Pergola over garage

Climbing hydrangea adds charm to this house. Credit: Laurie

A Pergola is an excellent option to a garage door, and is a simple and easy way to enhance the entrance to a garage door. It adds charm, character and curb appeal to a home especially if it is covered by trailing plants. It gives a feel of a covered area or passage way and a third dimension to an otherwise boring entrance.

There are various options for pergola ranging from wood, vinyl and metal frame structures. A pergola does not have to be expensive to make it attractive. The pergola itself may not be the center of attention, but the addition of trailing plants and hanging floral pots will make the look more interesting and focal point. 

Credit: Fagan Door Corporation

Credit: Ranch House Doors Wood Doors (Nantucket, Cape Cod Collection)
 Elements Collection Faux Wood Garage Door

Lifestye's Garage Door Screen

Lifestyle garage door screen is a fully retractable garage screen door that works with existing garage door.
Photo Credit: Lifestyle Screens, Winder, GA

The Lifestyle Screens product is a great product that converts a garage space into a pest free zone for social gatherings.What's neat about this netting system is it is built into an existing garage door assembly, but acts independently, and can be retracted when the garage door is opened or automatically stored away when the garage door is closed. The Lifestyle method is a lot easier and more practical than other screen products that use hooks, loops, velcro or zippered opening.

The Lifestyle is built with 2" x 2"  aluminum coated with a durable paint finish. The Lifestyle screen has an independent tracks system which is similar to the existing garage door tracks. Lifestyle's spring loaded counter-balance system makes it easy to open and close the screen. Lifestyle's optional door-within-a-door feature allows for easy entry and exit. When in use, the Lifestyle screen occupies the same position as your garage door.

The Lifestyle Screens are available in three colors (white, brown and sandstone) and in different sizes or can be custom made. The screen is made of standard fiberglass material that allows maximum air flow. An option upgrade to PVC coated screen for maximum durability is also available.

Company website and contact information: www.lifestylescreens.com, Advanced Screenworks, LLC.
955 Patrick Industrial Court, Winder, Georgia  30680.  Tel: 678-926-9700

TechFloor Tiles for Garages or Any Room

TechFloor modular flooring tiles.
Photo credit: TechFloor, Inc

TechFloor™ is a modular, customizable flooring solution made for garages and other spaces in a house or business. TechFloor's advanced manufacturing process produces an extremely rugged and low-profile plastic tile with attractive TractionSquares™ for wet-or-dry non-slip use, while the soft-touch underside offers incredible grip to virtually any floor.

Each tile has 2 edges with loops and 2 edges with tabs which quickly attach to each other by laying the tab of one tile over the loop of the next and snapping them into place. TechFloor™ is available in multiple tile sizes and border options to allow fast wall-to-wall installation without the need to cut or trim.

Price: from $2.99 sq/ft.

Photo credit: TechFloor, Inc

Photo credit: TechFloor, Inc

Photo credit: TechFloor, Inc

Video credit: TechFloor, Inc 

Grid-Loc Garage Flooring Tiles

Grid-Loc Diamond series interlocking tiles are engineered to withstand the harsh garage environments.  Constructed of high quality impact resistant polypropylene, the flow tiles are capable of handling extremely heavy rolling vehicle loads and are resistant to oil, grease, antifreeze, and many other household chemicals. These tiles are also stain resistant, odorless, slip resistant, and UV stable. Installation is as easy as snapping together adjacent garage tiles to form a beautiful and customizable garage flooring surface. These garage floor tiles also come with an industry leading 12 year warranty. 
 
Material:
Size – 12” x 12” 
Thickness – 1/2 Inch 
Weight – 0.83 Lbs. per tile 
Origin – Made in the USA 

New Garage Door Opener!

Here's a ingenious new garage opener from across the pond, in the UK.  Tired of having to constantly get off his motorcycle to open and shut his garage door, he simply honks his horn and the garage door opens automatically. Why didn't I think of that?

Credit: Not sure who to credit. I could not find any reference to the person who created the video.

How to Paint Your Boring Metal Garage Door to Look Like Real Wood

There is no question that a wood garage door will add a tremendous curb appeal to a home. If you are tired of staring at your massive traditional white garage door, but you are on a tight budget, faux wood painting may be an option for you. It is a lot cheaper than replacing your existing door with real or faux wood garage doors. Although faux wood doors are less expensive than real wood doors, the faux wood garage door costs will still set you back between $1,800 to $4,800 depending on the model selection and door size.

Before Faux Painting. Look at how boring the garage doors are. 

Photo credit & weblink: Faux-ever Doors, Grand Rapids, MI

After Faux Painting. These doors have curb appeal! 

Photo credit & weblink: Faux-ever Doors, Grand Rapids, MI

Before Faux Painting. 

Photo credit: Faux-Ever Doors Grand Rapids, MI

 After Faux Painting. Looks like wood garage door.

Photo credit: Faux-Ever Doors Grand Rapids, MI

Garage Door Faux Painting Techniques 

Pressure wash your garage door. Let it dry. Use Denatured Alcohol soaked in an a clean rag or wiping cloth to remove grime that have accumulated over a period of time on the garage door surface. Lightly sand the door surface with a fine sandpaper for better paint adhesion

Tools Needed: (1) A couple of good quality two and three inch paint brushes  (2) Four and six inch mini paint rollers  (3) Paint tray

Materials & Supplies: (1) Drop cloth (2) Masking tape and paper (3) Disposable gloves  (4) One quart Denatured Alcohol. (5) Outdoor UV protected paint base color with no gloss added (matt finish). A commonly used base color is Sherwin Williams Monarch Gold. Other brands can be used provided it closely match the Sherwin Williams Monarch Gold. One gallon to start. Quantity depends on size of door. (6) Sherwin Williams Woodsy Brown for overlay coat over the Monarch Gold color.

Painting technique is often referred to a faux painting. Google "faux painting" to learn the proper techniques to get an idea on how it works and learn tips and tricks. Always test paint on something resembling the garage like a MDF board on a small area on the back of your door. 

When you are satisfied with your painting technique and color start applying the base coat SW Monarch Gold on the garage door surface. Use paint brush and roller for this step. Let it dry completely 24-48 hours. Your garage door will look headious at this point as Monarch Gold is Orange in color.

The base paint must be completely dry before apply the next step. Using new a brush apply the Sherwin Williams Woodsy Brown onto a small section (2' x 2') at a time. Use a clean rag and lightly wipe down so some of the Monarch Gold to show up. This is where you have to decide how much of the Woodsy Brown color to wipe off. It will determine the final color of your door. Upon completion go on to the next section and repeat the process making sure that the transition to the next section match up to the prior section. Make sure the transition is smooth and there is no hard break from one section to the other. Some people apply wood grain using a wood graining kit like the Allway Tools available at Amazon.com and Homedepot.com. This is not necessary if do a good job in the faux painting steps.

Wait 24-48 hours for the paint to dry. Apply a coat of matt UV protected clear coat to give it the faux finish an added protection. Congratulations! Your garage door now looks like a wooden garage door. Although the finished faux painted doors will not be as good as a real or faux wood garage doors, it will save you a bundle of money. Real and faux wood garage doors costs are a lot higher than faux painting.


Faux painting is not for everyone. If you are not a DIYer, it is best to hire a professional faux painter with experience painting garage doors. Most faux painters are localized and will only service a limited geographical area. If you are in the Grand Rapids, MI area contact Faux-ever Doors. Check the Yellow Pages, Kudzu, Angie's List, craigslist.com or doodle.com for other areas. 

If you are a DIY type person, try it out. It will be a satisfying project that will be admired by your family, friends and neighbors. Check out Google and Youtube videos for and faux painting  tutorials.

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Note: we have no affiliation with the companies mentioned in this article. There is no implied endorsement of their products or services.

Evergreen Carriage Doors Out-Swing & Sliding Carriage Doors

Founded by Richard Hampton in 2005, Evergreen Carriage Doors® specializes in manufacturing custom real out-swing and sliding carriage doors and barn doors. Richard "Dick" Hampton, has always loved homes with a history and began the tradition of excellence and personal service that characterizes the company. His legacy is being continued by Hampton's friend and master door builder, Cory Stratton.

Working with wood has also been one of Cory's greatest passions since he was a teenager. Thus he has had years of experience in woodworking and carpentry. He and his wife, Jamie, now run this family-based business on their farm in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. When they are not hiking, biking, or camping in the majestic mountains that surround them, their total focus is on each and every door they build, making sure that it receives the complete attention and meticulous craftsmanship that Evergreen Carriage Doors is known for.

Featured Door:

Door style: OL6L 
Door panel: V Groove panel 

Door rails & stiles: Vertical Grain Douglas Fir 

Design description: 

Olympic 6 lite with 3 vertical panels

Photo credit: Evergreen Carriage Doors, 

800-654-0750

Northwest Door Modern Classic Garage Doors

I love this beautiful contemporary garage door manufactured by Northwest Door. It has a clean, yet  stylish design. The Modern Classic is a stile and rail garage door made with an all-aluminum construction. The design can be customized to your specifications. Choose from glass or aluminum panels, painted or anodized finish. The panel width and height can also be reconfigured. 

Model shown: MC 44

• Material: Aluminum
• Windows: 800 Series Full Views
• Window Top: Standard
• Glass Type: White Diffused Laminated
• Door Finish: Black Anodized

• Manufacturer & Photo Credit: Northwest Door, Inc - Northwest Door®

Faux Wood Garage Door Costs

One of the common question I have been asked a lot is the costs of faux wood garage doors. The short answer is a typical 8'x7' faux wood garage door costs around $1,800 and upwards to $4,800. The longer answer is it depends.  Unlike common metal garage doors that can be bought at Home Depot or Lowes, faux wood garage door costs are dependent on the size of the door and the options chosen.

Like real wood doors, faux wood are typically custom made to specifications. The model selection will will also affect the cost as it depends on the amount of faux wood material that is used in the construction. The faux wood cladding is typically 1/2 inch thick, and if an overlay is chosen, it is 1/2" base cladding material plus another 1/2" of overlay faux wood being applied on top of the base cladding material resulting in a 1" thick faux wood material.  The more sophisticated the design, the more overlays will be used, and hence the cost will increase.

1. 1.Faux wood composite overlay. 2. Faux wood cladding
2. 3. Steel metal skin. 4. insulation and 5. Metal skin. Credit: Clopay

The faux wood is adhered to the surface or skin of a metal insulated garage door that is usually 1-7/8 or 2" thick. The faux wood cladding is attached to a base metal door for rigidity and to provide insulation so the choice of the type of metal door will affect the faux wood garage door costs. Customers can choose between a polystyrene or polyurethane core insulation. A garage door panel with a polyurethane core is more expensive, but it provides better insulation and has a higher R-Value (about R-19 for 2" polyurethane insulation core).

Other options include whether is window is included in the design. Although garage doors with windows are pretty to look at they  provide little insulation so if you live in a cold climate, the better solution is to go with a windowless garage door. It is also easier and cheaper to manufacture.

The best way to determine the faux wood garage door costs is to call the manufacturer (clopay.com and www.faux-wood-garage-doors.com or www.ranchhousedoors.com and get a price quote. Let them know the size of the door, the quantity, the model and the options selection.