What are GarageSkins™ real wood garage door overlays?

 A brand-new, ingenious, do-it-yourself way to dramatically improve the exterior of your nice home.  Our incredibly lightweight panels attach magnetically to your existing metal garage door to transform it into a high-end custom carriage-house styled wood door.  In less than an hour you can dramatically upgrade the exterior of your home for under $1000!

Here's the basic issue:

Millions of Americans own nice, modern homes.. but almost all of those homes have that basic, stamped-metal overhead garage door that's been the staple of the building industry for the past 30 years.  That's because until recently the only other option was to purchase a high-end, real wood garage door, which can cost up to $10,000.  So builders took the easiest and cheapest way out, and just ignored the garage door in the overall architectural planning of most homes, even very high-end ones.  That has resulted in millions of beautiful homes that are stuck with a boring, stamped metal overhead door.

And of course homeowners aren't going to go to the time and expense of replacing a perfectly good garage door... so they just turned a blind eye to their boring garage doors, even though that garage door is frequently the largest single structure on the front of their homes... There's just been no cost-effective way to improve it.....

Until now!

GarageSkins LLC is bringing the patent-pending GarageSkins real wood garage door overlay systems to market.  This system of incredibly lightweight panels attaches magnetically to your existing overhead metal garage door with no adhesives or screws to give it the look of a high-end custom carriage-house styled garage door, but for a fraction of the price. 

You install it!  Just take our panels out of the box, attach them in order to your garage door, and stand back and admire the change.  The strong magnets inside the panels keep it firmly in place, even in high winds.  And the entire installation will take less than an hour to complete, making this amazing upgrade something that almost anyone can do!

-Check out these before and after shots of the dramatic change our GarageSkins real wood garage door panels can add to your home:

GarageSkins™ panels –

• Will transform any home to look like a custom-designed high-end residence.
• Allow anyone to install the system in just under an hour with no modifications needed.
• Will be available in several wood species to complement the architecture and design of any home.
• Will be designed to interact with your existing framing and header so that no alterations are necessary to your existing structure.
• Are just over one pound per panel, allowing installation on almost any modern overhead metal garage door.
  
• Will magnetically attach to any standard metal overhead garage door, meaning no goop or glue needed.
• Are indistinguishable from a solid-wood $10,000 garage door, meaning thieves won’t be able to tell them apart from the real thing and will leave them alone.
• Will come in a multitude of overlay designs to match the style of your home.
• Select either square or arched tops for each overlay pattern.
  

Patterns Available -

-multiple overlay patterns available to complement your home's design style

Have windows in your existing garage door?

Check out our patent-pending WindowSkins™ panels!  These polycarbonate panels are clear with black vinyl covering the back.  This allows you to peel off the vinyl where your windows are to let the light into your garage's interior while maintaining the great look of your GarageSkins™ system.  

GarageSkins™ and WindowSkins™ prototype panels before installation

GarageSkins™ and WindowSkins™ prototype panels after installation

• Want to be the talk of your neighborhood? 

• Make the neighbors green with envy?

• Increase the curb appeal and value of your home?

• Looking for a great, easy home improvement project? 

Look no further!  By pre-ordering you will be guaranteed to be the first on your block to have this innovative and remarkable system on your home.  No need to tell the neighbors that you didn't have a custom-designed $10,000 garage door installed, it will be our secret.

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO OUR CAMPAIGN!

Where we are at:

GarageSkins was founded in November, 2012 in Creswell, Oregon (Eugene area) to get the development ball rolling.  The owner and product developer, Rick Medlen, has invested his life savings of $100K to begin the development of this great idea.  While significant progress has been accomplished, including 2 utility patent applications, and proof of concept has been reached with several introductory sales, final adhesive and finish development is necessary to get this amazing product out to the home improvement world.

Here’s a timeline and costing of what still needs to be done:

This means that a total of $150,000 still needs to be invested to get this amazing system on the market.  We’re asking the online crowd to help fund $75,000 of this so that we can get the ball rolling as soon as possible.  With this funding we can secure the remaining $75,000 from private investors.

What your contribution will do:

Have a nice home?  Want to help get a product out there that can dramatically enhance its appearance?  Want to save some money on a new GarageSkins™ system?  Check out the Perks to the right for some great ways to contribute and pre-order your system now!  If you are pre-ordering, the expected delivery dates will be early 2015, but no later than May 2015.  Please view the measuring video in the "Gallery" section to make sure that your garage door is of standard size. 

Here's a quick way to tell: 

• If your garage door is 4 panels high, each panel should be around 20 7/8" high.
• If your garage door is 5 panels high, each panel should be around 19 1/8" high.

That's it!  We appreciate any help you can give, and ask for your support of this and all great projects here on Indiegogo.

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you can't contribute, we need your help!

• Spread the word. Post pictures on social media.

• Send email to friends and family who would love a GarageSkins™ so that they can contribute.

• Remind them to use the Indiegogo share tools!

FAQ’s

Are a bunch of magnets really going to hold these panels securely on my door?  Short answer is "yes."  Long answer is that there is a huge difference between magnetic attachment (dynamic) and adhesive attachment (static.)  With static adhesion should the adhesive become brittle over time (most will) then a slight impact could dislodge the panel and it would fall off.  But with dynamic adhesion, there is a constant force (magnets never wear out) holding the panel to the metal door underneath.  Think of a hand constantly pushing the panels against the door all the time.  Even if there is a slight jarring or a high windstorm, there is a constant force fighting to keep the panels in place.  Plus should you need to repair them or want to completely change the look, a good tug will pull them off.

I’m concerned that since the panels aren’t permanently attached, they may be stolen.  This is definitely a concern if you live in an area that has a high theft rate.  While a thief would have to know that these were GarageSkins™ panels and not an actual garage door (not many thieves out there stealing garage doors) they could theoretically take all 16 or 20 panels off your door and transport them away.  A small dab of pure silicone placed at each corner of  each panel  before installation would suffice to make it difficult to just pop off an individual panel.  However be aware that should you need to replace a panel or remove it, there is a potential for damage to the GarageSkins™ panel, which would void the warranty.  We have yet to have a report of one of our systems being stolen.

I have a garage door opening that has an arched/beveled top.  Will a GarageSkins system still work?  Yes!  However, the track will need to be recessed approximately 3/4" back into the garage to provide the necessary clearance for the overlays to clear the edges of the bevel/arch.  By the time we launch we will have a national network of garage door professionals contracted to perform this task for you.

Why aren’t GarageSkins™ compatible with wooden garage doors?  Most wooden garage doors are manufactured to that specific opening that they are intended for, and therefore aren’t a standard size.  

I have a dent/ding in my metal garage door.  Will the GarageSkins system repair this?  Only in the case of the smallest dings in your garage door will the GarageSkins™ system actually work.  This system was designed to embellish a functional, multi-panel modern metal garage door, and our strong magnets will force the panels to mold to the shape of your garage door.  If there is no damage, the panels will lay flat, but if there is a significant ding/dent, the Garageskins™ system will conform to that dent and will not mesh well with the other panels.  Best to have that individual panel replaced before adding the GarageSkins™ system.  Contact your local garage door provider for your best options.

I need to order a couple of replacement panels.  It happens.  Junior has the car in drive instead of reverse, and BAM, bumper meets garage door.  While there is some flexibility in our panels, should they be damaged we can replace them individually.  Our modular system and standardized sizing means we can manufacture a panel that matches both pattern and stain. 

Is a GarageSkins™ system paintable?  No, however products are being developed that will provide a paintable surface.  The original GarageSkins™ system were developed to simulate the look of a high-end solid wood carriage house styled door and all of our R and D has been around providing a beautiful wood exterior.  We have been contacted many times by people looking for a product like ours that is also paintable so those systems are in development. 

My garage door has a security handle in the center.  Can I still install a GarageSkins™ system?  Yes, but the outer portion of the security handle will have to be removed.  Typically these are held on with a small set screw in the side that will release the handle.  If any portion of the mechanism underneath sticks out from the front of the metal garage door, it will also have to be removed.  There is no way to anticipate the location of your security handle, so there is no way for us to provide a through-hole during manufacturing.  Simply drilling a hole through your GarageSkins™ system will void the warranty an expose your GarageSkins™ panel to the possibility of water damage.

Can I custom order a GarageSkins™ system?  Our GarageSkins™ systems are designed to fit the majority of garage doors installed in the past 30 years.  While there are some garage doors that are of a different size or configuration, we are not yet large enough to be able to accept custom orders.  With our 4 initial patterns fitting most doors, and 4 more patterns in development, we feel that there is a design that should be pleasing to almost anyone looking to upgrade the appearance of their garage door.

I live in “Tornado Alley.”  Will the GarageSkins™ system be safe on my garage door?  We have tested our Garageskins™ panels on a steel door up to an 80 mph wind and the adhesion held fine. Please see our Warranty as Acts of God are unpredictable and therefore can’t be designed for.  However opening and closing your garage door in high winds should produce no noticeable effects.

My garage door has a high sun exposure.  Will these panels fade over time?  What normally fades over time in the sun isn't the wood, but the applied stain.  The resins crystallize and break down.  But since we use real wood that has been chemically aged, there is no stain to break down and therefore your Garageskins™ panels will darken into that rich look of sun-aged real wood.  Each finish coat also includes a UV-protectant that should keep your GarageSKins system looking new for years to come.

I’m not able to lift heavy objects.  How heavy is the entire system and each panel?  Each panel weighs just over a pound, and even with having to lift the upper panels over your head to install, there should be no weight issues.  Our complete systems ship out at 28 pounds maximum, about the weight of a large bag of dog food.

Are there any special tools needed to install a GarageSkins™ system?  No, however you will need a small step-stool and a wide-blade putty knife to assist in repositioning the panels during installation. If you have ordered a decorative hardware package you will need a medium Phillips-head screwdriver to install.

My garage door opener is pretty old.  Will it handle the extra weight?  We have tested the GarageSkins system on a 2-car garage door, eight feet tall with a 1/3 HP garage door opening motor with no problems. However, should you wish to check simply take a couple of full paint cans (or something with similar weight) and using a wire coat hanger, open the garage door to a height that allows you to hang the paint cans from it.  Then move the garage door up and down to see if there is any issue with the added weight.