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Single or double door for garage/shop

ramack

ramack

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I'm resurrecting my plans for a two car garage/shop. In 2002, I was two weeks away from digging a hole in my backyard for 20wide x 34long garage. Digging the hole because this one would have had a basement accessible from the interior. Our code limits detached secondary building heights to 17 feet and I was wanting additional space, couldn't go up, so I decided to go down. Nothing in code or regulations stating that it wasn't doable. A friend is a structural engineer with a PE stamp, so he helped be size the members to make it happen. Then in 2002 I got a job offer at Ole Miss, kept the house in Colorado, renting it out while in MS and moved back into it in 2009. Multiple reasons while the garage is just now coming back into planning. The building won't have a basement this time around.

I'm re-thinking a single vs double garage door. Mainly thinking of utility and practicality and not the cost differences.

Having one wide door to park a vehicle in the middle while working on it is quite attractive. On the other hand, having two 9-10' wide door would be nice too for weather exposure and visibility/privacy reasons.

I think I'm still on the double door install than two singles. Just curious what you guys have, any regrets?
 
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ktmoutfront said:
Which dimension is getting the doors?

Put doors on 2 sides if you access to 2 sides.
Click to expand...
The door(s) would be on the 20 foot short side. A man door would be on the long side, near the front. No windows on any walls or doors. Lot size is 125x73ft. The Highline Canal is behind the lot (top).

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Two doors may be better in the winter--opening one wont let all the heat out as quickly as one huge door would..
 
On the 20 foot side you a really limited due to shear panels needed for wind load. You should need at least 3 feet of shear wall. Leaves 17 for door space.
 
I have one 16ft door. Love it. Shelving/storage/tools along the walls, and easy to park vehicle where I want it, be it centered or offset in garage. Easy ingress/exit for all situations with one large door. Easy to back a trailer in if needed, or push an unpowered vehicle in/out. If I need privacy I park a vehicle in front of the door, or some other visual obstruction. Guess depends on the neighborhood how much you need to hide from others eyes. I live just above ND, heat loss is a little greater, but not HUGE enough to be a deciding factor.

I had two smaller doors before, each 9 or 10ft wide...can't recall...NO REGRETS going to the single 16ft...I would it again. I can't even imagine two smaller doors again.
 
I have an 18x36 shop with a 12x12 door on one end, I wish I had a second door just for air movement.
 
Thanks for the inputs. I'm going to stick with my original layout with one double door. I had considered building a flat roof, but per Land Development Code, flat roofs are not allowed on detached garages, so that takes care of the roof decision...
 
On 20' wide it's only really about a single car anyway. No reason to have 2 doors :dunno:.

I'd go a single 16' door for sure.
 
One 16 foot door FTW. Who wants to deal with the post in the middle? As for the warm air leaving in the winter when you open it, there won't be a difference.
 
Double wide door. When my brother bought his house, the garage has 2 single doors. We were so worried about height, we never measured the width. He has a 1952 Dodge M37 on 46" Mickey Thompsons. It has 1-ton axles. Because of the wider front axle, it fit through the door when he was backing it in but then we realized the front tires wouldnt fit lol. I'm talking like 2 inches. So now he has to take the front 2 tires off and switch to stockers before going in & out of the garage.
 
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