Limit the ability for others to see inside your garage by only opening one garage door at a time! These garage doors are the Princeton P-12 design, 9’ x 8’, Iron Ore Walnut and Ice White overlays, 8 lite Panoramic windows.
The garage door is one of the focal points of the front of your house. Choosing the right one may seem like a huge decision when you consider all of the options. If you’ve opted for a two-car garage, one of the first choices you need to make is whether you want one double door or two single doors.
Making this decision is based on your personal needs, style, and desires. There’s no one right garage door but there is the perfect door for your home. We’re here to help you decide which door that is!
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Size of Garage Doors
Sometimes the decision on the number of garage doors comes down to function more than style, so it’s important to consider technical aspects of the decision. Since the garage door is such a large element of your home, it’s important to take plenty of time to make the decision. If you treat your door well, it can last up to 25 years! It’s important that you pick a door you will also like for up to 25 years.
Consider these aspects when choosing between two single doors and one double garage door.
● Garage size and Number of Vehicles
Sometimes your house will determine which door style you need to go with. With one double garage door, you will need a garage that is at least 18’x 22’. However, if you want two single doors, you’ll need more space than that to factor in the dead space in the middle of the garage, between the two doors. Ensure you measure your garage space to determine whether both options will fit.
NOTE: If you’re currently building, check out plans with the ideal garage dimensions on the House Plans Helper's website. You can also find all of the possible residential garage door sizes, which will help you determine what size doors are available. These two resources will help you determine the right door layout and sizes for your home.
● Your Climate and Weather Conditions
There are two things to consider when it comes to this factor. First, you want to consider if you will be able to easily park two cars in your garage if you often experience harsh weather, such as hail or hard freezes that you would want to protect your car from. Two single doors may give you more space widthwise than a double door.
Also, if it frequently gets hot or cold where you live, consider if you want to slow down the airflow between your garage and the outside when you open it. A double door would cause any climate-controlled air to leave much faster than opening a single door and leaving the other side of the garage closed.
Why Choose Two Single Garage Doors?
The Vog garage doors pictured here in Charcoal give off a contemporary appearance, making it perfect for a home in the woods or even your lake house or vacation cabin. Pictured here is the Left-side Harmony window layout.
Single Overhead Doors Give You Flexibility
If you’re someone who likes to use your garage space as more than just a spot to park a car, choosing two single doors may help you realize that dream. With two separate doors, you can choose to park your car on one side and then have the other half hardly ever open. That space now has the ability to be used however you’d like!
Some people love to use one side of their two-door garage as a home gym, a man cave, or a hobby space. Or, if you are organizationally challenged, you can have an assortment of items on that side without your neighbors being able to see it when you are pulling your car out of your garage.
The options are truly endless when you have half of a garage that rarely sees the light of day. If you need some inspiration, check out HGTV’s 30 garage organization and conversion ideas to get you started!
Picture your next workout being in your fully furnished home gym! With two single doors, your garage can be transformed into a space like this! Check out 5 simple steps to converting your garage into a fitness room from The Spruce for ideas on how to start a gym at home. Image from of Pexels.
Single Garage Doors Can Have a Longer Lifespan
Single doors will have fewer cycles per year compared to double doors. Plus, single doors don’t weigh as much as double doors. These two factors work together to potentially allow your two single doors to last longer than one double garage door.
Think about it! When you’re pulling out one car, you only have to open and close one of the two doors. That means there’s less unnecessary wear and tear on the opener’s motor. You also have the added bonus of having a backup way to get into your garage if one of your garage doors malfunctions!
Single Garage Doors Can Slow Down Temperature Change
As we mentioned above, having two single doors can help slow down the loss of any climate-controlled air in your garage. This is super important in the heat of the summer or the frigid temperatures of winter. The less you lose the controlled air in your garage, the less you’re A/C or heat unit will have to work. This can help you save money on your electric bill!
While a double door will cause more air to leave and more rain to come into your garage, you can help with the temperature control regardless of which you choose. Look at the R-value, or level of resistance to heat flow, of the garage doors you look at and choose one that has the right level of insulation. This can help you determine what R-value you need.
The Eastman E-21 Claystone garage doors with Ice White overlays blend effortlessly into this light-brick home. You can choose to make a statement with your garage doors or let them quietly accent the front of your home like these do.
Why Choose One Double Garage Door
The Moderno Multi design garage door in Chocolate Walnut provides an impressively modern style to this house. You can choose a door that fits perfectly into your home’s style and a double garage door offers the added benefit of a sleek look.
A Double Garage Door Gives You Use of More Space
When you choose one double garage door, suddenly you’ll find you have access to the middle of your garage that is “dead-space” when you choose two single doors. This added accessibility gives you some more flexibility for your space. For example, you can choose to park your car in the middle of the garage. This will allow you to be able to fully open every door of your car while in the garage, which is great if you have children!
If you park in the middle of the garage, you then have the entire perimeter of your garage to store whatever you need to. If you need some stylish ideas for organizing your garage, check out what HGTV gives in their 55 ideas for practical and aesthetically pleasing storage of your belongings.
The North Hatley LP garage door design in Moka Brown provides a timeless style for this home. The windows and added black accents make this double garage door a showstopper for anyone driving by.
A Double Overhead Door Means Half the Maintenance
If you only have one garage door, that means you only have one door opener. This means only one set of gears, motorized parts, and cables. Having half the moving parts as two single doors means, in theory, you will have less maintenance with this choice.
When it comes to maintenance, you should apply lubricant made for PVC parts and another one for hardware. You can purchase both of these online or at your local hardware store. If you’re not sure which one to purchase, reach out to a professional for help.
It’s also best to have a garage door technician do an annual tune-up on your garage door motor. These checks will help make sure everything is working as it should before you come home to a garage door that won’t open. Plus, regular maintenance is connected to longer lifespans of garage doors!
This Standard+ Shaker-Modern XL in Iron Ore Walnut truly shows off how sleek a double garage door can be. It practically blends into the house! You can also pair it with a Soho entry door from Novatech's Shaker Collection for a full style!
Don’t Forget Your Garage Door Opener
Your garage door is only as great as the garage door opener that you choose to go with it. Make sure you do research on how much power you will need for the door or doors you’ve chosen. Double doors are heavier so they will need more power than single doors do.
LiftMaster garage door openers are widely used in homes everywhere. They are the high-end line of the Chamberlain Group, one of the world’s best garage door opener companies. They even offer high-tech options equipped with myQ technology, that lets you open your garage door from your phone!
No matter where you are, you can close your garage door from your phone with myQ. This is great if you’re forgetful and want to make sure the door is closed. Plus, you can get a motion notification to let you know when there’s movement in your garage. MyQ can give you the peace of mind you crave while you’re away from home!
Not convinced myQ is worth it? You will be after you check out 9 uses for a smart LiftMaster garage door opener. The added benefits are well worth adding to your opener!
How to Choose Your Garage Door Opener
When picking your opener, consider your budget, garage size and height, and door style. You also need to think about how often you will be using your opener so you choose a model that will handle the traffic in and out of your garage.
The garage door opener is an essential part of your perfect garage door and there’s a perfect one for every budget and situation. If you’re having trouble picking, talk to a specialist who can help you pick between LiftMaster opener models in your budget.
Which Garage Door Size is Best?
The truth is, only you can decide if you need one double garage door or two single doors. You know your lifestyle habits, style preferences, and space needs best, and these are incredibly important aspects to the decision.
There’s no wrong choice but there is a best one! Since choosing a garage door is a decision, you’ll hopefully be benefitting from for decades to come, take all the time you need to make sure you pick the perfect door for your home!
Designing the Perfect Garage Door
First Choice Overhead Doors offers an impressive selection of residential garage doors for any home and every budget. First, choose from their three style classes: Traditional, Carriage House, and Contemporary. From there, you’ll be able to pick the exact door, color, window style, and other accents!
You can also use our Design Centre to get a visual of what the door you’re looking at will look like! From the comfort of your own home, you can design multiple garage door styles and compare their looks and features. Plus, you can request a free quote on the doors you designs and receive them in an email. This feature will help you have an idea of what your door will cost you.
Do you only need a quick checkup? We do those too!
First Choice Overhead Doors also offers a variety of garage door services. They will deliver and install your door when you purchase it, but that’s not all they’ll do! They also have a team of qualified specialists who will provide maintenance checks and repairs on your garage doors, should the need arise.
Simply call them at 905-642-6606!
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