5 Reasons To Buy Manual Garage Doors
Do you want to get in and out of your vehicle to raise and lower your garage door? The likely answer is no, but sometimes we get a request for manual garage doors for a garage conversion or barn. While rare, we want to provide our thoughts and expertise around manual doors. We’ll dive into 5 scenarios where considering manual garage doors makes sense.
1. Manual garage doors can be built in custom sizes
Steel and overlay garage doors are mass produced in standard styles and sizes. Made-to-order manual out-swing garage doors are custom crafted to fit your opening. With manual doors you can build your shed or stand-along garage to suit, rather than spec.
2. Historical Charm
All garage doors used to swing out and were operated by hand. Today, you can honor the historic period of your home with manual carriage style garage doors. These manual swing-style doors work like a pair of oversized french doors for the garage. Historically correct garage doors highlight your home and allow your architect to think freely.
3. Multi-Purpose Space
Need to transform your garage into a game room or mother-in-law suite? Once transformed, your room doesn’t need an automatic opener but efficient doors. Highly-efficient out-swing manual doors seal well against the header and side jambs. Manual doors have only one joint in the center vs sectional garage doors that use 4 separate panels. Also, you don’t need an opener or tracks for your door so your ceiling and walls are free of equipment.
Special Note
Bi-fold manual garage doors provide a weathertight seal to keep out bad weather while reducing the swing out footprint of each door. Bi fold garage doors open outward and move along a track. These doors allow you to convert a long wall, say 20′, with operable doors.
4. Privacy
Opening an 8′ or 16′ wide garage door gives your neighbors a glimpse of what’s inside. Now, we’re optimistic people and don’t think anyone is out to get you, the fact is sometimes people steal stuff. By using a manual garage door, valuables, antique cars, artwork, or other items are hidden. This level of garage privacy is unique to manual garage doors. Whether you choose side-hinged doors or sliding doors, you only need to open the door wide enough to come and go.
5. Manual garage doors are more secure
We love the convenience of pushing a button to open our garage door. It’s great to have sensors, lights, and apps that give us control and a sense of security. Manual carriage doors don’t have any of that so why discuss security of manual doors? With manual doors you don’t have to worry if you closed the door or if it opened during the latest storm. You can’t hack a manual garage door. Since there’s no remote, you don’t worry about someone stealing one from your visor. While manual doors may be inconvenient at times, they do protect what’s inside as well or better than sectional garage doors.
We hope this articled has helped you think about what type of garage door to buy. Please call and let us know what you think and let us know if you still have manual garage door questions.
At Heritage Garage Door, we service garage doors and their parts. If you’re shopping for garage door stuff, feel free to look at our garage doors, openers, and accessories. Please contact us if you need some expert advice.
