3 Ways to Add Curb Appeal to a Garage Door

1 Material
$35
2 Hours
Easy

Sometimes the DIY projects you put off the longest can end up having the greatest impact and leaves you wondering why you put it off so long!


The outside of Steph’s garage was one of those ‘back burner’ projects that never seemed to make it to the top of the list. Spring is the perfect time to attend to those types of projects.

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Before

The mini makeover was brought about by Steph wanting some decorative hardware like she had seen and admired on some of her neighbors' garages. Magnetic faux hardware seemed like just the thing to use.


We were sold on the idea of not having to drill into the garage door to install hardware!


You can buy it on Amazon. There are many styles to choose from.


For your convenience, there are links to the products we use in our projects from Amazon as well as The Home Depot, Wall Control. (Mother Daughter Projects is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and links to Amazon.)

1) Remove Dated Elements


First Steph removed the plastic inserts covering the garage windows. These had become faded and brittle. She thought the inserts gave the garage door a dated look so she wanted them out.


Since she was not going to reused them, it was okay that they broke as she pulled them out. With them out, it really revealed how dirty the windows were. Bonus: having them out and the windows clean, brings in a lot more light into the garage!

The old window panels.

2) Clean


​Improved curb appeal starts with the smallest of details—cleaning! The garage door was in need of a good scrubbing. The garage was sprayed to first loosen and removed some of the dirt then scrubbed with a long-handled brush using Scott’s outdoor cleaner mixed with water. We rinsed the door down after every two sections so that the soap would not dry on the door as we are having unseasonable hot weather here right now. The wood framing was also scrubbed down.

3) Add Decorative Hardware


The application of the new garage hardware was as simple as putting a magnet on the refrigerator! We used the neighbor’s house across the street as an example of where the hardware should be placed. We finessed the handles in the middle just a bit to determine whether they should be closer or further apart (closer!). 

You know, we tried out both sets of hardware and chose to go with A. You can see what the other one looked like in the picture below.

For full details please check out MotherDaughterProjects.com!

Suggested materials:
  • Magnetic garage hardware   (amazon)
  • House cleaner   (amazon)
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  3 questions
  • Julie McDonald Forrester Julie McDonald Forrester on Mar 01, 2017
    Can you stil open the garage door with the opener with the handles on?
  • Barb Barb on Feb 09, 2018

    I am concerned that removing the decorative pieces could impact the stability of the the glass. My decorative pieces are on the inside and seem to be screwed in. Does anyone have this type and have you removed them?

  • Marva Gardner Marva Gardner on Sep 08, 2018

    B, its different!

    Do you know of any hardware to give my standard garage door a faux window row like your real windows?

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 88 comments
  • I definitely agree with your daughter the inserts looked dated. Like the clean windows better! I vote “A” just because I like the handles spaced apart a little bit, doesn’t look so crowded. However, either way is a great improvement! Awesome idea!

  • Amy Patterson Buchert Amy Patterson Buchert on Apr 17, 2023

    Further apart because it is supposed to mimic two doors being swung open. Much better without the inserts!

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