How to choose the best size for a two-car garage?

It is difficult to say whether it is good or bad to have two cars. It is prestigious in some way, on the other hand, it is additional costs for repairs and refueling. But one thing is indisputable: if there are two cars, then it is necessary to build a separate garage for each car or one large garage for two cars.

An experienced craftsman who has been building for years can use simple drawings made according to his own tastes and preferences. For the rest, it is better to turn to specialists. The cost of such a service is small, and a well-prepared project will be able to ensure the durability and strength of the future structure.

Professionals will take into account the suitability of the building site, will check the soil, measure the depth of freezing, determine the presence of groundwater.

In the plan, it is necessary to calculate the length and width of the future building based on the dimensions of the vehicles, taking into account the increments and errors. When calculating the width of the garage, add the width parameters of both cars and add 100 cm each. This will provide 50 cm on both sides of the parking spaces. This stock is necessary for free entry (exit) and for the smooth opening of doors.

You need to add about 150 cm to the length of the larger car to provide access to your trunk.

The results obtained from these calculations reflect the size of the interior space of a standard building. Therefore, having decided on the materials for construction and decoration, it is necessary to make the appropriate allowances. If a brick is used for construction, it is worth adding about 5-10 cm to the resulting width.When using blocks, you need to add about 2 times more. If sheet material is used (one of the thinnest), when taking into account the addition of insulation, the result will be the same 5-10 cm.

In the plan, you need to indicate the location of windows, doors, gates. It is necessary to determine in advance whether racks, shelves, furniture, any large-sized tools or machines will be placed. It will be more convenient to have a garage with a separate entrance for each car. In addition, if the dimensions of the cars are different, the garages can be adjacent (share a common roof), but vary in size or even in height.

To determine the width and height of the garage door, again, it is necessary to take into account the size of the car (if the cars differ in size, the gate should be made taking into account the parameters of the larger car). You need to add 15-20 cm to the width of the car. Such calculations will provide free access and protect the vehicle from accidental scratches. The height is determined based on the dimensions of the body with the addition of 30-50 cm. But, in order to ensure greater maneuverability and to maximize the safety of the car, you can increase the size of the allowances.

Before installation, you need to decide whether you need two gates or one is enough. A garage for 2 cars allows both options, here it is important to rely on your preferences. It is not necessary to change the height of the garage when calculating the dimensions of the doors, since it is not directly related to the number of cars (unless, of course, one of them is a truck).

If it is decided to make one garage door for two cars, then it is better to immediately take care of the reinforced base of the structure.

A more popular option for large two-car garages is the design of two separate door systems. To determine their parameters, you need to add 50-100 cm to the size of a single system for two machines. This is necessary in order to correctly plan the distance between the gates and ensure the stability of the structure. When installing, be sure to take into account that structural parts can interfere with each other when opening and you need to try to avoid this.

According to the opening method, all garage systems are divided into automatic and manual. The clear advantage of the latter is lower cost. In operation, everything is very clear: the opening / closing of the gate is done manually.

Automatic systems have a number of important advantages:

• convenient operation and protection from intruders;
• comfort and time saving (because the system can be controlled remotely);
• control of this mechanism can be configured even from a mobile phone (for this, a special program must be installed on the phone);
• the technical condition of the automation can also be monitored by a mobile phone.

But there are also a few downsides:

• there is a danger of intercepting the signal that comes from the console to the receiver;
• neighbors may have a device that works at the same frequency as the receiver from the garage (in this case, you can be protected by changing the frequency of the receiver).

And the main disadvantage of any automation is the dependence of the system on the supply of electricity. In the absence of light, opening and closing the garage will become impossible. But even in this case, there is a solution. A manual unlocking system can be configured. Manufacturers usually include such an option in an additional package.

There are 5 main types of gate systems:

• swing;
• retractable;
• sectional;
• swing-lifting;
• roller shutters.

The most common type of gate is swing gate. Often these are one or two doors that can be opened remotely using the remote control. Such gates are easy to assemble on your own, but they require additional space in front of the garage. But today the popularity of this type is gradually decreasing. This is probably due to the high cost of automatic swing systems.

Minuses:

• limiting the width of the gate;
• the need to clear snow during heavy snowfalls.

Sliding systems will help to compensate for the problem with additional space, because in their system the sash moves away from the opening. During opening, the gate is able to move left and right along the surface of the fence. The mechanism involves guides that are attached to the power parts. The movement is provided by roller bearings installed inside the beam.

Advantages:

• quality work in any weather;
• you do not need to fully open the gate;
• the width of the gate can be up to 12 meters;
• installation of the structure is easy to carry out manually.

The disadvantages of the sliding system include the need for free space for installation and the fact that the mechanism may not work with an uneven surface.

Sectional garage systems are not dangerous for the car, they cannot touch and damage the equipment with the doors, as, for example, other structures.

Advantages:

• the territory is freed from both sides of the garage;
• high reliability;
• operation is possible in any weather;
• possibility of installation for absolutely any opening width;
• installation of thermal insulation is possible.

Disadvantages:

• low reliability of the blade, because there is no hard metal;
• the complexity of the design - in the event of a breakdown, the help of a specialist will be required.

Such models provide speed of action and significantly save space. Their distinguishing feature is their one-piece construction, which fully protects the entrance. The work of the system looks like moving the gate from a vertical position to a horizontal one.

Minuses:

• installation is possible exclusively in rectangular openings;
• there is a danger when the gate is raised, as it protrudes forward by about a meter.

Rolling shutters are made of plates, which, when closed, are wound by a special large shaft and hides them in the cylinder. Here it is worth considering the size of this cylinder and provide free space for its placement. Such a system can be installed in almost any opening without any special preparatory work. But in this case, it must be remembered that the roller shutters retain very little heat, which makes their installation reasonable only in cool rooms.

Of the minuses, one can note the impossibility of arranging a wicket, therefore, a separate entrance must be planned for the garage. During winter, the main metal mechanism may freeze and malfunction.

When choosing, it is worth remembering the shortcomings of sectional and roller shutter systems. Both designs are not strong enough and have rather weak insulation.

After choosing a suitable design and determining the dimensions, you can safely proceed to the start of construction. It is only worth considering that all serious shortcomings and miscalculations will affect the final result. Fixing some of them is likely to be very problematic or impossible. But this does not mean that there is no need to learn!

See the next video for more on this.