Your garage doorisn’tjust about function.It’s also a canvas for self-expression.Now thatwe’ve launched carriage doors on our website,we’ve had some questions about this new product line. We know that switching from a standard rolling garage door to carriage style garage doors isa big change, and it can be confusing because the door types are so different. So here are the answers to some of yourburning questions about carriage doors, including maintenance, security, and design.  

What design options are available for custom garage doors? 

When it comes to customization, we give you more options than any e-commerce carriage style doors on the market. We offer a selection of twenty high-quality wood options for our carriage doors, including Cedar, Sapele, White Oak, and more. With RealCraft you can choose a wood type that best suits your style and location. We also offer nine naturalistic stain colors so you can further fine-tune your carriage door look. Plus there are four glass options, including clear, crystal etched, and two Solar Ban 60 variations. 

How do I find carriage garage doors that are the right size? 

Our carriage doors can be customized based on your unique needs. We’ve been making carriage doors for over 20 years and have made them for every shape and size of door opening and can adapt our designs to the existing architecture. For most standard door openings, we can also walk you through how to measure over the phone. You’ll need to measure from the top of the door opening (jack stud) down to the sub floor in multiple places, choosing the smallest measurement. Then you'll measure the width of the door opening in multiple places, choosing the smallest one. It’s best to do this with another person to hold the tape measure for accuracy.   

What’s the right material for carriage doors? 

We build ours with solid wood. That’s because it’s both durable and beautiful. We offer twenty wood species for carriage doors, but some of our favorites are: 

• White Oak 
• Black Walnut 
• Sapele Mahogany 
• Western Red Cedar 

These wood species all have good weathering characteristics and dimensional stability. (Not for nothing, they’re also gorgeous.) We also use insulated glass or Solar Ban 60 glass for carriage doors. If your garage is insulated, or you use it as a workshop or studio, then the Solar Ban glass is a great choice because it prevents heat loss in winter and cooling loss in the summer. 

Why are wood garage doors worth the higher cost? 

It's true that our carriage doors are more expensive than other alternatives. But that’s because our wood garage doors are handmade by expert craftspeople. When you buy a set of carriage doors from us, you’re investing in a system that’s both beautiful and reliable. They’ll elevate your home and make you stand out from the neighbors. 

Are carriage garage doors secure? 

 Yes, carriage doors are secure. We include security features like cane bolts and an astragal that covers the space where the doors meet. If you pair your doors with an automated opener LINK it adds to the security because the openers are robust and strong. They add resistance to the overall door system and make it harder for someone to force entry. 

How to install wooden garage doors? 

Answer: We recommend working with a contractor or handyman to install your carriage doors. Proper installation is key to ensuring that your doors operate properly for years to come. For more details you can look at our installation guide.

How do I protect my wood garage doors from the elements? 

Answer: The best way to protect your carriage doors is to add an overhang above them, just like you would with an entry door. An overhang that projects out over the doors minimizes direct sunlight and weather exposure. Maintaining your finish or paint also helps keep your carriage garage doors looking good. 

Do carriage style garage doors require more frequent maintenance? 

Answer: It might surprise you how easy carriage doors are to maintain. While it’s true that you’ll need to keep snow out of the way, carriage doors are otherwise low maintenance. You’ll need to keep up the wood finish or paint, but the Osmo finish we use does not require sanding to touch up, so it’s easy to do.  

Do you have automated carriage doors? 

We do. You can add two different openers to your outswing carriage doors: the Franklin and the Fremont.  The Fremont mounts to the ceiling, while the Franklin has two motors, each of which are mounted above the door. Each of these openers have add on accessories so you can customize your door configuration even further.