As house sizes increase, so does the garage that comes with it. Not only did the size increase to be able to house larger vehicles, but the number of bays in garages increased from one to two to three, and sometimes even more. It has reached a point where the typical garage in a newer housing development had the same square footage as the average new house. Read on to learn about the history of garage door sizes as well as which garage door sizes are standard.
History
The first car garage may have been created somewhat accidentally. Legend has it that Henry Ford built his first “horseless carriage” in a neighbor’s coal shed in Detroit in 1896. Though Ford was clearly a visionary, he somewhat was blind to the immediate future. He discovered that after he built his first prototype, he couldn’t fit it through the door of the shed. Ford improvised; he knocked down enough of the brick to get his new creation pass through. Within a few years, horseless carriages were being made by the hundreds. Soon after that, carpenters found new work making tiny garages to store and secure the new cars in. When you see one of these original garages now, they look quaint but will really only be used to store bicycles and motorcycles or they are serving as garden sheds.
Standard Sizes
You might be surprised at the wide variety of standard size garage doors. Leading garage door manufacturers typically sell doors in widths ranging between eight to twenty feet. Smaller sizes can be found; for example, in areas where golf cart transportation is common, garage doors are available to suit these smaller vehicles. In large suburban or rural properties, such garage doors may serve large riding mowers or small garden tractors.
There are at least three different sizes for home garage doors. You can get one car, two car, or three car garages.
Single Car Garages
Most single car garage doors start at widths around eight feet and have heights of seven feet, allowing for plenty of room for a standard, full-size or similar car class. One car garage doors of this size may present a challenge for parking larger vehicles such as SUVs, trucks, and vans. Single car garage doors can be custom ordered to accommodate these vehicles though. All doors are constructed with high quality materials from leading manufacturers.
Double Car Garages
If you have more than one vehicle, or your sole vehicle is slighter larger in size, you will require a double sized door. Two-car garage doors are usually sixteen feet wide with a wide with a height of seven feet. Heights of ten feet are also available. Taller doors are best for lifted vehicles or vehicles with installed roof racks. Double car garages are suitable for home owners who desire added space for storage or other alternative uses.
Triple Car Garages
When it comes to housing more than two vehicles, most home owners choose to have one double door and one single door. While others prefer three single doors. Residents can custom design these doors in the sizes mentioned above. Triple car garage doors are ideal for parking cars and all-terrain vehicles or boats while having plenty of space left over for storage and home workshops.
