Flush with creativity

Your home is the biggest investment you will make in your life. It makes sense then that you would choose products and finishes that show it off to its best advantage. By virtue of being clad in the same material used on the rest of the exterior—and because they sit flush with the walls—Flushmount Doors offer a continuous look that seamlessly integrates with the overall home design.

The garage isn’t obvious when the Flushmount Door is closed but when it opens, there’s a wow moment as people realise what it is, says Ben Broide, general manager of Prestige Doors & Gates, manufacturers of bespoke Flushmount Doors.

Designers love them, he says, because they’re invisible. “Nothing gets in the way of their creative vision, which is why the product’s popularity has skyrocketed since we started making them eight years ago. Back then, we were doing around three a year. Now it’s a couple every week. We currently have five or six that are being worked on in the factory.”

An almost limitless range of materials gives designers and homeowners incredible options. It depends on the cladding being used on the rest of the house, says Ben.

“Most people choose shiplap timber, but other choices include aluminium or ply panelling, composite board, Colorsteel and galvanised steel. For a number of years, we’ve worked alongside Nu-Wall, a New Zealand company that supplies aluminium cladding.”

There are so many exciting ways to make garage doors a feature rather than a distraction and designers have relished the opportunity to explore some striking looks.

Something different we have done recently, says Ben, is a door created from anodised aluminium, which gives the possibility of colour variation across the door. Another innovative design was a staggered vertical shiplap door in three different board lengths for a garage in Mangawhai.

“Whatever you can envisage, we can create it,” says Ben. Anything is possible, so long as the material is not overly rigid as sectional garage doors are designed to have movement in them.”

Although the primary benefit of using Flushmount Doors is the sleek aesthetic they create, another advantage comes from them being built on a very thick door frame; making them particularly sturdy.

Prestige’s Flushmount Doors are manufactured using welded aluminium frames, which are lighter than conventional steel frames. Because they’re lighter, Prestige can use thicker and larger extrusions for their frames, which creates extremely strong, durable doors.

“They are a high-quality, bespoke product that can’t be retrofitted into an existing frame. You need a very specific set up to make the door function correctly.”

They can be made in different sizes and shapes but every door made must be considered case by case. It’s a complex product so Prestige works closely with the client and the home’s designer from as early as the planning stage, all the way through to install and cladding with the builder, to provide the right solution in terms of set up.

Ben adds that another benefit of having a Prestige Flushmount is that the door overlaps on the sides and top to create weathertightness while retaining a flush fit to the exterior wall. No rain can channel through the gaps and it also makes them more secure, something homeowners are prepared to pay more for.

“If homeowners are thinking they’d like to install a bespoke Flushmount Door on their new garage, get us involved early in the planning stage,” advises Ben. “There are a lot of different aspects you need to consider before you start. We have the expertise to ensure you get it right.”

Prestige Doors & Gates have their own installers and work primarily in Auckland but they can supply all over New Zealand.

Learn more about incorporating a fully integrated garage door into your next project.