Hottest Styles in Garage Doors

Garage doors aren't what they used to be. Today's garage door is eye-catching, beautiful, highly efficient and a “hot” design element in new home construction. In a marketplace where enhanced curb appeal and residential diversity are in demand, we're seeing homeowners selecting more unique garage door styles.

Leading the pack in hot design choices is the carriage house door, which has all the charm and appeal of the traditional, swinging barn door, but with a convenient twist — they're available with all the mechanics of a modern garage door. As for accents, there are plenty of glass window designs, trim, mantels and wrought iron decorative hardware available.

Original carriage house doors were made of wood, but today you can choose from a variety of wood species, composite and steel. Each type offers its own benefits, characteristics and costs, which you should discuss with your builder.

Carriage house garage doors can compliment other artistic elements in a home's elevation such as window shapes, shutters, and trim, so before you build your new home, make sure you take advantage of the large space that will become your two, three or four car garage.

The most common style is the traditional raised panel steel garage door, which has dominated the market for over 25 years. Now these steel doors are available in “wood-grain prints,” beautifully imitating the rich colors and patterns of real wood, but with all the maintenance and durability advantages of steel.

Does your home boast a sleek, modern style? If so, a wide variety of contemporary designs are available that will truly make your home the envy of the neighborhood. Vibrant colors and a range of metallic finishes allow you to express your sense of style. If your home has more of a Mediterranean or European look, you might consider French-styled garage doors. They appear to swing outward, but feature the hinged panel operation of a traditional garage door. Opaque glass adds to the elegance of these classically styled doors.

You'll want to check out insulated garage doors, which will not only help keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but they can also save you money thanks to a new tax credit, which can earn up to $1500.

No matter where you live, your home needs to stand up to Mother Nature. This is especially true if you live in an area that is prone to extreme weather like blizzards and severe windstorms. In response to new, more stringent building codes in many areas, top garage manufacturers now offer garage doors that can withstand hurricane-force winds of up to 145 mph. This means that garage doors can help maintain your home's structure during a hurricane or other severe storm.

	Nowadays, most top garage door manufacturers like Wayne-Dalton and Overhead Door offer a design program so you can experiment with panel designs, color options and window styles on an actual home. You can even upload a picture of your own home. This allows you to create your own personal style and curb appeal for your garage doors.