Man door vs. 7' garage door

[matttys]

I've got a 3 car garage that is on a slight hill and I'm pondering different ideas for a door to the back yard. This will help for ventilation, kids playing and getting my motorcycles in and out if the front is jammed up.

The laundry room and downstairs bathroom are behind the main 20'x20' section of the garage and the longer single bay of the garage butts up to the back of the house. The problem is that the garage floor is 22" below the yard in the back of the house making any door that would go in be tricky. Regrading and installing more drains won't really work without substantial cost as I live in an area where parts of the basements were dug with explosives - it's all bedrock that is seriously hard to dig up. Not to mention I'm not too keen on having a 22" slope towards the foundation even if there is a good drain system in place. Any cleaver ideas how to put in a door for back yard access and ventilation? My options thus far:

1. Install man door at 22". Door would have to swing in as I would not want the hinges facing the outside. I'd have to install steps which would take up a bunch of interior space. Maybe build folding steps?

2. Install a 5-7" wide garage door with steps and a clip in ramp. Door would move out of the way, but this would take up a lot of interior room for steps (and would probably look weird being 22" off the floor).

3. Your interesting idea or solution. . .

 

[deter]

I would say the man-door is the way to go.

 

[tncatadjuster]

22" worth of steps, must be small motorcycles.

Pics needed as noted.

 

[matttys]

Pictures will be uploaded tonight.

 

[pattenp]

Use a french style double door that opens inward and build a hinged drop down ramp. So you'd have to drop down the ramp to open the doors. The ramp would act as added security when in the up position keeping anyone from forcing the doors open from the outside. The downside is that you wouldn't be able to open the door from the outside with the ramp being up.

 

[matttys]

Here's a picture of the back corner of the garage. I took out the flimsy cabinets and have all the walls ripped down to the studs. The ground outside the garage is at the same level as the top row of cement bricks.

 

[timewarp]

What is the grade outside to the side rather than the back, could you put the door where the cabinets are in the picture and have it at floor level? With out pictures of the outside I can't tell.
If not I would go with a mandoor and stairs with a ramp you could put in the middle for the motorcycles. You can get wide mandoors, you will need to figure out how large of a door you will need depending on the size of the bike.
You can also get narrow "garage" doors, I wouldn't see a reason to have a 7' door, maybe 4 or 5' at the most.

 

[matttys]

Here's a google maps picture. Outside of the house really has the same grade the entire way around the garage. Because the ground is so rocky all the houses tend to be built on little mounds.

I do like the idea of opening to the back yard as opposed to the side yard.

The house and yard looks nice in these pictures - that must have been before the previous owners got a huge dog, had kids, and ransacked the place.

 

[ydna]

If you want to get your motorcycles out through this door a mandoor is useless as are steps. You'll just not use it because it's too much hassle.

Do what patternp said. And stay a few inches above grade so if you have a downpour it doesn't come in. You need a ramp anyway, another few inches wont make any odds.

Nice pad by the way.

 

[matttys]

Nice pad by the way.

Thanks. I think I'm going to be the only person in the neighborhood who changes his own oil, not to mention has a TIG welder. I just moved in a month ago.

 

[firecracker]

I have a double and a single on the front, and a fiberglass manual 7foot door on the back, the door lets lots of light in when closed but is a great help opening up the garage to the back yard.Go for it.

 

[matttys]

I have a double and a single on the front, and a fiberglass manual 7foot door on the back, the door lets lots of light in when closed but is a great help opening up the garage to the back yard.Go for it.

I kind of agree with you on the garage door. It may look weird being 22" off the ground and having steps but it won't have to swing in killing my wall and ground space nearby.

 

[6t7gto]

Split the difference between inside and outside elevation?