In the second half of the twentieth century, garages grew with the size of houses. Traditional two- or one-car garages grew larger to accommodate larger vehicles. Simultaneously, the number of parking spaces in these garages grew from one to two. It wasn’t long before the average garage in a new construction project had an area comparable to a typical house.
So came the confusion of size, especially for the DIY enthusiasts. Conversely, experts like Garage Door Repair Coquitlam have been able to transition amidst these developments. Whether you want to applaud or bemoan the oversizing of homes and cars, an outdated, narrow garage with small driveways for newer, larger cars is today a problem for many property owners.
What Size Garage Door Do You Need?
What size of garage door best suits your house? There is no definite answer to this question. Instead, it depends on the size of your garage. Here are some tips to use when measuring your garage door;
- Measure the width of your garage door with a tape measure. Start measuring horizontally from left to right on the inside. Look for any irregularities in the actual opening of the garage.
- Even if you do not notice any irregularities, measure in many different places along the fascia board edge of your garage opening to ensure you have the correct measurements. The reasoning behind this, framing won’t always be square, and with time, the wood frame warps due to weather changes, or even worse, the garage has just settled with time.
- Start measuring from the bottom. Then, work up to the top of the garage door when determining the door opening height. You should reach about 7 feet, one of the most common sizes. Take a few more measurements for the installation.
- Additional required measurement: headroom space, measured from the top of the garage door or opening to the lowest spot in the garage. Check from headroom space in the entire area where the garage door will move when travelling up and down. Measure the space for the side tracks from the opening or edge of the existing garage door to the closest obstruction. Most of the time, this will be the garage wall, but in some cases can be a shelf or a rack.
Dimensions Of The Standard Garage Doors
You will be surprised at the variety of conventional sizes available for garage doors. The big garage door manufacturers usually offer doors ranging from eight to twenty feet wide. There is a wide array of different garage door sizes. For example, garage doors suitable for golf carts, quad bikes, or any other recreational vehicles. On the other hand, you can find garage doors suitable for big framing vehicles. There is a solution for garage doors in big busy metro areas or rural agricultural farmlands.
The smaller conventional 8-foot wide entrances are no longer common in newer detached houses. However, many new townhomes still have garages that provide space for smaller vehicles. Even better, replacement garage doors for these homes are available everywhere. Note that the typical height of garage doors is usually available at heights of eight or seven feet.
Planning A New Garage Door
Do you intend to build a new garage? The contractor will most likely recommend a 7 feet high and 9 feet wide garage door opening if you want a single door for each car in your garage. It is the most common size for most homes. However, it’s important to note other considerations; for instance, you may have a large truck with large side mirrors or a snow plow on the front. Most of these vehicles have lost their mirrors trying to fit through a nine-foot wide garage door. You should frame for a 10 feet wide and about 8 feet high garage door. Always take into consideration what you will use the garage space and what you will have to get in and out.
Garage Door Replacement
The easiest way to determine the right size for your garage door replacement is to measure your existing door. If you want to install a residential garage door on a newly constructed garage, you’ll need to measure the height and width of the door opening accurately. You should also check the headroom above the opening to determine if you have enough room to install the door tracks in a standard lift setup. The above applies if you want to buy and install the garage door by yourself.
On the other hand, hiring a professional can save the hassle of worrying and the chance of getting the measurements wrong. A garage door expert will take care of everything A to Z, giving you the time to do the things you love!
Adjusting The Size Of Your Garage Door
From a construction standpoint, it’s relatively easy to reduce the size of your garage opening to retrofit a smaller garage door. Still, it’s uncommon for homeowners to do this. Much more common is the desire to increase the garage door opening size to accommodate vehicles, boats and other toys that cannot easily fit through the existing garage door.
However, widening garage door openings without significantly increasing the garage size is often impractical. To increase the overall dimensions of the door, you should cover the span above the door opening with a long header that supports the wall surface above the door. You will need to raise or rebuild this support. If there is not enough headroom above the garage door opening, this will make the garage door installation a challenging task. It is impossible to do this in some scenarios without raising the garage roof. While this is a complex and large project, a professional framing and roofing contractor’s help can come in handy. When doing this, also remember to make room for your garage door opener.
Furthermore, note that you need to consider the depth and width of your garage when you increase its opening. It doesn’t mean you’ve significantly improved your garage if you can drive your larger car through the garage opening, but the trunk is still sticking out of the back. In the best-case scenario, you’ve reduced the usable space on your side walls and front of the garage to make it easier to park your car.
The most convenient and bulletproof way to accommodate large cars is to tear down the existing garage and build a new one. Proper planning and design can significantly increase your home’s utility and value, provided you have a large enough lot to build a new, oversized garage. If you have enough space, you can even section off your old garage, convert it into a living area, and then build a new garage to your specifications and needs.
If you are a homeowner looking to replace your garage door, you’re in luck. There’s a wide selection of excellent garage doors. You can buy a garage door that matches your home regardless of style, colour, or function. Above all, ensure that the garage door you choose is the right size for your garage. Titan Garage Doors Coquitlam is a highly rated garage door company that offers the best garage door repair service. We live and dream garage doors. Our skilled technicians are here for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our same-day service at competitive prices keeps us ahead of the competition. To learn more about how we can help you, please visit our website at
https://titangaragedoors.ca/service-area/garage-door-repair-in-coquitlam/.
Titan Garage Doors ,
604-313-0108
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