The Many Benefits of Modern Carriage Doors
Carriage houses predate the modern automobile, so it’s no wonder that original carriage-door technology is not fit for the modern household. However, these historic carriage doors have an aesthetic that is timeless. Modern carriage doors have exploded in popularity in recent years, making their way into house designs all over the US. They are ideal for 19th and 20th century homes, and while they still maintain their historic charm, they have been updated using modern technology that gives them benefits suited for 21st century homeowners.
Overhead Opening Mechanisms
The first overhead garage doors were not introduced into homes until about the 1920s. This means that all garage doors on traditional carriage houses opened in one of four ways:
- By swinging outward: swing style carriage doors
- By sliding to the side: slide style carriage doors
- By folding in three pieces: tri-fold style carriage doors
- By folding in four pieces: quad-fold style carriage doors
Although modern garage doors have the historic look of doors that swing, slide, or fold open, they all operate like traditional overhead garage doors. This makes them suitable for any modern home that needs an easy-to-use garage door that looks like it came right off a carriage house from more than a hundred years ago.
Built-in Walk-Through Doors
Traditional carriage doors did not have walk-through doors, doors that could be integrated into the frame or the garage door itself. These walk-through garage doors were introduced in the modern age, giving homeowners another way to access their garage spaces without opening the primary overhead garage door. They are energy efficient, easy to use, and come in three different door styles: integrated, complementary, and wicket. Learn more about each style of walk-through garage door here.
More Design Features
The earliest carriage doors featured simple designs that were meant to be more functional than beautiful. While the core design of the doors is timeless, modern architects have added a large number of incorporated design features that make modern carriage doors more customizable and interesting to look at. These new features include various metal accents and decorative hardware, window styles, and millwork.
Superior Materials
The primary material in both traditional and modern carriage doors is wood, but the quality and craftsmanship of this simple material has evolved over the years. Modern carriage doors are more durable, resistant to wind and storm damage, and better insulated than the doors of the past. These qualities make modern carriage doors suitable for any home, in any climate.