Two Garage Doors vs. One Garage Door on a Double Garage
If you're having a new home built, you might be debating whether you should have two single doors or one double door on your double garage. If you're not really sure of what the pros and cons of each option are, you need to read this comparison that we've put together. As a garage door installation company in Parker and Broomfield, we’ve helped advise countless homeowners in this very position. Hopefully, we can help you too!
As with anything in life, there are benefits and drawbacks whichever way you turn. It’s important you choose the option that you feel most aligns with your situation. Here are the things we think you should take into consideration.
Local Weather Conditions
If you live in a place like Parker or Broomfield, it can really get quite cold come the wintertime. And that’s when having two single doors can really come into its own. With two single doors, only one needs to be opened to let your car out, limiting the amount of cold air that gets into the garage.
Likewise in the summer period. Your air conditioning costs can be kept down, as the hot air and humidity won't make their way inside in such large amounts.
What If Something Goes Wrong?
S*** happens. Problems arise with garage doors. If they didn’t, garage door repair companies like ours wouldn’t exist. The thing is, if you only have one door on a double garage and something goes wrong with it, you won’t be able to get either of the cars out. At least with two doors, you’ll still be able to access at least one of the cars. So in that sense, you won’t be impacted to the same degree.
Maintenance Requirements
Regular maintenance is the easiest way to prevent the need for garage door repair. If you opt for two single garage doors, you need to keep in mind that the cost to maintain them will be more than if you had a single door. There will be two of everything, so in that sense, there’s more that can go wrong.
Upfront Cost
A lot of folks make the assumption that two single doors would be significantly more expensive than having one double door installed. That’s not really true. The cost of the doors themselves is actually quite similar. Where you will end up paying a bit more if you opt for two single doors is the additional garage door opener, and also for the extra brickwork in between the doors. Most people think that a double door will require a more expensive garage door opener to be able to support its extra weight, but that’s not the case. It’s actually the torsion or extension springs that are bearing all of that extra weight. Providing those are in good condition, a standard opener will do the job.
Privacy from Neighbours
If you use your garage as a bit of a man cave or perhaps a place to do your yoga, you might quite like your privacy from the prying eyes of neighboring houses. But if you have a double door and want to let some air into the garage in the middle of summer, it’s all or nothing. You open the door and lose all of your privacy, or you leave it shut and suffer in the sweltering heat. With two single doors, you'd be able to just have one of the doors open. You also might not want to reveal the entire contents of your garage to anyone that might be watching each time you open the door. Burglars often "case" a home before they break-in, as they want to be sure that there's something worth stealing!
Appearance
Typically an architect or home designer would likely recommend that you go for two single doors as opposed to one double door. If we’re looking at this debate strictly from a design perfective, two single doors will fit in and complement the rest of your home’s design, as opposed to stealing the show and drawing people’s attention away from the home, which is what double doors are more likely to do. But at the end of the day, the choice is yours. You have to select a design that you truly love, as it’s your home after all.
How Many Cars?
Depending on the size of your garage overall, there could be space to park three small cars inside it. But if that’s your plan, the choice between one and two doors becomes quite important. In this situation, one door is better than two, as you’ll have a much easier job of maneuvering the cars into place. But if you opt for two smaller doors, it can be a real hassle to get all three cars in and out of the garage, and the middle car would always need one of the other cars to be moved to get out. That’s not too convenient!
Want More Advice? Speak to Our Garage Door Installation Experts
With over 20 years of experience, we’ve worked on garage door installation jobs at numerous new builds throughout Parker and Broomfield and would be glad to assist you on your journey to selecting the right kind of door for your needs and lifestyle. You can contact us at (303) 920-2267 for a chat or to arrange an onsite consultation. We'd love to help you!