Garage and Pedestrian Doors: It is right or bad for you?

Have you seen those fascinating new garage doors that are appearing all over the Internet? If not, let us explain! They are a combination of regular garage door along with a separate panel that opens like a traditional house door.

In other words, rather than opening the entire door to get inside, you can quickly open a regular door, step inside and close it. This, obviously has some benefits.

In fact, there are some traditional garage floor plans where this could be a much wiser approach to entering and exiting on foot. The home with a garage built into the lower level, or basement, for example. Installing a door with a classic steel door (36″ X 78″ or 91 X 198 cm) is usually impossible, and so this combo door makes a lot of sense. Consider too that it would eliminate all the heat or cold loss caused by opening the enormous door, too. So, for energy savings alone, that smaller door saves a lot of money.

Is that it? No, let’s consider the options to uncover all of the pros and cons. The typical door sizes vary a bit, but are usually around 32″ wide by 78″ high. If paired with a high-quality, polyurethane insulated door, it would be quite solid and reliable, and provide thicknesses of 1 3⁄8″ up to 2″.

So, now let’s move on to the pros and cons of a walk‑through garage door for your space.

Bad news first

Let’s begin with any “cons” of this option. On the down side of things, we have the following to consider:

• Serious damage could occur if you use a regular garage door opener, and accidentally leave the pedestrian door ajar. It would mean your electric opener would require something that prevents remote use if that door is open.
• There is also the matter of cost, with the new pedestrian door safety system as well as the garage door itself being close to twice the price of a standard door and opener.
• Not all doors can accommodate this system. If your garage doorway is any less than 8 feet (2.4 m), and if your door has a rectangular pattern or décor, you may be unable to use the modified door design.
• Though this could be energy‑saving by reducing the amount of air exchanged when you open the pedestrian door, it means that insulation and weatherproofing are interrupted by the presence of the door.

The good news

Now, on to the “pros” or the upside of things, which include:

• You can create a much more efficient way to enter your basement garage with this system, especially if your garage is only a door-width wide.
• You will no longer have to worry about problems getting in and out of the garage, at least on foot) if you have a power outage. The door lets you step outside easily. If you don’t park the car in the garage, this becomes a very appealing option for entering and exiting the space.
• In urban areas where garage and drive spaces are small and cramped, there can be a limited amount of space. The pedestrian door gives you the opportunity to easily enter even a narrow garage. It also requires a window-less door, meaning no one can see your belongings inside.

Are you ready to get started?

If this appeals to you, contact us at 519-942-1956. We are garage door experts and can tell you right away if this new design option can work for you. We can even email you a quote if that works better for you!

Pay us a visit at our showroom and let us show you the entire array of doors available and help you make the right choices. If it is easier, just send us a request for an online quotation.