How much does it save to have two doors? FAQ

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The last house I lived in for 25 years had a double door. It had Genie screw drive opener, with 2 big coil springs across top of door. If properly adjusted, was not difficult to open by hand.

In 25 years only had 1 spring break. Paid $75 to have pro replace as it is dangerous to wind if not experienced with right tools.

Not having a center post helped save 3rd car from hail damage one time. Pulled in 2 cars hard left and right then SUV in middle, I crawled out the back gate of the SUV !

Daughter's house has 2 doors. In summer she leaves her car out, after clipping the mirrors too often

I suspected it would be like that. (Except for the 3rd car part.)

I forgot... Not only the post in the middle but the outer door posts too.

They can use a smaller (shorter and narrower) for a 8' door.

For a 16' opening they need a longer and stronger header, which are generally glue-lam nowadays and not cheap.

I get it, but does anyone have an idea of who much cheaper in dollars it is to use two doors.

I would think for the doors themselves, two small cost more than one big. Two openers instead of one, two sets of tracks, etc.

Savings on construction is the only part, if even that applies.

We don't have posts. Our garage is made of concrete block.

And, yes, you have to be a little bit careful. That's pretty much the case with everything in life.

I suspect today it pretty much comes out in a wash, cost-wize. However there are pros and cos to each setup. With 2 doors you can use one side for storage, or as a shop, and not need to expose it to the public every time you want to put the car in or out. Not EVERYTHING will blow out on a windy day - and a lot less leaves etc blow in during the fall. Also only need to shovel out ONE side to get the car out in areas where the heavy sloppy wet stuff falls 1/3 of the year. Wider doors are also much more prone to sagging in the middle (so often end up being a lot more expensive to build properly) If I were building a garage today I would have 2 (or even 3) 9X8 doors with a minimum 3 feet between the doors. The third door would be on the back of the garage - with the garage double length. Garage minimum 32 feet wide and 40 feet deep with AT LEAST one bay high enough to have a hoist installed (16 foot ceiling?) A 9X8 instead of 9X7 allows a pickup with a high cap or a raised roof van to fit. A higher door to allow an RV to be brought in would add significant value - down the road for resale if nothing else.

Cindy oftens wants me to google my questions, rather than add life to a lethargic newsgroup.

I found only the cost of the door, I think.

Garage Size Average Cost One-car garage $500–$2,500 Two-car garage $750–$4,700 Three-car garage $1,300–$7,000, meaning 3 one-car or one of each. Three-car varieties can be purchased as one single door and one double door or as three separate doors. Choosing double doors typically saves money. ....So this says that it's cheaper to get double doors than 2 single doors!!??? So why wouldn't everyone do that?

"Most garage doors require biannual or annual maintenance, so staying on top of regular upkeep makes sure that you’ll spend less on unexpected repairs". Lived there 9 years 1957 to 66. I think we oiled it once! Unlike a car, it only goes about 24 feet a day. The wheels are 2 inches instead of ?? 18 inches, so consider it 216 feet a day. Still not much. Less than 12 miles a year. It never neeeded any repairs. Except the cast iron handle came off the square shaft once and landed on my head. Ouch.

Well, good thing Cindy got you off your ass to do something. She wants you to stay in shape.

Quite a price range. I have a double door and in this area, it has to be reinforced to meet code for high wind. When we bought the house, the only option for doors was a keypad mounted outside for about $150. I don't use it often but I do use it.

The door opener can be on the wi-fi and that works well. With an app on my phone, I can open and close it and be notified it others open it. I can also get Amazon Key Delivery and the put the package in the garage.

As for repairs, in 5 1/2 years, I've lubed it a few times.

I did opt for the longer garage too. That, IMO, is a gimmick to keep the original starting price attractive. We could get it 2 foot or 4 foot longer at additional cost. Would be tight otherwise unless you drive a Pinto.

Original single piece steel "Barrie" door on our 50 year old garage - replaced one balance spring about 35 years ago

Or better yet a Shetland - - -

Most 16' double door openings have visible sag after a few years. Seeing sag on a 9' door opening is less common.

And then there's frost heave in the floor which also seems more noticeable on the 16' door openings.

Yah, I know, if properly engineered, large openings won't be an issue but residential construction is what it is.

Ours is steel over 30 years ago replacing wood. Had to get new spring last year and had other replaced. Still suffering from sticker shock.

Friend was telling me a neighbor of his just had both doors replaced along with all the hardware and recalls the cost was about $7,000.

Is that some kind of Canadian car, or do you mean a pony?

You could easily get 10 ponies in a 2-car garage. That would be nice.