Choosing the ideal garage door for your home goes beyond aesthetics, colors, and styles. It has everything to do with function. And so oftentimes, whether or not you go for single or double garage doors is not a matter of personal choice but necessity. After all, what’s the main distinction between the two types?
- Single garage doors are about 8′ to 10′ wide and thus designed to fit one car. And so they are also known as one-car doors. It makes sense, doesn’t it?
- Double garage doors are approx. 14′ to 16′ wide and so provide space for two cars. Naturally, they are also called two-car doors.
So, what if nothing compelled you in choosing one of the two? What if you had the freedom of choosing any one you wanted? Which garage door would you buy? To make your decision easier, here are their advantages and disadvantages.
Single Garage Doors Pros and Cons
Pros of single garage doors:
1-car garage doors are smaller than double ones and so lightweight which in turn will
distant the day of wear and tear. Not that single garage door maintenance is not needed but would be easier.
Due to their smaller size, they cost is lower than double doors. But beware here. The price is also subject to the type of garage door opener and door styles, materials, and designs you buy.
One-car garage doors are not as heavy as their double counterparts. That has multiple advantages. The door is safer. The replacement parts don’t cost much. And since the door is lightweight, it won’t cause stress on the parts and so they won’t need to be replaced often.
Garage door openers are selected based on your personal requirements but primarily based on the characteristics of the door. Given that single doors are lighter, the opener will be light-duty too and so not very expensive.
The opening is smaller and so the garage remains better insulated. In turn, this will cost you less in utility bills.
Cons of single garage doors:
There is no doubt that average family cars go through the opening but sometimes, this is not an easy feat especially if the overall access to the garage is difficult due to landscape peculiarities. And so scratching the car or hitting the garage door tracks is always a high possibility.
If you decide to get a bigger car or a van, you will need to park outside. Single doors are designed to fit solely average size vehicles. Nothing bigger will pass through.
Double Garage Doors Pros and Cons
Pros of double garage doors:
Two-car garage doors make access a walk in the park. If there is a new driver in your 
family, you won’t fear that they will bump in the tracks or cause another damage.
- No future car limitations
In case your family buys a larger vehicle or truck, it will fit right in. So you won’t have any restrictions that might have an impact on your job or family entertainment.
Cons of double garage doors:
Double garage doors are very heavy and thus need parts that can take the stress. All is good here apart from the fact that they are more expensive and due to the extra strain imposed on them, they will wear faster. What’s the problem here? You need to replace them more often and this will cost you.
Since two-car doors are heavy and their parts need good care, they also need maintenance frequently. Even if you have strong and big garage door springs and openers, they must be checked and serviced regularly.
- Limited garage insulation
Every time you keep the door open, you lose energy. Not that you won’t lose energy with small doors but the opening here is much larger.
It’s clear here that the advantages of single doors outnumber the advantages of double doors. But pay attention. The pros and cons of single and double garage doors will help you decide when you plan to build a new construction. They are not the same when you want to convert two 1-car doors to a 2-car door. In this case, you have two single doors and thus two doors to care about. And so in such cases, it’s often best to convert to double doors and enjoy the convenience of easy access.
