Give Your Home Personality: Garage Door Trends
Garage doors are more than an entry way to your home. That large doorway is also an opportunity to showcase your style and improve your home’s curb appeal. Garage door trends have drastically changed over the last ten years and we’re going to explain where they are today.
Curb Appeal Makes All the Difference
Homeowners are often looking for ways to improve their home’s curb appeal. This is because they want to increase the value of their house and stand out from the surrounding homes. People are looking for something eye-catching and modern to differentiate themselves. Since garage doors are a central fixture to the front of their house, that’s a great place to start. You can also read our article on increasing your curb appeal for other ideas.
Express Yourself with Colors
Today, homeowners want to express themselves and are doing so with color. Different colors are being used to stylize garage doors and show off the owner’s personality. They are becoming bolder and complementing the exterior. This decision gives the owner a more modern looking home and improves curb appeal.
Garage Door Materials
Homeowners are using materials such as steel and fiberglass which makes the door lighter and sleeker. They give your garage door a more modern look.
Additionally, steel and fiberglass doors are more energy efficient. They use less energy to open or close and keep the elements and heavy winds out of your home.
Real wood garage doors are also trending now. While expensive, they add a level of sophistication that can’t be achieved by other materials.
Garage Doors are Getting Bigger
The size of garage doors is trending larger! While you only need so much room for clearance with your vehicles, people tend to gravitate towards making their doors taller and wider than they need. The larger doors are bolder and improve your curb appeal.
When building a new home, if you don’t want to outgrow your garage, don’t base the size of  your doors on your car. You could be driving a sports car today, but in five years you might be driving a minivan.
Brighten the Garage with Windows
Today, many homeowners use their garage in unique ways. It could be a workshop, an extra bedroom or even a recreational area. This is why the addition of larger windows on the garage door themselves are becoming popular. It is a way to let in light and add a touch of flair to your home’s exterior.
You’re the Designer
In the end, no one knows the homeowner’s tastes better than themselves. Many people are no longer picking standard options on their garage doors. They are designing their own garage doors to match their style and taste. This gives the owner the opportunity to create a garage door that matches the exterior of the home. That is why bolder colors and larger doors are trending.
Even the World of Technology Affects Garage Door Trends
Technology is the driving force of innovation. Each year, better technology results in products with new features, changing the demand of consumers. This also holds true for garage doors. Homeowners are expecting more from their garage doors as technology improves. What was trending in 2005 can’t compare to the garage doors we have today.
Energy Efficiency Can Save You Money
One trend that will never die is saving money. Many people don’t know they can save money with their garage doors. Energy efficiency is a concept that is always changing as technology creates new and more energy efficient products.
Energy efficient garage doors are usually insulated. This will keep your garage cooler in the summertime and warmer in the winter.The temperature of your garage affects the temperature of your home especially when a room shares a wall with the garage.
In addition your heating and cooling systems won’t have to work as hard, saving you money on your bills. That’s why energy efficiency is trending with garage doors and will continue for years.
Shhhhh! Be Very Quiet
A loud garage door can wake even the deepest sleepers. That’s why as technology improves, so does the ability to make your garage doors quieter. Lighter doors and quieter garage door openers limit the amount of screeching heard.
Tying in with energy efficiency, the insulated doors also effect how much noise can be heard from outside. High winds and loud noises heard through old doors are a thing of the past!
Garage Door Openers are Getting Smarter
Is there anything technology can’t do? More people are opting out of owning traditional garage door openers for smart phone openers. Yes, now your smart phone or tablet can open your garage doors by installing an app. This is a great tool for homeowners especially if you can’t remember if you closed your garage door when you left your house! Just check the app and give yourself peace of mind.
No Maintenance Required
Homeowners are very busy and don’t have the time to be maintain their garage doors. The trend over the past few years is that they want garage doors that require little to no maintenance after installation. Steel garage doors are your best bet for little maintenance.
Garage Doors Have Come a Long Way
In 2005, garage doors looked nothing like they do today. Many homeowners went with the flow and had white or tan garage doors. Plywood was an extremely common material used and most were white or tan. It was an oddity to see any sort of color or unique design. That would have been considered tacky.
While many homeowners wanted a quieter garage door, the technology couldn’t meet those demands. Forget about smart door openers, we didn’t even have YouTube yet!
And We Come to The End of Our Journey
Garage door trends have changed immensely over the last few years. With a shift in style and improvements in technology, homeowners demand more of their garage doors. Color and style are being incorporated to give their home a more modern look, people are conscious about their home’s value and curb appeal, and technology is creating convenience we didn’t even know we wanted. With trends always changing and impossible to predict, there is no way of knowing what will come next, but we’re sure it will benefit consumers.
