How a New Garage Door Can Change Your Home's Exterior

A garage door takes up a pretty big chunk of the front of most homes. Funny thing is, you don't always notice it until it starts looking old.

Maybe the panels are faded. There's a dent near the bottom. The colour has seen better days. Then a new garage door goes in, and suddenly the whole front of the house looks different.

You haven't rebuilt anything. You’ve just changed the garage door. Yet somehow, the property feels fresher.

It Starts With the Style

The new door doesn't have to be dramatic. It just needs to suit the house.

A traditional home might look good with a carriage-style design or a wood finish, while a newer property may work better with clean, simple panels. Putting a very ornate door on a fairly modern house can look a bit out of place.

Excelsior offers residential garage doors in steel, wood, aluminium, fibreglass and vinyl, with different styles and window options to choose from. 

There isn't one perfect style. Walk outside and look at the whole front of the property before deciding. It sounds obvious, but it helps.

Colour Can Make a Big Difference

White is the safe choice, but it isn't the only one.

A darker grey door can give a newer home a sharper appearance. A wood-look finish may suit a more traditional exterior. You can also match the garage door with your trim, or go for a subtle contrast so it stands apart.

Look at the siding, roof, front door and windows together. A colour that looks great in a product photograph may look completely different beside your actual house.

And what about garage door windows?

They're not only a design choice.

Windows can break up a large run of plain panels and bring some daylight into the garage. Depending on the shape and layout, they can give the door a more traditional or modern feel.

Then again, some homeowners simply prefer solid panels for privacy. That's perfectly reasonable too.

Sometimes the Smaller Details Matter

A new door can make the older parts of the exterior stand out a little.

You might suddenly notice worn trim, an old exterior light or a tired-looking driveway that didn't bother you before. The new door isn't causing the problem; it's just making the contrast easier to see.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. It gives you a better idea of what is actually worth tidying up and what can wait.

Excelsior's before-and-after projects show how a garage door replacement can change the appearance of a property without changing the rest of the exterior. 

What If the Old Door Keeps Needing Repairs?

Appearance isn't always the main reason for replacing a garage door.

An older door may have damaged panels, worn hardware or components that keep failing. At some point, paying for another repair doesn't feel quite as sensible when the same problems keep coming back.

This is where looking at repair and replacement together can help.

For example, someone repeatedly arranging Garage Door Repair in Queens NY may eventually find that replacing an ageing door is a better long-term option.