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Garage Door Sizes and How to Figure Out Which One You Need

If you're looking at garage door sizes you want to make sure you know all the facts and all of the options for your garage.

If you’re looking at putting in a garage at your house or even if you already have a garage, knowing garage door sizes can be extremely important. You need to know sizes so you can properly build the garage itself. You also need to know sizes so you can plan what you want or need. If you need a 2 car garage you need to make sure you have a properly sized door. If you want a single car garage you need to make sure you have the right door for that. Getting the wrong door means more problems and more time for you, after all. So find out what you’re really looking for.

Garage Door Sizes

Garage doors come in a range of different sizes. You can get them for each size of garage that you might have, after all. But just how do you know what size you really want? Well, knowing the standard garage door sizes and door dimensions will definitely help you get started. We’ve looked at each of the most popular garage sizes. That way you can get a good idea of the dimensions for each of the doors that go with them. That will help you with planning as well as actually purchasing your doors. So just how wide is a garage door?

Single Car Garage Door

A single car garage door is one of the most common. Even people who have larger garages will generally get one or more single car garage doors to put in the space. It’s not required, but this garage door width is generally easy to find in stores. You won’t need to special order anything. A single garage door will generally be one of three sizes that fall between 8’ x 7’ and 10’ x 7’. These are slightly different depending on the type of vehicles you’ll want to put in the garage. Trucks or larger vans require more space across.

1 ½ Car Garage Door

When it comes to standard garage door sizes for a 1 ½ car garage door, you’ll be looking at something slightly larger. These garages are generally 14’ wide, which is approximately the width of the door on a two car garage. So you’ll generally have a door that’s a little bit smaller, with garage door standard sizes coming in about 10’ to 12’. This puts it right in the middle of the door size you’ll find when considering a single or double car garage. It’s not wide enough to drive more than one car in, but it will look more symmetrical if you have a 1 ½ car garage.

2 Car Garage Door

A 2 car garage door would be approximately twice the height of the single car door but not exactly. In fact, you’ll generally find that a 2 car garage door is between 12’ x 7’ and 16’ x 7’. This allows for two vehicles to enter the door side by side without having to worry too much about the garage door width. The space sideways means that the two vehicles will be closer together. There’s no break down the center of the door like you would find when using two single doors next to each other. This is possibly the second most common size door, though 1 ½ car and 2 ½ car garage doors are also starting to be more common.

2 ½ Car Garage Door

Garage door standard sizes for 2 ½ car garage doors are slightly larger than a 2 car. These are generally going to be 22’ across for the entire garage, which means a door could be between 18’ and 20’ across. You’ll have a lot more space to get your vehicles in and won’t need to get separate doors. You won’t be able to pull more than two vehicles in at a time. It’s not intended for that. But for those wondering how wide is a garage door for more vehicles, this is definitely what you need to know.

3+ Car Garage Door

If you want to be able to park even more vehicles in your garage and don’t want multiple doors you can get larger ones. It’s going to take a bit of effort and you’ll definitely need to special order the door, but it can be done. The important thing is knowing what you’re looking for and making sure that you measure things out properly. A larger door is definitely going to cost more money and it’s going to be less sturdy or durable at the same time. You should pay attention to that.

Specialty Garage Doors

If you have other vehicles, like an RV or a commercial vehicle, you’ll need specially made garage doors. A standard option is definitely not going to be large enough. For an RV you’ll typically see doors that are approximately 16’ x 8’, which is approximately the width of a two car garage door, but with a little bit more height. When it comes to commercial vehicles you’ll find that they are usually 32’ 2” x 24’1”. This provides for the larger size all the way around in these types of vehicles.

Garage Types

When it comes to the types of garage doors that are available you’ll find two main options. These are attached and detached garages. It’s entirely up to you if you prefer to have an attached or a detached garage because they’re each available with a variety of different homes. If you don’t have a lot of space around the outside of your house you may want a detached garage (or no garage). If you do have space then an attached garage might be a great benefit to you. After all, there are a lot of people who love attached garages for their many benefits.

Attached Garage

An attached garage is directly connected to your house. It’s usually located directly on the side or front of the house where it shares one wall in common. It also has a door that leads from inside of the garage to the inside of your home. These are the safer option when it comes to a garage because you go from being inside your vehicle to being inside a secured area. You then go directly into your house, without having to walk outside even once. Unfortunately, these take up more space directly beside your home and can be expensive to install.

Detached Garage

A detached garage is located away from your house. It could be directly beside the home with only a small space between or it could be located some distance from the house. What’s important to note about a detached house is that you must leave the garage to walk into your home. This can be less safe and it can actually be more expensive at the same time because you’re installing more materials. It’s important to consider both of these things when you’re looking at putting in that garage. For some, this is a personal preference, but for others knowing that an attached garage is actually cheaper may make the decision quite easy.

Garage Door Materials

What may seem surprising is that there are several different materials that your garage door can be made out of. Things like wood or even aluminum or steel are out there, even though most people have seen composite versions around their neighborhood. You’ll want to at least take a look at these different options to see what you like the look of and what you can afford, since each of these options is going to have a slightly different price range to consider as well. You don’t want to spend more than you can afford just to get something that looks a certain way.

Natural Wood

Wood can be one of the most beautiful looking types of garage doors. These are available in all different door dimensions and have a variety of different styles as well. Many types of wood can be used, such as redwood and cedar. Wood options are going to be heavy duty, though they definitely require additional care to make sure they don’t start to break down or wear out over time. This means you’ll need to devote a little more energy to them, but they’re going to look very beautiful. They can add a completely new style to the outside of your home.

Steel

These doors can come in a variety of different colors and styles but the steel itself is very heavy duty. You can get some that are insulated or non-insulated (which will affect the price). It will also affect how much cold or warm air gets through during the day. They can be better in high winds and they are less likely to be damaged than some other options. If you want something durable that’s also plenty of different colors (even a wood look) steel can be a great option for your home.

Composite/Faux Wood

If you want something that is going to last a long time and will provide you with plenty of garage door sizes you definitely want to look at composite and faux wood as well. These can be made of a number of different materials and are generally lightweight and durable. They are also the ones that you typically purchase in the store without having to special order them. Of course, that’s only the case when you have a door that’s standard size. You can find a variety of different things about composite and faux wood in a variety of colors and patterns as well.

Aluminum/Glass

An aluminum and glass door is going to be great because it’s not going to rust. It’s not going to corrode either and will provide a lightweight form. They look great and they last for an extremely long time as well. If you want something with no windows that’s fine too, but you can definitely get glass added into the framework to get some lighting. You get to choose from different types of glass and different sizes of windows as well. It’s definitely going to be a great option for those who want to add some décor or get a little light in the bedroom.

 

Manual vs. Automatic Door

If you’re looking to save some time your best option is going to be an automatic door that you only need to push a button and it will open for you. These are going to be a whole lot easier to operate, since you don’t have to lift up that heavy door. They’re also going to be great for larger doors, as long as the system is strong enough. Unfortunately, you have to be careful about these in case of a power outage. You’re also going to spend more money for an automatic door than you will for a manual one.

If money is a big factor you’ll want to look at a manual option, but you should be careful about size. You don’t want to get one large door if you’re going to be opening and closing it by hand. It’s going to be entirely too heavy for you to lift. If you’re not concerned about money, an automatic system can actually work with a small or large door. So it’s something you may want to consider. It doesn’t matter what your style options are or how you plan on choosing the doors that are going to go in.

 

No matter what you’re really looking for in a garage door you need to know the garage door sizes that are available to you. These door sizes are going to help you figure out how to build your garage and which doors you want to put in. With so many options however, as well as so many sizes, you’re going to have your work cut out for you trying to decide exactly what is going to work best and the type of impression that you want your home to give off when people see it. After all, wouldn’t it be fun to have the nicest house on the street.