Question:
The house I'm currently designing will have a three-car garage. One
stall will have it's own 9-foot-wide door and the other two stalls
will share a double door. I'm not sure whether to go with a
16-foot-wide door or an 18-footer. My prior homes have all had
single-car garages, so I have no experience living with a double door.
I'd like to solicit some opinions. Is a 16-foot wide door too small
for easy daily use by two cars?
Answer:
My in-laws have a 16' wide garage door, and it just doesn't leave enough
room between the cars IMO. Not to mention I would constantly worry about my
wife "removing" a side mirror. We just opted for an 18' wide door for our
new house. If money is an issue, I'd try to tighten the belts elsewhere.
I've always felt that you cannot have a "big enough" garage.
I've installed 8x18 in my last two houses (current and prior), and
wouldn't install anything smaller. My Chevy pickup with the high-rise
cap wouldn't fit in a 7' high garage. And 16' is pretty tight with two
cars, especially when those cars are a full-size pickup and a minivan.
Go to a new development and drive both of your cars in a 16' garage.
If it doesn't bother you and you think you can live with it then you
should economize by getting the smaller door and invest the savings in
something that will improve resale or the quality of your lives.
For me, given a 16' vs 18' garage, I would choose a 16' garage with
high quality toilets that flush, or landscaping that requires almost
no maintenance.
