Why Choose a Carriage Style Garage Door?

Carriage style garage doors are a timeless addition to any home. For those looking for garage doors that mimic the style of older, detached garage spaces, carriage doors are the ideal design to choose. This is a specific style of garage door that not only has a unique look, but also a unique style of opening that is guaranteed to add charm to a home. 

What is a Carriage Style Garage Door?

Also known as barn style garage doors, carriage garage doors take their design inspiration from the oldest of garage doors. Their name implies that these types of garage doors were used on garage spaces that once housed carriages. Since they went designed and built well over a century ago, these types of doors have a few unique design features: 

• Frosted glass windows: these historic style windows are a decorative type of glass that is opaque. 

• Wrought iron: handles and hinges are generally made out of wrought iron on carriage style doors, adding to their historic charm. 
• Panel designs: the panels on carriage garage doors often feature crossbucks and other millwork that is specific to the time period. 
• No panels: many carriage doors are made of single pieces of wood and do not have panels at all 

The Unique Opening Style of Carriage Doors

Carriage garage doors differentiate themselves by how they open. The most common form of garage door today is the overhead garage door. These types of doors consist of panels that can fold on top of one another as the door opens. The doors open by sliding upwards and into the garage along a specified track. 

Carriage doors, on the other hand, are generally not made from panels. Instead, they are constructed using one of two pieces of solid wood. This allows them to have a few unique opening styles that include: 

• Swinging overhead: overhead carriage doors open by swinging outward and upward. There are no panels to fold on top of one another, so ample room on the outside of the garage is needed to open the door. 
• Swinging: standard carriage doors open on hinges. They traditionally consist of two panels with a vertical split in the middle of them. This allows the doors to open outward (just like a normal door). 

When to Use Carriage Doors

Carriage doors are right in a few different instances: 

• Older style homes (historic or historic recreations) 
• Detached garages 
• Barns and other rural structures 

Need to design carriage garage door for a home? Contact CAMBEK today!

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