To get away from the city, you bought a waterfront vacation home on a lake, river, or the ocean. Great! Your own peaceful refuge! It was far from perfect at first, as this little paradise needed a lot of love, but you got there.
You’ve renovated the whole property and bought yourself a boat, your pride and joy. Yet one thing detracts from making this picture perfect: the old rotten door of the boathouse!
Is it time to change your boathouse's garage door? Install a high-quality garage door that will last for decades. Image from Pexels.
Your boat needs a boathouse with a suitable marine garage door
There are several types of garage doors available to you. First, you must know what the main function of your door will be. This will help you choose a model.
Do you want to proudly display your boat? Do you want a sturdy door that will protect your boat from absolutely everything? Or is the most important thing for you to have a garage door that provides a good price-performance ratio? In this blog you will discover all your options.
In love with modern design? How about proudly displaying your boats by installing beautiful all-glass garage doors? This project was brought to life by PattyMac.
First Option > Showcase your boat with a full-view garage door
Do you like the all-glass look of this boathouse found on Houzz? Why not put one on your boathouse? A full-view California garage door lets in light and allows you to see the boat from the outside, thanks to the clear glass windows.
The main appeal of this garage door is its huge windows which allow you to see inside the boathouse. In addition, the door frame is made of aluminum, a corrosion-resistant material.
If you are proud of your boat, you should show it off! Thanks to a panoramic garage door with clear glass, your boat will be visible from the outside while still being protected in the boathouse.
If you enjoy doing work in your boathouse, an all-glass garage door like the California will provide great natural light to allow you to do just that. No more flashlights!
Is your boat house only used to store you boat, or have you converted it into a place of relaxation, with sofas and a pool table? Choose a panoramic garage door to let in as much light as possible. This beautiful boathouse project was realized by PattyMac.
Your boathouse could also become your favourite place to relax. Install a sofa and a counter inside on the dock, and you could enjoy every sunset, sheltered from bad weather in your boathouse with an all-glass garage door.
These all-glass garage doors complete the modern look of this dark charcoal boathouse with the most beautiful roof terrasse there is. Who doesn’t dream of having such an exquisite boathouse like this one shared on Houzz? The black aluminum frame melds with the trendy charcoal sidings for a look really in vogue.
You like the idea of an all-glass garage door, but you have some hesitation. What if an accident happens?
For example, you let your teenager son use the boat and having failed to see the closed door, he ran the boat right into it. You wouldn't want anyone hurt by shards of glass from your all-glass door. We have a safe solution! You can opt for tempered glass instead of traditional glass.
This type of glass has been heated and cooled to be 4 to 5 times stronger than ordinary glass. Under impact, this glass shatters into 1000s of small harmless pieces.
Those two full-view California garage doors are 6' x 8'6" and 16' x 8'6", Black aluminum frame, with Sandblasted glass.
Many different types of glass are offered with the California full-view garage door. Here are a few:
- Clear glass allows to see the water from the inside and to see your boat from the outside. An ideal glass if you want to proudly display your boat.
- Sandblasted glass lets the light in while providing privacy. If your boathouse is connected to your house, or if the boathouse doubles as storage, you may not want everyone to be able to see inside.
- Tempered glass can be added to any type of glass (excepted the laminated glass). Tempered glass is 4 to 5 times more resistant than traditional glass.
- Polycarbonate is an alternative to glass. This plastic material is much more resistant to impacts. On the other hand, it can scratch. Read this FAQ to learn how you take care of polycarbonate windows.
However, as with all large windows, condensation can form on the California’s panes. As you can’t use a dehumidifier in a boathouse, the best solution would be to clean and maintain your garage door often. By doing regular check-ups on your garage door, you can make sure the weather seals are working well. Leaving your garage door open to help the air circulation is also a good idea to diminish condensation.
Option 2 > Get robust steel construction AND the prestigious Craftsman look with a garage door from the Townships Collection
The farmhouse style is very popular for boathouses. For a marine door that will last decades and has that wood like appearance, an overhead door from the prestigious Townships Collection is perfect. Image found on Pinterest.
Do you want a garage door that will last a long time, yet you really love the look of a marine garage door made of wood? Then an overhead door from the Townships Collection might be the one you fall for.
This is Princeton P-12 design, 8' x 7', Iron Ore Walnut with Black overlays, 8 lites Panoramic windows, from the Townships Collection. The vertical black overlays give a nice modern farmhouse look.
Galvanized steel has the advantage of being very resistant to rust. Your Township Collection garage door will keep looking new for years to come.
These doors also offer a great insulation level, with an R-16 value. If you’ll be using your vacation home and connected boathouse in the spring and fall, you might consider these garage doors. Because of the water, the boathouse will never be as warm as your house or garage, but it will at least have the advantage of making a very effective barrier against the wind and slowing down the entry of cold air.
This garage door is an Eastman E-21, 9' x 7’, Claystone doors and Ice White overlays, 8 lite Panoramic windows. If you're looking for a rustic country look for your boathouse, a garage door from the Townships Collection is what you need.
The PVC overlays of the Townships Collection perfectly mimics wood without its drawback. No paint. No hassle. Just the amazing Craftsman look you’re seeking for your boathouse. Whether you prefer X, V, A or I-shaped overlays, you will find them all with these marine doors reminiscent of the swinging doors of yesteryear, ideal for the Farmhouse and Modern Farmhouse styles.
The V-shaped contrasting add a nice farmhouse look to this gorgeous, traditional boathouse designed by Makow Associates Architects Inc.
These marine doors also come with Dura+ hardware.
For a boathouse, this is the perfect hardware since it is highly resistant to moisture and salt. This type of ultra-robust hardware extends the life of the door. The tracks are made with galvanized steel, and the rollers are covered with nylon, which slows the metal’s corrosion. Galvanized steel prevents rusting in wet or saltwater environments. It makes it perfect for high humidity areas, like boathouses.
Option 3 > Choose a good price-performance ratio for your marine door with the Acadia 138 and Regal garage doors
The options before were awfully tempting. However, you were thinking of something maybe a little less high-end for your marine door. You want an overhead door that will cost a little less? Read this FAQ about the 7 factors that impact the cost of garage doors.
Here are 2 nice choices
1. The Acadia 138 garage door
This garage door is an Acadia 138 North Hatley LP, 9' x 7', Desert Sand, windows with Richmond Inserts and decorative hardware. Imagine this one on your boathouse! Wouldn’t the look be absolutely divine?
This overhead door is also made of galvanized steel, but it provides an R-12 insulation value. Also, it usually comes with traditional hardware. If you want to have Dura+ hardware on your Acadia 138, you will have to ask for it. And pay an extra charge too.
2. The Regal garage door
Don’t you love the deep brown colour of this Regal Classic Long, 9' x 7', with Clear windows? We do. This traditional embossed design is a quiet beauty that has timeless appeal.
The Regal garage doors can have polystyrene insulation or simply be non-insulated. This lowers the price of the door. If you’re OK with the fact there will be nothing stopping the cold from getting in your boathouse, this option might be good for you.
What about a small boat?
You want to build a boathouse for your bass boat, but you need the marine door to be pretty small? Our garage doors can be as small as 4’wide or up to 20’wide. Same goes for the height. In fact, each garage door is custom-made to fit your boathouse needs.
If you don’t know of how to measure the opening for your future marine door, here’s how to it.
Do you want to add a garage door opener to your boathouse?
By now, you should have found a suitable marine door for your boathouse. That’s great! But one thing is still missing to make it perfect: an electric garage door opener.
For you, is a garage door opener a must on your boathouse? For sure, to open the boathouse door without a hassle, an electric garage door opener would be soooo great. Imagine falling in the water trying to open your door. That would certainly get your friends laughing, but you would come out drenched! LiftMaster openers will make your life easier.
In a boathouse, you need a door opener that will be very durable. A simple residential opener may not be strong enough. Plus, the 2 commercial openers we are suggesting have a special something that the residential models don't: they can be ordered with a car wash modification.
This CarWash system makes the door openers water resistant and allows them to operate without problems in a boathouse’s damp environment. The Carwash modification can only be added to certain industrial garage door openers.
For a boathouse, LiftMaster’s H and J commercial door openers are simply the best!
The LiftMaster H and LiftMaster J garage door openers are installed on the wall, which helps reduce vibration and noise if you have a room or patio above your boathouse. Having a wall-mounted garage door opener also frees up ceiling space in case you raise your boat during the winter.
A wall-mounted garage door opener can be a great option if you plan on lifting your boats when you store them. It will save you some ceiling space. Image from Houzz.
Your LiftMaster garage door opener can protect your beloved boat
Are you worried someone might break into your boathouse? LiftMaster garage door openers can prevent that from happening. These garage door openers are equipped with numerous features that ensure the security of your boat but also the safety of your family. Here are a few of them:
- Unique code – Your door opener sends a new unique code each time the door is closed. So, if someone nearby tries to open your boathouse door with a universal remote, they won't succeed!
- The door opener is equipped with invisible light beams. If something crosses the light beams during the closing of your marine door, the door opener will immediately stop the door to prevent it from closing on people… and your boat!
- Camera – You can add a camera. That way, you’ll be able to see what’s happening in your boathouse in real-time.
- Always know when the door is opened – Did you leave in a hurry from your cottage on the lake, and you can’t remember if you closed your marine door? You can verify on the MyQ app and close it! You also receive an alert on your phone when your marine door has been opened for a long time. No more stress!
- Those are just a few of LiftMaster’s amazing features!
Are you thinking of adding a garage door opener to your house or vacation home garage too? Discover all the residential models!
Ready to shop your marine door? We are here to help you.
This garage door is the Eastman E-22 design, 9' x 7', Ice White door with Ice White overlays and Orion windows. Imagine if you had this beautiful door on your chalet’s garage AND on your boathouse?
Garaga has been manufacturing the best sectional overhead doors in Canada since 1983. We’ve also established a great network of garage door specialists everywhere in Canada and the US. We don’t want to tell you what to do. But since the average homeowner buys 1 or 2 garage doors in its life, we think talking to garage door experts before choosing your door would a great idea. They can answer your questions and help your find your next perfect garage door, whether it’s for your cottage, your house, or your boathouse.
Find your local Garaga Expert.
Not feeling like talking to someone at the moment? That’s all right. Try our Design Centre, where you can build the marine door of your dreams in just a few clicks and then try it on a picture of your boathouse. There are over a hundred possible combinations. You can choose the colour, type of windows, decorative hardware and much more!
Your future marine door can be entirely personalized to your taste!
Each of our garage doors is custom-made to fit your size, design, colour, and window request. With more than 35 designs and 10 colours, including Black, deep Browns, different Beiges, and the all-time classic White, you’re sure to find the perfect marine door to enhance your boathouse and be the talk of the lake. Once you have found your perfect garage door, you ask for your free quote by email.
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