May 17, 2010
by ClopayAdmin
We’ve blogged previously about the growing trend of utilizing glass garage doors as an alternative-style patio door to seamlessly merge indoor and outdoor living spaces.
That application is precisely what attracted ABC “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (EMHE) designers to Clopay’s glass and aluminum Avante™ Collection garage doors to use in the May 16th season finale makeover benefiting the Williams family in Pine Mountain, Georgia.
Clopay was thrilled to be able to partner with EMHE and local area garage door dealer Builder Specialities to donate and install such a distinct and unique design element for the Williams’ home.
Just three years after his son Jacob was born with Spina bifida, Jeremy Williams, a local high school football coach, was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as ALS. Despite numerous surgeries and setbacks over the years, the Williams family continues to be an inspiration to their community, but their house had become too small to accommodate two disabled family members.
So Ty and the EMHE crew went to work along with some very special helpers: NFL player Michael Oher and the Tuohy family about whom the movie “The Blind Side” is based.
Three Clopay Avante Collection models were installed – the first as a traditional garage door; the other two were incorporated into the architectural design as a “moving wall of windows” between the family’s great room, outdoor patio and the new private therapy room built for the Williams’ son.
At the press of a button, the doors are automatically raised with an electric garage door opener, allowing traffic to flow during gatherings. Closed, they create an attractive wall of windows, adding a panoramic view to any living space.
The oversized opening makes it possible for both Jacob and Jeremy to access these common living areas with ease. And mom is thrilled that she can now quietly observe her son’s therapy sessions from inside the house, sharing in the triumphs without distracting from the important work going on across the way.
The Avante’s delicate looking design is anything but. The glass is supported by a durable, 2 1/8-inch thick, rust-proof, commercial grade aluminum frame that can be anodized in bronze, clear or black, painted in white or brown, or custom-painted in a variety of durable powder coated finishes. Capped tongue and groove joints and a vinyl bottom weather seal helps keep out the elements.
A variety of window options are available to control the degree of light transmission and privacy including clear, frosted, tinted or mirrored glass or laminate.
We think the contemporary look fits right in with the Williams home’s new rustic modern style, don’t you?
For more information on this EMHE project, please visit www.clopay.com/avante.aspx, www.abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition, or www.nationwide-homes.com/extreme.