As a homeowner with a larger-than-average garage, you may be wondering whether you should add a large double door or two single doors to your garage. As professionals in the field, we’ve prepared this article to help you make the best decision for your family and property’s needs. Don’t let the names confuse you – a double door system refers to a garage with only one extra-large door. A single door system refers to a garage with two regular-sized garage doors. Read on to learn how to choose between a double or single garage door for your home.
Double or Single Door
Your garage should be at least 18′ wide by 22′ deep if you plan on parking two cars inside. A two-car garage is a reasonably large installation, and it can be hard to decide how to close the front of your garage. While some large garages will use heavy barn-style doors that open sideways along a rail, many homeowners prefer to use an automated garage door opening system. There are, therefore, pros and cons to each approach.
Double Doors
Double doors are garage doors that are roughly twice the width of a standard garage door. They are larger, heavier, and provide a single entry and exit to your garage. If you have two cars parked inside your garage, they both share the same door. As such, a double door is a smaller workload, requiring you only to install a single system. A single system means less maintenance overhead in the long term, a lighter workload overall, and a more accessible time parking with the extra space inside your garage. However, costs for a garage system capable of lifting an extra heavy door tend to rise over a pair of single garage door openers. Additionally, if your garage system fails for one reason or another, and two cars are parked inside, neither will be able to leave until the door is fixed.
Single Doors
These cons may lead you to consider a single door option. Choosing to install two single doors affords the homeowner flexibility to use two doors for two different purposes. For example, if one door is used for the automobile and the other half of the garage is used for work, play, or storage. Another benefit of two single doors is being able to control how much temperature fluctuation occurs in the garage, as the level of airflow can be adjusted by opening one or both doors. However, single door systems will consume more electricity as two separate door opening systems will be using electricity and additional maintenance, as you have twice the doors to maintain. If you use both doors regularly, upkeep costs can rise quickly to keep up with your needs.
Additionally, a single door design requires more space. While a double door garage can get away with being 18′ wide, a garage with two single doors will require at least 22′-24′ depending on how wide the doors you select will be. It may also need to be wider if you are considering an access door on the front of the garage. It would be best if you also considered the cost of building a narrow wall between the two garage doors.
Consider Your Home Aesthetic
Also worth considering is the aesthetic of your home. Many architects feel that a double garage door will distract from the architectural features of your home as it presents a large and unbroken face to look at. In contrast, others will argue that a double door’s impact can be reduced by installing trellises or other features around the garage. In the end, your decision should boil down to what you need and want from your home. There are various styles and materials to choose from, and we can help you narrow down your choices.
