It is interesting how home designs have changed over the years. Not that long ago homes were built without any garage at all. It was at first a real luxury to have a one‑car garage. It seemed decadent to spend money on a space that only housed your vehicle.
Eventually, people realized that a garage was a really good idea so that your biggest investment is actually protecting your second largest investment. In areas where having a basement is not feasible or possible, garages began to be more for storage than for cars even. In any case, the idea stuck and now it is inconceivable to have anything less than a two car garage. In fact, many homes are even built with three!
Now that a two car garage is the norm, the next question becomes whether to go with one large double door for access or the stylish, and potentially more functional, two‑door design. In making this decision, you need to consider three things – functionality, appearance, and cost.
Functionality
It may seem like both options have the same functionality overall, but that is not really the case. You’ll need to consider just how you plan to use your garage for one thing. It is also important to understand that you will need a wider garage space if you want to have two single garage doors. How much larger will depend on the size of the doors you plan to go with. Your garage will need to be at least six feet wider than the total of the two doors, so if you go with 9’ doors, your garage should be at least 24’ wide.
Another functionality issue you should consider is the size of your vehicles. This is mostly important for the overall size of the garage, but it does require thinking about the opening as well. While you may be able to park a larger vehicle in a garage with one door and have no problem fitting the width and can even park diagonally if need be, that option goes out the window when you have two single garage doors.
Another consideration is that a large garage with one door can sometimes accommodate three compact cars but that won’t be possible without careful maneuvering at best with two single garage doors. Another option in the case of three cars, or two but extra items such as ATV’s, a boat, or motorcycle is to go with one double door and one single door, or three single doors, if your garage is large enough to support them or can be built to accommodate this added storage space.
Energy efficiency is another practical point to consider. While the difference may be minimal, opening one smaller door rather than one large door allows less cold or hot air, as well as humidity, to enter.
Last, but not least, consider that if your garage door opener or other hardware breaks down if you have one large door both of your vehicles may be stuck inside. If you have two doors, at least you should be able to get one of the vehicles out while waiting on the repairs to the torsion spring or another component.
Appearance
Not that long ago there really weren’t many style options to choose from for garage doors, regardless of whether you were looking for a single car or double. Now it is recognized that the garage door is the largest feature of a home and thus deserves special attention. As such many different styles are available, including the very popular carriage house style.
With so many different styles to choose from, you may find that the one you like best has a better appearance as two single doors rather than one large, but it could go the other way as well. When making a decision, you should also consider what is most popular for your area and neighborhood as this can make a huge impact on the value of your home at resale. In most cases, to gain maximum buyer interest a double door system is recommended as that is where the market has been gravitating overall.
Cost
Generally speaking, all other things equal, the cost for two doors will be very close to a single, large door. That does not consider any structural changes that may be needed to change your home from one to the other, however. It is best to choose the one you desire when building a home to avoid this added cost. This may involve a bit of extra work to construct the wall between the doors but that is generally minimal.
The only real difference in cost is going to be those related to having an extra electric garage door opener. Not only will you need to cover the cost for the second one during installation if you go with two doors, but you’ll pay extra to have them both maintained, repaired, and one day replaced. The important thing is to make sure the opener is sufficient for the door. A double door does not need a more powerful opener, but you should make sure the door is well balanced so that the spring system is not unduly taxed.
Conclusion
If you have more questions about double and single garage doors, contact us at 519-829-3777. We have the expertise to answer your questions and show you options that will easily fit into your budget as well as meet your needs perfectly. If you are interested in a quote, you can contact us or use our online quotation request option.
With the aid of our design center, you will be able to see how your home will look with the various garage door options available. Our image gallery provides plenty of ideas if you do not know the many beautiful options that are now on the market.
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