Looking for a way to dramatically enhance your home that will earn you money when you sell? Install new garage doors.
Garage doors are often the most prominent feature of a home, so gorgeous doors can have an enormous aesthetic impact. And according to Remodelling magazine’s annual Cost vs Value Report, they more than pay for themselves. Their latest report found that garage doors had an average ROI of 194 percent, meaning that for every dollar a homeowner invested in the doors, the value of their home increased by nearly two dollars.
“This isn’t a one-off number,” says Jacob Schneider, owner of Canadoor Garage Doors. “Garage doors consistently have an ROI of more than 100 percent.”
The decision to replace doors is easy, then. But choosing the right doors is a bit more complex.
“It can get overwhelming,” acknowledges Jacob, who co-founded Canadoor with his brother, Luke, in 2009. Their Barrie showroom alone has 17 different styles of doors on display, and all of them have a wide range of customization options.
“That’s one of the reasons we suggest people come into the showroom, rather than trying to select something online or from a brochure,” he says. “Seeing them in the light, touching the different finishes, and having an expert walk you through the options makes an enormous difference.”
Design options
The first step to choosing the right door is to consider the design style of your home, cottage, or boathouse, and select something that complements it.
A home with classic farmhouse stylings – deep covered porches, multiple roof lines, a brick façade, or other similar features – is the perfect place for carriage doors. “Modern carriage doors are designed to mimic the look of classic carriage house doors,” Jacob explains. “They’re often made of wood or made to look like wood, they may have an arched top, and visible hardware that implies they open outward, the way a classic barn door would.”
In reality, though, modern carriage doors are panelized and open upward, rather than outward – a necessity in our climate, where winter snow makes out-swinging doors impractical.
Wood is a classic material and remains a popular choice, although it does require regular painting or staining. Composite materials, on the other hand, can give the look of wood without the maintenance or risk of swelling. “Composite is extremely popular,” says Jacob.
If your home has a more contemporary look, then consider a modern door style. These often feature bold horizontal lines and may have asymmetrical windows. They can be wood or have a wood look, but more often homeowners prefer them in steel or aluminum.
“The colour palette is wide open,” Jacob says. “You can select something that matches other finishes on your home, or go with complementary colours and really emphasize the beauty of the doors.”
For a striking visual effect, consider all-glass doors. “These are particularly popular on boathouses, but they can also look amazing on a home or cottage,” says Jacob.
The glass can be tinted or clear, or some combination of the two. “A glass door really transforms the interior of the garage – even the tinted glass lets in a lot of light, and just makes the space feel larger and more welcoming.”
Maintenance matters
No matter what kind of doors you choose, though, it’s important to care for them. The hardware on doors is extremely reliable, but it does wear down over time. Many parts have about a 10,000-cycle life, although that can often be extended if moving parts are regularly oiled, cleaned, and inspected.
The reality is that most of us neglect routine maintenance, which is why Canadoor offers extensive maintenance support. “If people want to do it themselves, we’re happy to support them in that,” says Jacob. “We even have DIY videos which we’ll send to customers.”
If you’d rather have a professional do the work, Canadoor has a fleet of maintenance vehicles on the road from Toronto to Sudbury, with dozens of highly trained technicians. “We have an annual service program that people can sign up for, or you can just call us and we’ll send someone out right away.”
The main goal is to avoid sudden parts failure, with a door that won’t open or close when you need it to.
Cleaning your doors is also a good idea – use any soap that you’d use on a car, Jacob says. “It’s amazing the difference that makes. It brings out the colours, brightens the grain, and just makes it all look fantastic.”
Then, all you need to do is sit back, enjoy the new aesthetic of your home, and let the value continue to accrue.
TEXT A. WAGNER-CHAZALON
PHOTOS ANDREW FEARMAN
