Clopay Coachman Garage Door

By Robert Robillard on Uncategorized

Clopay Coachman garage doors make a splash in the neighborhood! 

One of the most prominent design elements of a home and the most commonly used entrance is the garage door.  We just finished our renovation of  a concrete block garage.  The renovation was  to cover the concrete block with clapboard siding and trim to better match and blend with the main house details.   To top off the renovation we installed two Clopay garage doors.  the homeowner chose the Coachman line and went with a classic carriage house style door.

If you look at the comments on the owners favebook page you see things like;  “Love it! – it looks so New England,” or my favorite; “finally you took our neighborhood petition about that eyesore seriously! Looks beautiful.”

Choosing the Clopay Door:

When deciding on which door design to choose the owners had three important factors to consider:  budget, design, size and lifestyle.  We focused on the following:

Budget:

Let’s be real, budget dictates options. Garage doors range in price from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the size, materials and design you choose.

Design:

A garage door can be a prominent focal point so it’s worth matching the style of the door to the style of your home. It’s a good idea to visit dealer showrooms and review manufacturer web sites to get a sense of the options available. Clopay has an on-line design tool that lets you upload a photo of your home and try on different door designs to find the perfect match – try before you buy so you’re confident in your decision.

 Insulation:

Doors can be insulated or non-insulated. If your garage is attached to your house you want to purchase an insulated door. This will help reduce energy loss through the garage and improve the comfort of living space next to and above the garage year round.

 Lifestyle:

If you spend a lot of time in the garage, perhaps you have a workshop or other hobby that you utilize the garage for, or you have kids you are going to want an insulated, heavy-duty door that won’t dent or ding easily.

Maintenance:

Steel doors are very durable and resilient and generally require less maintenance than a wood door. Depending on the climate and exposure, wood doors will need to be painted or stained every couple of years.

Other Factors: 

1.  Adding new garage doors to any home has a significant impact on the look of your home and it’s curb appeal.

 2. Carriage house doors are the hottest trend in garage doors right now and blend well with other homes in the neighborhood.

 3. Carriage house doors have the charm of the old-time, historic swing out doors but open with the convenience of a modern overhead operator.

 Clopay Door Maintenance Free and Durability:

The Clopay Coachman Garage Door  they chose looks like wood but it is actually constructed of durable, insulated steel with a composite overlay.   It can be best described as a four-layer sandwich construction consisting of steel, insulation, more steel and then a composite overlay.  Additionally you can add an optional 1- 3/8” or 2” thick insulation with a thermal break.  this is a great option if you have a garage attached to your home or have living space above the garage.

 The Coachman is not your basic run of the mill garage door.  It’s a high quality, low-maintenance alternative to wood, is durable, insulated and won’t rot, warp or crack and it won’t require the ongoing maintenance that a wood door does.  All of this equates to a longer lasting door, longer lasting paint job and a door that will stay looking good for a super long time. 

Installing the Doors:

We had a local garage door installer A1 Overhead Doors install our doors.  I’m a huge fan of supporting and using local contractors and I have been doing business with the folks at A1 for 10 years.  

During the installation of the Clopay Coachman Garage Door  I was poking around looking at all of the components.  I was impressed with the attention to detail that has gone into the construction of these doors.  For example, the coped edging with crisp details and the wood grain finished overlay perfect.  Most people won’t be able to tell that they these doors are steel.

We also installed LiftMaster garage door openers on each door. I was impressed with the LiftMaster garage door openers. They had abroad selection of features, and durability.  A built in battery back up which allows the opener to operate a few times after a power failure and a wireless remote control and the opener allows homeowners to open or close their garage doors from anywhere in the world by using a smart phone or computer-web-access  which “opens doors” for t  flexibility and control in security and control. 

The remote control and remote access allow you to program a “one-time” code of a contractor or even open the garage door remotely from work to allow a parcel delivery. 

About the Coachman Collection:

The Coachman Collection features 15 different design options that can be customized to fit almost any home style with the addition of a unique top section, windows and decorative hardware. The doors come in several different color combinations or can be painted to match an existing color scheme with exterior latex.

 Clopay offers a design tool on its website called the Door Imagination System.    super easy to use all the homeowner has to do is upload a digital photo of their garage and then paste in different Clopay doors to find the perfect match for their home.  I find that this tool was very helpful with the homeowner on this project.  Many people are visual and have difficult envisioning a finished product.  The Door Imagination system eliminates this issue and paints a picture for the homeowner.

 Overall Impression of the Clopay Coachman Garage Door Makeover:

I was impressed with the attention to detail on these door.  They accomplished two important things in my book;  Adding them  increased the curb appeal of the house and they create a durable, maintenance free addition to the garage.

What the Homeowner said:

In the words of the homeowner,  “Wow! What a difference! The project came out exactly how we had hoped and the process – from initial design to installation – went great.  As Rob wrote previously, the trickiest part of the project was the transitional trim between the new and old clapboard.

For most homeowners, it’s hard to visualize what the contractor and architect are sometimes suggesting. This is where Rob’s communications skills shone: he patiently walked us through a variety of options, mocking up various trim and molding ideas using some sample scrap wood. Better yet, Rob jumped in the car with us and we drove around the neighborhood looking at trim details on other homes that might work well for our project. That really helps us visualize the challenge that Rob was facing and the solution he was suggesting.”

 “The garage doors are really the star of the show. They are the visual focal point of the new garage and I can tell instantly that they increase the curb appeal and our home value. As I mentioned previously, the online design tool offered by Clopay made the door selection easy. Even before the doors arrived, we were confident we had made a good choice.

Is it possible to get excited about something as functional as garage doors? You bet. The Clopay doors marry a classic New England design with modern-day efficiency. 

Thoughts After The Installation:

One week after-installation, a couple of things that have become apparent: the doors are well-constructed with a solid feel that you instantly notice; the doors are good-looking and have received lots of compliments from neighbors!  

The openers by LiftMaster are ultra-quiet (a nice surprise) and best of all, the whole family is using the garage a whole lot more just because it’s a more pleasant experience. 

“In the end, we got exactly what we wanted: something beautiful, safe, and secure.” ~ Jon [homeowner]

 For more information on how we applied the trim and siding to the concrete block read Part 1

 

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About the author

Robert Robillard

Carpenter / Remodeler / Editor

Rob Robillard is “The Concord Carpenter” Rob is a builder, general contractor, carpenter, woodworker, and editor of Concord Carpenter and ToolBoxBuzz As a General Contractor and carpenter, Rob owns and operates Concord Carpenter LLC. A full-service remodeling and construction company. Rob is a recognized leader in home building best practices and a source for how-to information for building professionals. On this website, Rob covers all aspects of home construction, building science, home improvement, woodworking, remodeling, and some of the best product and tool reviews. Rob is in charge of our Tool and Product Review series - Concord Carpenter Videos where we post all of our tool reviews and video tutorials. Rob approaches remodeling and building construction with a pragmatic and problem-solving approach. He enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help and educate building professionals as well as DIYers on best practices in the construction and remodeling industry. He's a strong advocate for "raising the bar" in the construction trades and promoting the trades to youth. #BeAMentor #Green2Great Craftsmanship, quality, and pride guide his journey on this channel The Concord Carpenter's motto: "Well done is better than well said!" : Read more about Rob

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