How To Convert a Garage Door Into an Entrance
You only have to look at the size of modern cars compared with the smaller models from the middle of the 20th century to see that there has been a fundamental shift. While cars have got bigger, the garages we typically used to keep them in haven’t grown to match. That means you’re far more likely to use your garage for storage than anything else these days.
With this in mind, many people have been asking how they can convert a garage door into an entrance, providing an easier way of accessing the storage or work space without having to lift or push large garage doors. This month at Doormatic Garage Doors, we’re going to talk about wicket doors for your garage and how they’re a great solution to this 21st-century problem.
The benefits of wicket doors
Firstly, if you’re not familiar with what a ‘wicket door’ is, then allow us to explain. A wicket door is a small entrance integrated into the body of a full garage door. Much like a door to your home, you simply unlock and step through. When you want to open the garage fully, you simply make sure the wicket door is closed and it then operates just like any other garage door, with one whole body.
There are plenty of benefits to having a wicket door in place for your garage, some fairly obvious and others you may not have considered. Here’s what we think are the top five benefits of wicket doors:
- You can use one as an entry to your home – If your garage joins with your home internally, you could use a wicket door as your main entrance, using the garage as a place for coats and shoes, avoiding mess and clutter inside the house.
- Quick access to the things you need – Grab the garden tools, the kids’ toys, or a bucket and sponge to wash the car without having to open your entire garage door.
- Improved privacy inside your garage – If you use your garage as a home gym, workshop or office space, you can come and go without having to reveal your garage for all the world to see. This gives you a greater sense of security when entering and exiting.
- Protection from the weather – Opening your garage fully exposes the space to the vagaries of the weather, but with a simple wicket door you can keep the wind and the rain at bay whenever you need to gain access.
- Seamless look for your home – By retaining your garage door and including a wicket door, you keep the style of your facade the same for a more unified finish that is more appealing overall.
However, it’s also useful to look at things from another perspective. The only other alternative to a wicket garage door is to convert your garage completely — or at least remove the garage door to be bricked up and replaced by a small access door. But what does that entail?
- Will you need planning permission? It’s important to understand any local requirements to ensure you meet the legal requirements with a conversion. Bricking up your garage may fall within permitted development rights, but conservation areas may still dictate what materials you can use.
- Is it structurally sound? Don’t forget that bricking up a garage could add extra weight, something the ground needs to be prepared for if there isn’t a concrete slab to support it.
- Will it look good? Often, garages that have been converted or simply bricked up can ruin the aesthetic of your home, with bricks that don’t suit the style of the property – or even align – creating a jarring finish.
- Is it really practical? If you choose to convert your garage, you’re losing quite a large portion of storage space for the property. And even bricking up the garage to be replaced with a door means you can’t take larger items in and out as easily, like garden furniture, your lawnmower or work benches.
Here at Doormatic, we provide wicket garage doors and a variety of garage doors with pedestrian access in mind. With fast turnaround times and a team of experienced garage door engineers on hand to carry out installation, you could be benefiting from the newly formed entrance into your garage and your home sooner than you think!
We install and maintain garage doors from the leading manufacturers for all our customers across the South East, including Surrey, Kent, London, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Sussex. And with over 1000 positive reviews from previous customers, it’s easy to see why more and more people are choosing Doormatic.
Contact us today for your free quote on a new wicket garage door or to find out more from our expert team.
