Imagine walking up to your one-car garage and being able to open a regularly sized door cleverly concealed in the larger door’s overall design. Sounds pretty advanced, doesn’t it? Yet, it is actually an option for anyone considering a new build or update to their garage.
Naturally, there are going to be a few pros and cons to such a design, so let’s take a few moments to consider them.
Pros and Cons
Essentially, the pros and cons relate most to the type of property on which the door is going to be mounted. For example, if you have a garage on the ground level of your home, with living spaces above it, you probably jump whenever someone opens the garage door. You might also feel drafts of hot or cold caused by all the air flow. This is a clear “pro” for the combination door to replace a classic steel door (36″ X 78″ or 91 X 198 cm), as it allows just a small door to be popped open instead.
Is that the only pro of this door? Not really, there is also the issue that many homes would not have the space for a pedestrian door, but this option allows it. Also, the newer door can be a high-quality, polyurethane insulated door,1 3⁄8″ up to 2″ thick – making it durable and weather resistant.
The Downside
Now, about the cons of this combination option. There is the risk of substantial damage should you accidentally use the garage door opener when the pedestrian door is open. However, this issue is offset by the fact that combination doors are equipped with openers that are disabled whenever the pedestrian door is open.
Before you wonder if this is much more expensive, in a word: it is. Combination doors can be around twice the cost of standard doors, but this is all due to the special safety features.
Sadly, not all garages or door styles can accommodate this option, which is another con. A doorway less than 8″, or doors with rectangular patterns and designs cannot accommodate combination doors.
Lastly, the combination doors are noted for some loss of efficiency because of that door being built into the design. Yet, there is a lot of good news to consider in relation to these cons.
The Up Side
Though another opening in the door seems like a loss of efficiency, it also keeps much more of the conditioned air inside by keeping the enormous door closed at all times. Not only that, but the pedestrian door means you are never locked out of the house by a malfunctioning opener, power outage or other issue that might prevent the larger door from opening. And if you don’t park in the garage, this is even better because it allows you to use the space more efficiently and effectively.
Speaking of efficiency, consider too that an option for a pedestrian door allows you to make the very most of even the narrowest drive and garage space. Finally, consider the security benefits of this system. The design means no windows in the door, and this can allow you to prevent anyone from looking inside to checkout your belongings.
Are you ready to choose your door?
If you are eager to discover whether the combination door is for you, contact us at 330-889-0062. We are garage door experts and will help you to determine if this is an ideal option. We gladly offer email quotes, and our showroom is a great way to get a better grasp of the designs and styles available. We are here to help or we can also just draft an online quotation to give you a good idea of costs and options.
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