Open one side of your garage while keeping the other side hidden from prying eyes with two single garage doors. The Princeton P-12 design offers a traditional style made of Iron Ore Walnut and Ice White finishes for a modern touch.
When it’s time to design or renovate your garage, there are many factors to consider. In order to develop the perfect garage for your lifestyle, you have to decide if you would rather have a single door or two garage doors. Fortunately, we’ve pulled together the best factors to consider before making this important decision!
Technical Considerations for Garage Doors
When you’re choosing the right garage door for your home, you also have to consider the mechanical side of them. When properly taken care of, garage doors can last up to 25 years, so it’s important to make sure you are setting yourself up for success. Higher-quality garage doors will have an advantage when it comes to longevity, so that’s something to consider.
The goal is to not have to purchase another garage door for a very long time, so you need to take plenty of time to consider what would make you the happiest in both style and function. No matter how beautiful a garage door is, if it doesn’t work for your everyday life, you’ll find yourself replacing it much sooner than you planned.
With that in mind, here are some technical aspects you should consider when deciding between two single doors or one double garage door.
● Garage and vehicle sizes
When deciding the best style of garage door, you have to consider both the size of your garage and what vehicles you plan to park in it. For example, if you want to park two medium-sized vehicles in your garage, it has to be at least 18 feet wide and 22 feet deep. However, choosing two single doors will make these measurements even larger in order to create space between the two doors.
NOTE: If you prefer to visualize your layout, there are plans including garage dimensions on the House Plans Helper's website for single, double, and even triple garages. You should also look into the available residential garage door sizes, so you can have an idea of what door sizes are even available, based on single garage doors or doubles.
● The average climate where you live
If your garage is insulated and you live in an area that can get incredibly cold or super hot, then you need to consider this. Having just one double garage door causes the whole garage to be exposed to the elements when you need to open the door. This can make you lose the climate control that your garage has been designed to have. Two single doors can let the temperature change happen more gradually.
Of course, it never hurts to reach out to a professional when it comes to making the right decision on your garage door. They will have a lot of experience and knowledge to know what will work best for your home.
Benefits of Two Single Garage Doors
If you’re looking for a modern yet rustic garage door, look no further than the Vog design. Featured here are two single garage doors (9’ x 7’) in Charcoal, with the Left-side Harmony window layout.
Two Single Overhead Doors Can Be Practical
Depending on your lifestyle, having two garage doors that work independently can be more practical than one garage door. Having two doors allows you to still have a way into your garage if one of your garage openers fails. Plus, it gives you the option of only opening one side while keeping the second door closed off from the outside world.
Having two single doors often forces your garage to be wider than one double door. Because of the extra space, it’s much easier to part two cars side by side. This is wonderful if you live in an area that can have rough weather including hail or ice. Being able to park both cars in your garage and get into them easily will help keep your cars safe from weather damage.
Having two single doors also lets you keep one side of your garage complete blocked from the view of anyone passing by. When you have two garage doors you can imagine basically having two separate garage spaces. One side can be opened to reveal the car you park inside while the other can stay closed off and hide practically any use!
The closed-door space can be used for storage, gym equipment, a hobby space, or countless other uses! If you need some inspiration of how to use the second side of your garage, check out HGTV’s list of 30 garage organization and conversion ideas.
One of the most popular ways to use the second side of a two-door garage is a home gym like the one pictured here. If this motivates you to create one of your own, check out The Spruce’s 5 simple steps to converting your garage into a fitness room. Image from of Pexels.
Longevity of Single Garage Doors
When you have two single garage doors, it’s likely that the doors will split the number of openings and closings every year. This means that each individual door will have fewer cycles annually than one double door does. Fewer openings and closings mean less strain on the garage opener’s motor, so two single doors are likely to last longer before needing a motor replacement.
Single Garage Doors Can Lead to Better Insulation
Insulated garages can be a lifesaver if you live in an area that has any type of extreme climate. However, every time you open your garage, you’ll let out some of the climate-controlled air inside. Having two single doors makes the opening smaller and, therefore, means that less climate-controlled air escapes with every opening.
On the other hand, one double door will lead to a wide opening for all that comfortable air to escape. This will leave your garage not near as comfortable and your A/C or heat will have to work hard to get the garage comfortable again.
One way to get even better insulation is to choose garage doors that have a higher R-value, or level of resistance to heat flow to help increase insulation ability in your garage. You can get an idea of what R-value you'd need here, based on elements like your average climate and weather conditions.
Some garage doors blend perfectly into the rest of the house, like the Eastman E-21 design, pictured here in Claystone, allowing for a beautiful, monochromatic style.
Benefits of a Double Garage Door
Having a double garage door gives off a sleek and simple appearance to your home. This Moderno Multi garage door shows off how elegant a double garage door can be, including the Left-Side Harmony Windows.
Double Overhead Doors Can Give You Better Use of the Whole Space
Having one double garage door will allow you to have the whole garage available for function. You can even choose to park your car in the very center of your garage if you choose. This would give you plenty of space to open your car doors, which is something two single doors can’t offer you.
Having your car parked and still having plenty of space for your storage is an awesome benefit for a double door. If you need inspiration on garage storage, check out HGTV’s 55 ideas for practical and aesthetically pleasing storage of your belongings.
Having a double garage door for your two-car garage can really be a statement piece for the front of your home. This North Hatley LP door in Moka Brown has 4 vertical lite Orion windows and is a much darker color than the rest of the house, making it stand out beautifully.
Double Garage Doors Mean Half the Maintenance
Having only one garage door means you only have one garage door opener to maintain. What means you have half the motors, gears, and cables to check as those with two single doors. Half the parts means half the time doing routine maintenance!
For maintenance, make sure to purchase both the lubricant made for PVC parts and another one for hardware. You can find these in retail stores and online. Of course, it’s best to have a professional garage door mechanic to check your garage door out if you have any concerns about its operation.
It’s also best to have a mechanic come out for an annual tune-up for your door. This will help you catch issues before they become catastrophic! Plus, regular maintenance tends to lead to a longer life for your garage door, which means you won’t have to shop for another door for a long time!
This gorgeously modern Standard+ Shaker-Modern XL garage door practically blends into its surroundings, which is a popular design choice right now. Pictured here is the Iron Ore Walnut color with Sandblasted windows. You can even pick out the matching Soho entry door from the Novatech's Shaker Collection if you want a fully cohesive look.
Don’t Forget the Garage Door Opener
Regardless of which door you choose, it’s vital to choose a garage door opener that will work with the door you choose. Choosing two single doors will mean you need two separate openers but they don’t have to be able to pull up as much weight. In contrast, a double garage door is much heavier than a single, so you’ll need a more powerful motor to operate your opener in those situations.
LiftMaster garage door openers are very popular. Chamberlain Group, a global leader in garage door openers, is behind this line of openers, so you can feel confident in their mechanics and durability. If you love the option of high-tech home details, they have a line featuring myQ technology, which can open your garage door from your smartphone!
If you’re forgetful, you can close your garage door from anywhere in the world with just a simple click of the app. Plus, you can get notifications anytime there is movement in your garage, so you can check it out remotely and see what is happening, even when you aren’t home. Talk about peace of mind!
Being able to keep an eye on your garage from anywhere is a wonderful benefit that myQ gives you. If you’re curious, check out 9 uses for a smart LiftMaster garage door opener.
Choosing the Right Garage Door Opener
Choosing a garage door opener is much like choosing the door itself. You need to consider weight, height, and door size. It’s also important to consider how often you’ll be using the opener to ensure you pick one that can withstand the rate of use.
Choosing the right opener is key to having the convenience of pulling up to your house and knowing pushing the button will lift your door. If you’re having trouble choosing, a specialist can help you pick which LiftMaster opener model is right for your door.
Garage Door Choice is Personal
There’s no one perfect garage door for every home, so it’s really important that you take the time to decide which one works best for you. Really consider everything from color, style, accents, windows, and number of doors. The garage door is a focal point of your home’s exterior style and you want it to reflect the look you’re going for.
Not only that, but you want to make sure you choose one that is functional as well. Consider options like weatherproofing, insulation, and size when you’re deciding on your garage door. These factors will help make sure that whichever door you choose will do all you want it to.
Design Your Ideal Garage Door
Doan’s Overhead Doors has a vast selection of high-quality residential garage doors to choose from, so you’re destined to find one that meets your expectations. Their doors come in three style groups: Traditional, Carriage House, and Contemporary. Once you pick your door style, you’re able to customize the size, color, windows, and other accents to make it unique to you.
You can also check out our Design Centre to look at styles! We’ve made it possible to virtually see what different options look like on a variety of garage doors. Having all these options at your fingertips lets you see exactly what any design would look like. Not only that, but the website can help you get an idea of the cost of your perfect garage door! You can request a free quote and you’ll get an email copy of an estimated cost for the doors of your choice.
Do you require garage door installation, repair, or maintenance?
Doan’s Overhead Doors also offers a variety of garage door services, including installations, maintenance checks, and repairs. Their wonderful team of qualified and skilled technicians is eager to help you with any of your garage door needs.
Give them a call at 705-324-1005 and set up whatever service you need!
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