Explore the different types of driveway designs.

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Garage Doors: The Architect’s Guide to Choosing the Right Type of Garage Door for Your Home