There are many types of garage door out there – if you are only just beginning to think about what will suit you best, then considering side hinged doors could really change the course of your decision making process. Lightweight, attractive, easy to use and very secure, side hinged doors may not be your typical garage door but they can actually offer a whole host of benefits. They are well worth thinking about to transform any garage and make access easier.

Side hinged doors are simply those that open like a normal front door or back door. They are usually much bigger because they will need to fill larger openings when used on a garage; most garages are designed for large doors that will allow a car to pass through them easily. While a side hinged door is more like a normal door in terms of access, it will still fulfil all the duties of a garage door as well, in terms of security and accessibility. Usually side hinged doors for garages will be double leaf so both doors can be opened when easy access is needed.

Sometimes, side hinged doors might be used in addition to other types of more traditional garage door. This might be the case if the garage is particularly big, such as a triple garage, or a very spacious double garage. In this case, a garage door may be used at the front where a car may be driven in. Side hinged doors might then be used round the side of the garage to give pedestrian access. Side hinged doors might also be used next to other types of garage doors to allow flexible access depending on the access required.

There are some key reasons why side hinged doors can be right for your garage, as they can offer some important benefits that other types of garage doors do not.

Key Benefits of Side Hinged Doors for Garages

First and foremost, side hinged garage doors are easier for pedestrians to use. They can be opened as any normal door would be, by using the handle to open them on side hinges. This makes pedestrian access easy, so if you need to go in and out of your garage on a regular basis, this can be a simpler way to do so. Remember, side hinged doors that are intended for use in garages will generally be double leaf anyway, so there will still be the option to use them in much the same way as you would other garage doors as well. This gives you more flexibility to use these doors in the way that suits you, which you might not get with other, less versatile types of doors for your garage.

Side hinged doors are great for pedestrian access because they are, quite simply, easier to open. That is not to say that they are less secure; they can be made of highly robust, very secure materials and can have all of the same safety features as other garage doors. They can also be alarmed if desired. They are simply easier to open once they have been unlocked, allowing you to pass through them simply and safely. By having a door that opens like a normal door, i.e. with side hinged operation and not an up and over motion, you will actually be making things safer for yourself. That is because this type of door is less likely to cause injury. This is true for households with children or pets, where an up and over door might be something of a hazard, as well as households where people may simply want less physical activity. For example, a side hinged garage door can really help to protect your back and make you less likely to sustain back injuries simply by opening it.

One other key benefit is the way that side hinged doors look. Many people choose them because of their aesthetics; they can look more traditional, more appealing and more streamlined as well. There are many different styles and designs that you can choose from, with different materials, colours and finishes regularly being used for side hinged garage doors.

In some ways, a side hinged door can actually offer more security. This is because both doors do not have to be opened – if you require frequent access to your garage, it may be easier to have a double leaf side hinged door and open one of them, rather than having to leave a large door wide open. This could be a good option for people who move objects in and out of their garages on a regular basis.