Garage Door Choices

I'm thinking we need a carriage house garage door.  And since we just insulated the whole garage last summer, I think it makes sense to get the highest R-value door we can.  But I still want it to look nice.  Does a carriage house style go with a Colonial house?

Here are some choices by Amarr through Costco:

CLASSICA COLLECTION

All the CLASSICA's below we'd get in the 3000 series and would have 13.35 R-value and Lifetime warranties on both paint and workmanship/hardware. All would be $2594 for a solid door, and if we add windows, they jump to $3395.  (Big jump for windows!)  Note that there are three panels on these doors - supposed to make it look like a more realistic carriage house door.  The other doors have 4 or more panels (up and down.)

CLASSICA NORTHAMPTON with THAMES WINDOWS
We'd skip the hinges (long black things on the sides)

CLASSICA NORTHAMPTON with THAMES WINDOWS

CLASSICA SANTIAGO with MADEIRA WINDOWS
We'd get all white, and not paint it grey like they did below.  Try to picture it solid white.  :-)  And no hinges (the long black things on the sides.)

CLASSICA LUCERN CLOSED ARCH
Again, we'd get this in all white and probably no hinges (the long black things on the sides)  Do we need to have windows?  Remember, side entry, so won't be visible from the front of the house.

FIMBEL DESIGNER'S CHOICE COLLECTION
Here is a different line with a higher R-value - 19.40  This door would be $2087 for a solid door, and jump to $2347 with windows.  Like the Classica, it would also have a Lifetime Warranty on both the Paint and Workmanship/Hardware.

FIMBEL BEAD BOARD PANEL with STOCKTON WINDOWS  (no hinges)

OAK SUMMIT COLLECTION 
This is the third line I'd consider with only a 6.58 R-value.  These doors would be $1712 solid or $1964 with windows. These all have a lifetime warranty on the Paint, but the Workmanship/Hardware warranty is only for 3 years.


OAK SUMMIT LONG PANEL BEAD BOARD with MOONLIGHT WINDOWS  (not sure I really dig the arched windows here so picture it with windows above, I guess.  And no hinges, as always)

OAK SUMMIT BEAD BOARD with STOCKTON WINDOWS (yes, this looks exactly like the Fimbel but has the lower R-value and lower price, shorter warranty.)
 

Lastly, we have a traditional door collection that Paul thinks looks ok, especially considering we have a side entry garage, but I just can't get excited about it....

STRATFORD COLLECTION

R-value is 6.58 - same as the Oak Summit Carriage House Collection.  Cost is the cheapest - $1439 for a solid door and $1698 with windows. But YUCK!  :-)  Like the Oak Summit Collection, these have a lifetime warranty on the Paint, but the Workmanship/Hardware warranty is only for 3 years.

STRATFORD TRADITIONAL SHORT PANEL with STOCKTON WINDOWS

STRATFORD TRADITIONAL LONG PANEL  (we'd get it in white)

A Few Other Updates

As mentioned in a previous post, we covered the ugly vinyl flooring in the laundry room in preparation for a new washer and dryer.  We also had a plumber re-do the plumbing so the laundry drains through a pipe and out now, rather than dumping into the slop sink.  That has been a huge improvement - no more worrying that the sink will overflow!

Here are some pics of the new washer/dryer and the new fridge we got at the same time.  Really, the fridge we replaced must have been from 1985 and I think the washer and dryer could have been from 1979 when the house was built!  And they still worked, they were just tiny.  With three kids (soon), we just needed more capacity, and I'm sure these new appliances are more energy efficient, as well.

We were patient about it and have been in the house for over a year and a half now.  Both sets of our parents were on our case about getting the new washer and dryer - so much so that they each gave us money to buy them!!!  THANK YOU!   So we knew it was time based on the "encouragement" from our families - who knows if we'd have broken down otherwise.  :-)

So happy!

 

 

Family Room Updates

Before we moved in, this is what the family room looked like.

 

 

 

We were hesitant to paint the ceiling beams for fear of removing character from the room, but we finally broke down and did it, and are liking the results a lot.  We also did the bookcase, which was previously all dark wood and paneling, too.

Here is one of progress before we got started over the Christmas holiday.  You can see we'd already changed the paint color in the room, but had only done one coat and it really needed a second coat. 

And here are some "after" shots: