Garage doors
- Thread starter nicksL98
- Start date
Ok, my first post 
For many years I worked in the overhead door industry, and here is my opinion as to why I would prefer two doors over one.
First I would go with two 9' wide over two 8' wide as that is more of an industry standard width and you will definitely need the room if you're parking anything other than a compact vehicle.
I understand that your initial equipment and labor costs will be higher, however, in the long run you will be operating each door individually less cycles than if you were to only have one large door. Which will translate into less wear and tear and maintenance over the life of your doors this should be reflected in a savings long term.
But that's me, many, many people prefer one large door.
Bottom line, if you park your daily driver(s) in there you will be using those doors a lot, you will have to depend on them rain or shine year round. Do NOT cut corners on this equipment... saving a couple bucks up front may likely bite you in the rear down the road. Get the best you can afford, you won't regret it.
Good luck!
For many years I worked in the overhead door industry, and here is my opinion as to why I would prefer two doors over one.
First I would go with two 9' wide over two 8' wide as that is more of an industry standard width and you will definitely need the room if you're parking anything other than a compact vehicle.
I understand that your initial equipment and labor costs will be higher, however, in the long run you will be operating each door individually less cycles than if you were to only have one large door. Which will translate into less wear and tear and maintenance over the life of your doors this should be reflected in a savings long term.
But that's me, many, many people prefer one large door.
Bottom line, if you park your daily driver(s) in there you will be using those doors a lot, you will have to depend on them rain or shine year round. Do NOT cut corners on this equipment... saving a couple bucks up front may likely bite you in the rear down the road. Get the best you can afford, you won't regret it.
Good luck!
nolimits76
Well-known member
Assuming you have the space to do this, 8' or 9' single doors are nice in the fact that you can put a center space between them so that when you park 2 cars you actually get more than 16' (or 18' if comparing the 9' singles) wide.
For instance, if you put 3' space between the doors you end up with 8'+3'+8' (19' total) from outside edge of door to outside edge of door. Assuming you have a 2 car garage and you have another 2-3' on each side of the exterior of the door now your shop width is close to 23' to 25' wide total but you have more space between the cars to get out and than a traditional 16' door would allow in the same space.
For instance, if you put 3' space between the doors you end up with 8'+3'+8' (19' total) from outside edge of door to outside edge of door. Assuming you have a 2 car garage and you have another 2-3' on each side of the exterior of the door now your shop width is close to 23' to 25' wide total but you have more space between the cars to get out and than a traditional 16' door would allow in the same space.
I used to have one large. Now have two small. Much prefer the two small. It creates a natural break in the garage to allow space for both cars. It keeps heat and cool in better to open only one side. Weather like rain and snow stay out better. My neighbors can't see what I am doing or what is in entire garage. A lot less problems with tracks and openers than I had with one large. I've only had to replace one opener in 15 years. I can play the radio in the garage with one door closed it doesn't bother the neighbors as much.
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Dakota00
Well-known member
I love my double 8ft doors. For one, privacy!! Having one door open when working on my cars, makes it hard for people to see what you are doing and seeing what you have inside the garage. Where as most of my neighbors that have a 16' door, you see everything!
I also like that each car has basically its own bay.
I also like that each car has basically its own bay.
bazzateer
Well-known member
Two 7.5' doors here. Has the potential to be changed to a single 14' door in the future but it's fine for me.
ambenz
Well-known member
I have both a 9 footer and a 16 footer and I just rebuilt the opener on the 16 after 10 years of service, the gears were shot as were the door springs.
I had it serviced by a professional for $600.00.
The 9 footer isn't used as much and should last 20 more years.
I can keep the big door closed and open the 9 footer to air and access without showing the neighborhood what's inside...
I had it serviced by a professional for $600.00.
The 9 footer isn't used as much and should last 20 more years.
I can keep the big door closed and open the 9 footer to air and access without showing the neighborhood what's inside...
upndown
Well-known member
I have both a 9 footer and a 16 footer and I just rebuilt the opener on the 16 after 10 years of service, the gears were shot as were the door springs.
I had it serviced by a professional for $600.00.
The 9 footer isn't used as much and should last 20 more years.
I can keep the big door closed and open the 9 footer to air and access without showing the neighborhood what's inside...
You paid $600 for a gear and sprocket assembly and a couple springs? WOW!
ambenz
Well-known member
Labor ain't cheap...and there was no way I was going to tightening those springs...paying for piece of mind and keeping my appendages...."priceless!"You paid $600 for a gear and sprocket assembly and a couple springs? WOW!
Not to mention it warrantied.
upndown
Well-known member
Hey, don't blame you a bit! I have seen what springs are capable of doing. I started my career in the Chicagoland area, just a little surprised at the price. But I guess you have to pay for those pleasant Winters.
rslaback
Well-known member
With the size of most vehicles now, if you want to fit two in side by side and still open doors, you will need to drive in really close to the jamb and sometimes at an angle. As much as I love my wife, I also love scratch free mirrors and dentless trim. See where I'm going with this? The only real benefit I see to a wider door is that it is easier/possible to back a full size through.
wyattoil
Active member
Just had a 18'x8' installed on a 24'x30' garage. I wanted to stay away from two doors, two openers...but if my garage was close to the street or heated I can understand for privacy and heat loss why two 8'x9' doors would be preferred.
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gayler
Well-known member
I love my two ten foot doors! Lots of room for bigger trucks and the wife usually doesn't hit anything!
Old Moparz
Well-known member
My 36' wide garage was originally planned as a 3 car layout with three individual doors, but I have two 16' wide doors instead & glad I went that way. If I did three doors, the approach angle driving into the door on the right wouldn't have worked since the right side of the garage is tucked a few feet behind my house. The 16' wide door allows me to pull the car in & out of the garage at a slight angle. Over all, the extra width of both doors is a plus because of the extra clearance.
Daniel Dudley
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I wanted a wide door, so I could pull one car into the middle as a service bay, or put two in for storage.
briwod
New member
I went with two 9-foot doors when we built our house simply to provide more space between the cars when parked. With our setup there is enough space that we don't have to worry about inattentive kids causing door dings getting in or out of the cars. A single 16-foot door just seemed too cramped.
C2 Turbo
Well-known member
Building our house with two garages, one 24x28 with 2-10 x 8 ) and the second one at 26x40 with three 10 x 8 doors.
When I built the house garage, it was for parking, mainly. I wanted the vehicles to sit apart so the doors wouldn't touch either vehicle. I separated doors by 32", 2 blocks worth.
rburke65
Well-known member
I love, love, love my two 12'x8 doors.
Dcampbell98xj
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600.00 is outrageous I need to move there so I can charge that. My company would charge about 250-300 for a job like that. That's parts and labor and would take roughly an hour.
TAMPAGT07
Well-known member
I'd gladly trade my 16' and 8' doors for three 9' doors... I like the look more of the single doors then the wider 16' doors...
Dcampbell98xj
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Me personally I would go a different route and if the space is big enough do 2 10'x8' doors most larger SUVs need closer to the 8' height and 10'wide is nice so there are no worries about dings and scratches. 16' doors are heavier and wear parts faster then single size doors. Just my opinion. When I have a garage I might do 10' sliding doors with gate openers. Less moving parts less maintance. I'm in the business and prefer to not spend my off time fixing my own doors.
DeliveryGuy
Well-known member
You could size, fabricate, and, replace springs on a double wide, and a single wide door, AND changes both drive gears in ONE hour? ********. No one believes you.
Dcampbell98xj
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If you have the springs already yes. If I have to cut the springs to the correct length make it 2 hours, 3 tops and at that point the additional hour or two would only cost the customer an additional 100 bucks still way under 600. Takes 10 minutes to replace each gear and 30 minutes to change springs on doors
DeliveryGuy
Well-known member
30 minutes to change springs on both doors? Extension springs, yes. Not torsion springs.
Look at those pics again. 2014 Ford Mustang is over 4'7". Those are at least 9ft tall doors. Big. The headshafts will be 10ft up.
Average 2.5lbs/sq-ft for steel, polyurythane insulated doors, that 9x9 is 202lbs, with TorqueForce D400-12 drums, a .283 x 2"x 49" long spring balances that door. That's not a stock, premade spring you inventory. That's a big *** residential spring. Using the same math, the 16ft door needs TWO .262 x 38" springs.
No one guy could replace those springs on 9 foot tall doors in 30mins. That's tools/ladder off the truck, into the garage, dismantle, reassemble, TWICE, and clean-up in 30 minutes. Not to mention, size, cut and cone, at least three springs, and travel to/from the site.
Unless, you're a one man company, working out of a pickup, and you don't mark up the parts you bought from a supplier or charge for your travel time to size the customer's springs and source them, and you're only working for your wages because you don't have a cent of overhead, $600 is not a lot of money for that job.
I'll reiterate. Those are very large doors. $600 is probably fair for a reputable company that charges $80/hr, who will show up with a service truck stocked with 12ft lengths of various spring sizes, measure the old springs, cut, cone, and install, three springs, then quickly swap out two stripped drive gears, and reset limits on the machines.
Look at those pics again. 2014 Ford Mustang is over 4'7". Those are at least 9ft tall doors. Big. The headshafts will be 10ft up.
Average 2.5lbs/sq-ft for steel, polyurythane insulated doors, that 9x9 is 202lbs, with TorqueForce D400-12 drums, a .283 x 2"x 49" long spring balances that door. That's not a stock, premade spring you inventory. That's a big *** residential spring. Using the same math, the 16ft door needs TWO .262 x 38" springs.
No one guy could replace those springs on 9 foot tall doors in 30mins. That's tools/ladder off the truck, into the garage, dismantle, reassemble, TWICE, and clean-up in 30 minutes. Not to mention, size, cut and cone, at least three springs, and travel to/from the site.
Unless, you're a one man company, working out of a pickup, and you don't mark up the parts you bought from a supplier or charge for your travel time to size the customer's springs and source them, and you're only working for your wages because you don't have a cent of overhead, $600 is not a lot of money for that job.
I'll reiterate. Those are very large doors. $600 is probably fair for a reputable company that charges $80/hr, who will show up with a service truck stocked with 12ft lengths of various spring sizes, measure the old springs, cut, cone, and install, three springs, then quickly swap out two stripped drive gears, and reset limits on the machines.
Dcampbell98xj
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Iv been doing commercial garage doors for 12 years. Maybe for you or anyone else who deals primarily with residential doors this job would be a hassle and time consuming .283 2" ID springs are small compared to the .318 6"ID springs I normally hump 20feet up a ladder. When you usually work with springs that much bigger you gladly take a job that's 3 springs and 2 gears. And yes my work truck does have lengths of springs, torches, cones and a vise for making springs. If you've been doing the job long enough it becomes cake. Also at no time did the poster say that all 3 springs were replaced or both gears. He stated the springs and gear were replaced on the 16' door.
DeliveryGuy
Well-known member
Take a look. (Link)
I'll be posting more pics of the one I'm rebuilding in the new year. 26' full vertical, four triplex springs, 255lbs each, tandem shaft, same place as the one I rebuilt summer 2012.
Dcampbell98xj
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I love those jobs..... Not. the last one of those I did was 6 months ago 18x18 full vert lift with 4 springs per shaft plus a center mounted motor. 40 feet in the air with a 3 phase electric crane hoist system directly in front of the springs. Had to replace the springs and cables on 4 of them.
Beaumont67
Well-known member
^^^^ Did exactly, couldn't be happier
- two doors 10 ft. wide x 8 ft. high (accommodates 3/4 ton truck mirror clearance easily)
- 20 gauge commercial GADCO doors with thermax insulation & HD springs & hardware...most excellent product
Following photo of my 24x30' garage build...doors are 25 years old now.
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speed bump
Well-known member
My garage has 2 8 ft doors, only time it prefer that setup is when I am using one for what amounts to an oversized man door. With a 16 ft door its so much easier to place a vehicle in the middle for a project or back in a trailer and unload.