I don't know if you considered it, but have you looked at glass garage doors? I think something like that would be a much more interesting idea, since that is the first part of the house you notice, and I think it might be a great balance for the glass on the other side of the house.

glass garage doors

As photoshopped in the picture, garage door #359 is absolutely perfect for this house. A wonderful blend-in!

I think it looks great. Is it much more expensive? And how does it open?

Those glass doors are pretty neat for light and all but I'm not sure how they'd look on most houses. I certainly like 359 better.

Fly left, I just love your home! It's so interesting. The garage door is perfect.

I really like that one.

Hi you all--thanks for your comments! DH is happy you like the door :). And jersey, thanks for your kind words about our house. It doesn't look that way *quite* yet, but will soon when it's repainted.

Les, the glass doors would be dreamy if we didn't want insulation. Unfortunately we like to work out there and it really helps to have at least a 10 R value.

There is the possibility of putting windows in the top row of the door, but it started to look a bit spotty that way...which would you prefer, les--the windowed door or the plain door? (link to windowed door at garage door site below) We liked the plain better than the windowed, in this situation...but we could be swayed if you think the windowed version is drastically better. I am a Libra, after all :)

Not sure on the price; I think we'll have to pay more for it than for the Heritage 3000, but I *think* Raynor is a good company and the warranty is up there w/the Amarr, so it's worth it.

Here is a link that might be useful: windowed--imagine the middle one painted to match our house

Fly....I really like the door hubby photoshopped in...looks perfect!

I like #359, but I also think the Amarr door with windows would be nice too. We have Amarr doors, btw, and have been pleased with them.

I would have DH Photoshop the Amarr doors to give you a better visual, then decide.

I really like your house photoshopped and I am not usually into modern houses but the landscape and color all blend so well . Personally I would do the door your husband likes but I would add the long narrow windows on top. To me it looks more blended to the other side of the house and less garage. Kareen

Kareen - do you mean a long narrow window above the garage doors? I do like light in the garage but i think #359 with windows wouldnt look as nice. A narrow window above the door, the same length of the door might look good though, and could be a deferred project.

Oh whoops - I see the similar one with window in the link - I think either one would look great. I would like the natural light I think.

Flyleft,
I like that garage door you photoshopped. I think I would prefer it with the one row of windows on top but either one would look nice.

I like the windowed one better, imagining it with the outer areas painted dark like your trim, and the centers the color of the siding. I think it relieves the 'solid wall' feeling on that side, and if you like to work in the garage, the added light would be a bonus, imo.

I see in the photo link that you did a door with the windows that is similar, but I don't like it with it all the color of the siding. Having the trim color breaks it up a little and makes it feel more interesting.

Of course, you should pick what you like best - don't let any of us sway what you feel to be right for your home!

fly,
That is a HANDSOME house!! wow... just perfect.
and I was about to say exactly what les said. you NEED something modern to match those architectural lines.
A bold door to match the bold design..

See if the glass garage people can do insulated glass.

Or do a hardwood (teak etc) garage door.

or stainless steel :)
{{!gwi}}

Thanks lindy, allison, marys, kareen and lyban :)

Allison, I thought that Amarr doors were good quality--glad to hear your experience. We were really set to go with the Heritage ribbed, but it's so completely odd they can't show us *one* in situ, even in a fake house setting.

And Pharoah, you forgot to post an onyx door :) But seriously, thanks for the pics...a girl can dream...I've researched the glass doors and the glass/aluminum doors I've found aren't insulated well enough, unfortunately. Wood isn't insulated at all, and steel -- well, I just can't afford it and haven't researched it at all :) All subsidies graciously accepted and will be recognized by memorial footnote plaque (JUST KIDDING!) I wish we could find some of the kinds of vintage doors I've seen around here--such cool stuff!--but then again they're wood and we really do want the insulation/energy efficiency. We do woodworking etc. out there, DH has to be out there to work on his bicycles, so any extra warmth we can retain for about 7 mos of the year is always appreciated.

les, don't worry at all that the discussion will make me do something I don't really want...I believe that the right choice will always stand up to intense scrutiny, so I'm completely open to thinking all options through, whether I've come up with them or not, and seeing what makes it through the intellectual gauntlet :)

I thought the windowed one started looking spotty, but y'all have me thinking...I'll have DH put it on the house and try to post it as soon as he can.

----o.k., I just decided to ask him to do it before I finished posting, so here it is...I'm liking the way it almost eerily echoes the line of the windows...what do you think? Thanks again! I just hope it's affordable and we're not the first people who want this, too...

Here is a link that might be useful: door #360...

Bingo!

That one looks like it belongs, and the windows not only echo the windows elsewhere, but they add some interest to that large expanse of wall.

Such a cool house!

flyleft,
I am liking it with the windows also. Can't wait to see this house all painted and done.. It is an amazing looking house.

Sorry it took so long to get back to you, just busy around here.
I meant windows withing the garage door itself. Kareen

les, thanks so much. For some reason I hadn't really connected with the windowed pic on the website, but your encouragement to try it photoshopped in our colors really made a huge difference.

lyban, thanks--I can't wait either :) I'm excited because our repairs company is starting this afternoon! First order of business: replace the front post--I'm morbidly curious as to how they'll hold up the house while they change it out--and I will be able to show them this pic to give them a vision of how we want it to end up.

kareen, what do you mean--isn't our garage door your first priority? :) (JUST KIDDING!) Your suggestion helped a lot as well. Thanks very much.

4-6 more hours to go-o-o...I wanna be sedated :)

Sorry - I'm gonna be no help at all, but I really like all of the doors in that last group of photos. You know your house and have clearly identified what works with your architecture -- there's just not a 'wrong' choice in the bunch.

So buy the one that's energy efficient and reasonably priced --

Man, Sweeby, I knew when I read your post that somehow that door wouldn't meet one of those two criteria...but I hoped against my superstition and called and of course, it meets neither. Curses on you for being so prescient! (joke)

So now it's back to the darn drawing board, and I can't seem to find a "carriage door" that has only one line at the top. Probably because it's so ugly it wouldn't sell LOL...but we'll find a home for it. I may even ask my garage door guy if we could have another company that makes higher R-value doors make us a carriage door with only one line and plain, rather than multi-paned, glass in the windows.

Thanks again for your help, you all.

Fly, how frustrating! Your home is still gorgeous. I mean fantatically gorgeous!

Okay, enough drooling....Why won't they GIVE you one of those super cool doors with frosted glass on top and stainless steel on the bottom? Geeze. What are they doing over there? Business shmizness. Have a heart! :-)

I know you'll find the right thing...hang in there. I hope this guy can make a custom one for you!

I love the one with the windows on your home. Why back to the drawing board - what am I missing?

Just a thought and I scanned the previous responses and didn't see it mentioned? I like the first door, put it in and then....install 2 windows ABOVE it, shaped like the 2 windows on the other side of the house? That would truly echo the other side and also give you insulated natural light inside the garage?

flyleft, this is what I was thinking of. You could even go for 4 windows to echo the number of panels in the door.

I'm confused. What was wrong with the door that had the windows? It looked perfect.

Oh, sarschlos, #360 turned out to be both an insufficient R-value and about 40% more than I feel like spending (we have a realistic insurance settlement and I'd like to stay within it). Waaaahhh.

What's easily available is either a ribbed commercial door, which DH is beginning to fear may be too avant for the neighborhood (resale), or a flush panel door with windows at the top, which always strikes us as too plain, although the windows help it somewhat.

mary lu, well what do you know--how kind of you to do that photoshopping work, and how expertly done, too! Love the reflected windows...but alas that will have to wait until someone (maybe us, maybe the next owner) turns the attic over the garage into the living space it could be. We were planning to do it, but then decided to combine rooms downstairs and do a main floor master instead. I miss my envisioned bedroom in the trees (I saw lots and lots of glass, with plenty of privacy), but my knees are already thanking me and I'm only 47.

An interesting bit of news some people might be able to use sometime: I read one warranty on carriage-style doors (C.H.I.) that stated that if the stiles/rails were painted with a color darker than a certain level LRV, the warranty would be invalidated. Evidently the material they're made from is so temperature sensitive that if they're too dark, they'll absorb too much heat and delaminate.

Makes me question the whole idea of doing one with painted stiles/rails, since I don't want them white but rather the same dark trim color around the rest of the house.

Geez. Who knew. Hope it helps someone later, because it sure ain' helpin' me now!

What a P.I.T.A.! This really shouldn't be so hard Fly!

But at least now I understand why everyone ends up with the ugly garage doors -- Doing something more attractive is just too darn much trouble!

I know, sweeby, this is insane. Why is it so hard to find a decent looking door?! Because I'm not trying to do a craftsman looking house right now, and all the innovation is for those houses, assuming white or light trim.

I'm now thinking that I may end up with a CHI door that is 4 *recessed* panels, at least not the usual "raised panel" steel door--it's all one piece so I can paint it--it looks the closest to the original doors these houses came with, with a row of windows at the top. Nothing to delaminate, somewhat more interesting than a flush door...but UGH. I don't even think I'll paint the panels, just rely on the windows to provide interest. Unless DH photoshops it and convinces me that it would be cooler looking. But I'm still in mourning for my Raynor door. Which I now notice *also* has "special painting guidelines" in the warranty provisions. UGH.

In my dreams I've found an anodized aluminum (to match the windows, which I don't hate, and which I plan to match with a clad or a thermally-broken anodized when I replace them, as they seem to match PNW modern better than aluminum) beautifully insulated, affordable glass pane door. G*d, that would be beautiful.

Is it possible to get one of the doors that's not so well insulated and add your own insulation?

You could, but you'd void whatever warranty there was...I asked about that, and about attaching my own stiles/rails to a flush door, too. Also violates warranty. May very well mess up the door-raising motor, too.

I'm so disappointed for you (and me)! I loved that door with the glass over the plain panels. Was driving by a house that has been rebuilt. They went high end with these flat panel stainless steel front doors and sidelights, but then have this generic 6-panel garage door that looks soo ooogly on their clearly modern house.

So frustrating that the flat panel carriage doors won't work with a darker paint on the stiles and rails. What do they look like without the trim paint? I'm assuming it would be really blah, but hoping for the best...

Hm, I'll think about that one too--forgot that I could just do a carriage door that way, although paying up for unpainted added panels...but I'll go back through and see what those options are again, on my manual spreadsheet...thanks :)

Maybe you should leave a friendly note for those people to get with it on their garage door :)