Designers and Doors

by Jeff Van Horne

The owner’s goal was to create the look of casement windows in her garage doors.  We were tasked  with matching the muntin bars profiles from her existing windows and replicating her shutters.  The doors included 3 dimensional trim, a faux astragal, brickmould, a window sill and shutter dogs.

It was an interesting and fun project with a client who knew what she wanted, was detailed oriented and willing to invest in her vision.

By Joe Carlson

Garage doors are typically the most overlooked and under appreciated element of all homes today. They are often thought of as nothing more than an operable wall behind which to conceal our belongings. Yet in some cases, the garage door represents thirty to forty percent of the home’s front elevation.

So wouldn’t it be nice to harmonize the home, showcasing how different parts of the house tie into other elements to help preserve the architectural style, historic value and beauty of the home?  If this is the case for your home, Historic Lites may be the right choice for you.

Ask yourself:

- Do you have a particular design element throughout the home?

- Is the designer tying to characterize the house with a unique pattern in the window detail?

Historic Lites will provide you with the option to create unique beauty with a greatly expanded glass area.  Our customized door and hardware designs will allow a top section of up to 50 inches tall, giving unlimited glass feature design flexibility.

Historic Lites can enhance the Architectural Harmony of your home’s facade by matching lite patterns with windows and doors that already exist on your home. Finally, Historic Lites add character to the home with a decorative glass options, including leaded, beveled, and a variety of other decorative glasses. If you are interested in learning more about Historic Lites, or any of our product lines, contact us today! You can also view more examples in our online Gallery.

–By Kyle Cegielski

Homeowners, builders and architects who love the look of wood garage, entry and service doors but require an alternative, weather-resistant solution can now rely on our Azek product to meet their needs. While wood products are often preferred simply for their natural appearance, Azek offers an excellent wood look without the maintenance and care that comes with a comparable wooden product. Many order Azek doors for their second homes.

It makes sense because homeowners are enjoying their home a couple of months a year and do not want to be worrying about maintenance.  ”While the demand is generally for traditional white color, all our standard paint colors are available,” said Keith Tate, Northeast Territory Manager.

Azek is resistant to weathering, rotting, cracking, warping and abrasion damage. It is a manmade replacement with the ability to be machined into the same appearance of any painted wooden garage door containing the same vintage tongue and groove look. Azek requires very little maintenance and is recyclable after its useful lifespan of over 25 years.

As specialized as the build can be with some of our products here at Designer Doors, Azek gives our customers the piece of mind, a low maintenance to their home, and longevity in the professional appearance of their doors.

By: Paul Goudreault

Whether you are trying to replicate a historical feature or just looking for a more unique solution, consider sliding or folding doors.  These doors are easy to operate and allow for the flexibility that a conventional garage or swing door does not.

Sliding doors are often used to secure and cover openings or windows which are normally open for longer periods of time.  In one customer’s application, sliding doors were used protect windows and door ways from harsh coastal storms and seasonal weather.  In other applications, our customers use sliding doors to replicate historic features. Sliding doors are often seen on rustic guest houses, storage buildings and barns.

Folding doors are a great solution for structures where interior overhead room is limited or where the structure prohibits the use of conventional overhead hardware.

A folding door can also complement the architectural design of many old or new homes.

A word about hardware: it is very important that the hardware solution be carefully considered and that the design of the structure allows for the proper installation of the doors and the hardware.  Hardware is generally mounted externally or recessed in the floor slab, so the material types must be stubborn to the elements.