Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Garage door decorative hardware dilemma - advice??

I still can't decide if I want to add the decorative hardware to my garage door...

I think my home has a more contemporary feel and not sure if the hardware works.

Originally I bought fancy ones from Lowes for $40, I posted pics a while back but never pulled the trigger and installed them.

Yesterday I go to Home Depot and there they are in the middle isle different ones I like better for $7.06.....such and odd price right?  Anyway ...........sold!!

So we tried taping them to take pics, but damn things are a little heavy and the kept falling down...

So, here are the pics........please honestly tell me your thoughts..

Without hardware
With plastic hardware from Lowes.....hmmm??


With hardware from Home Depot, metal more realistic???????  Notice the tape...lol
Metal ones with only ONE handle???


Metal ones with two handles???
so help me!!

with or without??

Plastic ones or realistic metal ones??

One middle handle or two??

I just dont know!!  If I had to say...I would go with the metal ones since they look more functional maybe with two handles...

Be honest please!!

btw, again, I will give you the name of the landscaper I am sure he has room in his schedule to do your lawn.......it's June 5th people.

19 comments:

  1. I've always liked the hardware on the garage doors. I'd vote for the metal with two handles. It looks more symmetrical with two handles.

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    1. M, thanks for the input....

      How is your yard and trashy neighbors???

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    2. The yard is looking a little better. The lawn is filling in a little and getter greener since we spread some lawn food.

      The neighbors are the same. Their newest project is an above ground pool. They didn't level the area before setting it up or put down sand. After they filled it one side was about 6 inches from the top and the other (the side with the filter) was about 2 FEET from the top! They drained it and it has been sitting there empty for about 2 weeks now. Fun stuff!

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  2. I agree - I think the hardware makes it look nicer and more interesting than just a plain garage door... especially since you have the windows! The one thing I was thinking though, is it might be better to take a look at your neighbors and do the opposite of them to make yours stand out (i.e., if there are already a lot of garage doors WITH hardware, maybe skip out on it to be different).

    Otherwise, I agree that the two handles look nicer / more functional than the one in the center. But as for the plastic/metal, very few people are probably ever going to be close enough to your garage door to be able to tell the difference, so it might be better to just save the money and get the cheaper ones that you like better anyway!

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    1. Brandon.......thanks so much for the input, I am leaning towards to metal ones with two handles.

      We added those windows post build... NO ONE in our entire plan has garage windows let alone hardware, we are the only ones and stick out like a thumb...which I LIKE!

      Thanks for the great advice!

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    2. It'll definitely be nice to stand out from your neighbors. It's always nice to have something unique about your home, and the hardware definitely adds a bit of character to the garage door.

      Fortunately for us, our garage door is a side-entry and in the back of the house, so you won't really be able to see it from the house. Unfortunately though, all of the garage doors will have the "resort" facade, so we'll all have matching windows and hardware. Definitely nice that they're "included" but not much opportunity to stand out from the rest of the neighborhood.

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  3. Hardware! I think it give more interest to an otherwise boring architectural feature, I hate how our garage door takes up soooo much visual space on the front of our home, it's so nice with the Savoy how it's off to the side. I think if our door didn't have hardware it would be kind of bland, I'm a fan of the hardware though! I think you should do it!

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  4. I also find it weird how some communities it's standard to have the windows and other you have to pay, our neighborhood is standard with the carriage style doors and the eyebrow windows, I think it make our little neighborhood look so cute and cozy! BTW we built in Long Ridge, I know you said you forgot which community we picked! I love driving through other RH neighborhoods to see the differences AND get ideas :) Especially ones that have been around for a few years! I'm such a stalker... haha

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    1. Rachael,We love to drive around also, there are two plans near us.. Great Meadows and Spring Meadows that still have new development so we drive through there weekly :) Plus the montour trail runs right into Spring Meadows so I look at that plan several times a week while I am on my bike, they have a direct pathway to the trail....Im jealous!!

      I love your doors!! I wish we could have gotten the eyebrow windows, but they werent avail in our door...i dunno why?? I tried though...

      So I think that is why I am weary of the hardware because they arent eyebrow windows and it's not a carriage look and I am trying to create it, and I feel i am pushing the issue with it and making it looked forced??

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    2. well, I will tell you that other communities have the carriage doors with rectangle windows instead of the eyebrow so it's very similar to your style door, though they aren't the Hershey bar squares (that's what I always think doors like that look like.... lol) but I'm sure you will make the best decision for your home :) I love looking different too, we are the only elevation L in our neighborhood and only 1 of 2 houses without shutters (though I kind of want them now!! I wonder if I can buy the ones that would have color matched with my exterior color choices and install them myself? like, on the double window in the front and the window above it without the thick white trim??) are there less "country" looking brackets and handles you can buy? I could envision something sleeker with more of a contemporary shape

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  5. Metal with 2 handles. Also liked how you placed the lowes set a little lower in the top row (more distance away from the windows).

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    1. J and M, good catch about the lower position, I didnt notice...now I do... see you bloggers are the BEST!!

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  6. I like the lowes ones I think they look fantastic with your front door! I would keep the lowes ones and return the home depot ones but they give your home a nice piece of charm!

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  7. One of my neighbors has a garage door like yours and she has two sets of two handles, one set on the left and one set on the right. She has the "eyebrow" windows so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I think the handles you have in the middle look small compared to your big garage door. I like your garage door without the handles.

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    1. CMM,thanks...see my dilemma...some say with...some say without...so I guess neither way is aweful!! It must be personal taste then....but what's my taste?? Decisions....and this is a permanent decision because once you drill into that door........its a done deal, that's why I'm scared, not turning back....

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  8. Honestly DW, I am a city girl and the cottage look doesn't suit my fancy!! But this is about your fancy...so you mentioned something I thought was key! Since your home has a contemporary look and feel the windows would suffice! Your exterior has nice clean finish lines! The hardware seems a bit extra for your elevation. I think the windows gives it that extra edge without over doing it with the hardware. But again, it's about suiting your fancy !!

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    1. PS I think once your landscaping blossoms it will also add the character you are seeking to create.

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  9. It is just so amazing how a simple hardware could transform a garage door into something great. But I like it better when you install the hardware you bought at the Home Depot. It really transforms your garage door into something really cool.
    FabbriCreations.com

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  10. Good artcile, but it would be better if in future you can share more about this subject. Keep posting.
    oz automation

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