For better or worse, home design shifted over the last few generations.
No longer were front porches the main focal point of a home. Garages replaced them.
And yet, the only time we usually think about the garage door is when our clicker needs batteries or the power goes out and we can't get it open.
That's beginning to change as garage doors become a design element instead of just something to throw the basketball against.
About two years ago, John Calkins, the project manager for Jeff Willmeng Homes, found more clients asking for rusted steel doors on their custom homes.
"Your garage door is a large amount of square footage, and it can enhance the overall design features of your home," Calkins said. "The rusted look gives more of a rich, old Southwestern-style feel."
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When Jim Irish looked at a new home on the Northwest Side last year, the 40-year-old project manager for Intuit said the rusted garage door was "an appealing selling point."
"We liked the rustic feel to it," he said, adding that he liked it so much he put in a rusted metal roof to complement the door.
"For most Arizonans, the garage is an afterthought, but I think that's changing," Irish said. "The newer homes are including garages now for the additional safety, and it's nice to take something practical and add an aesthetic flair to it."
Art Alcon, owner of the Overhead Door Co. of Tucson, did his first aged, rusted-steel garage door about five years ago. He's now installing the cold-rolled steel over a fully insulated steel door at new homes in Dove Mountain and Rancho Vistoso and is averaging about five phone calls a day from people looking for retrofits.
"People are going nuts for this look," he said, adding that the oxidized metal looks great on burnt adobe or Mediterranean- and Spanish-style homes.
David Koch, owner of Kaiser Garage Doors, which did the work on Irish's house, agreed that he's been "overwhelmed" by the demand.
There are a few things to keep in mind if you're considering putting one in.
From an aesthetic standpoint, guard against gaudiness. "If you have a light-colored home, then a rusted metal door wouldn't go. It would be too stark," said Willmeng's Calkins.
He also warns clients that over time, as the metal continues to age, it can lead to staining on the driveway. "Over a period of time, the metal will seal itself and that will stop, but you can get some staining until then." Cleaning can be more easily done on unpaved driveways or concrete than on pavers, for example.
Sealers can be applied to the doors to stop the rusting.
The metal also makes for a heavy piece of equipment. That means safety precautions — such as the electronic eyes that sense for movement or the sensor that brings the door back up if it hits something — are all the more important. Because of the weight, Alcon suggests getting the door rebalanced and checked every two to three years.
And finally, there's the price. On average, a typical rusted double-car-garage door runs somewhere around $2,000. Costs can vary, however, because so many Tucson garages are retrofitted carports and may need improved framing. And some doors are too thin and can't hold the added weight, in which case they'd need to be replaced.
» Resources:
Kaiser Garage Doors, 1942 W. Price St., 884-1771. See examples of the rusted-metal doors at the warehouse and in photographs. Free estimates.
Overhead Door Co. of Tucson, 5565 S. Country Club Road, 294-2575. Owner Art Alcon will bring photographs to your home. Free estimates.