I've been looking at garage doors, too, and recently saw some beautiful contemporary style doors on the Clopay website (www.clopaydoor.com). Our home design calls for a traditional wood carriage house style door, but I love the contemporary ones. I believe they're offered through Home Depot, and when I called HD recently for a quote on a carriage house style door, they told me they're running a 15% off special on Clopay doors right now. Good luck! Susan

Your house only has to meet the code requirements in place when it was built unless you are substantially changing it. So if you are replacing it "in kind" you should match it exactly, but if you change it in any way you should neet the current building code. Of course, it would be wise to use the current code as your guide in any event. I don't have a copy of the 2006 residential code for New Jersey but I know it is based on the International Residential Code which I do have and the requirement is now a 1 3/8" (min.) solid core wood door with no rated frame, UL hardware, or closer required. (Such a door, if tested in a rated frame and wall, is assumed by the building code to achieve a 20-minute fire rating.) Alternatively, the code also allows a solid or honeycomb core steel door, or any door that has been tested with a 20-minute fire rating. So, get a solid core flush door with a suitable veneer for stain or paint or get a wood paneled door assembly with a 20-minute rating. Rated wood paneled doors are expensive and come with a rated frame. In some states the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code is in effect (sometimes enforced by fire departments) and it usually requires a 1-hour door. This requirement seems pointless since the door is not required to be in a 1-hour rated wall.

I feel compelled to offer the following comments on this response. "Installing a garage door opener is one of the easier things a DIYer can do." Not true. This is not as simple as say hanging a picture. It is not exteremely difficult but does require some skill/mechanical ability. "You don't mess with the door or the springs." This is true providing the door/springs are in good shape and are operating properly, including but not limited to; no binding/proper balance, etc. "Being your doors are made of wood, they are probably heavy, so a 2 horsepower door opener would probably work well. You should not need more than that." 2 horsepower?????? maybe you meant a 1/2 horsepower. The opener doesn't "lift" the door, that's what the springs are for. The opener compensates for the manual effort required to open the door which varies according to the door step up. in answer to your questions: "1. Yes" True, for two separate doors you need two separate units "2. Stanley makes a decent one. Chamberlain does too" True. However, there are a number of good manufacturers and types available. FWIW, I've had good luck with Craftsman. You need to choose between chain, screw, or belt drive depending on what you want to spend and how quiet you need it. Also select your options like keyless entry or optional light controls. "3. You can do it" change to "maybe" see the attached link for a typical owner's manual that has the installation instructions and decide for yourself. "4. Don't touch the springs." As stated above this depends on the condition of your existing hardware. Basically, you follow the directions. Put a bracket on the door. Assemble the opener. Raise it into place. And attach it to the ceiling with the provided hangers. Attach the wire for the manual button and run it to a place that is convenient. And plug it in." All new doors have sensors at the base of the door that also require installation and running wires "Assuming you don't have an outlet in the right place, you will have to run some wire and put in an outlet above the opener, but that is not hard either." YIKES, a "fairly inexperienced handyman" should probably not be running new electrical lines. Not impossible but do some research and make sure everything is correct. "This would be a good Saturday afternoon project. Just read the directions." see the manual and decide for yourself. FWIW, I'm not a pro and have installed a few of these. You need to recognize your limitations and understand what is involved. There are some pros who post here fairly frequently. I hope they agree with my advice. cstrombe: good luck with your new openers! Here is a link that might be useful: typical owners manual

To me, unless you want to do a total color change on the entire house, then the garage doors should just stay as they are. For you to "fix" that house, you're going to have to commit to a total package color change and by that I mean the red brick and the whole nine yards. So if you're not willing to consider that, then just leave the garage doors white and the front door black. There's no other color to paint the garage doors with the rest of the house as it is. IMO.