Why Side-Sliding Garage Doors Might Be The Answer To Your Storage Problems

If you're like many homeowners, your garage is more than just a place to store your vehicles — it's full of many other items. Many people make great use of their garage for much-needed extra storage space, stashing everything from tools and hardware to kayaks and sporting equipment. If you desperately need your garage for storage, standard roll-up garage doors aren't the best option. Standard garage doors take up a lot of vertical space that could be better used as extra storage. And wouldn't it be nice to be able to store your stuff and comfortably move around in your garage?  

If you're scrambling to find more space for all your stuff, consider installing side-sliding garage doors, which could make a lot of sense depending on your storage needs. You'll have a lot of overhead and vertical space to work with and if you know how to reorganize your garage like a professional, this can make a huge difference.

If you decide to install side-sliding garage doors, you're going to want to look into an overhead garage storage system. These contraptions allow you to keep your boxes off the ground where insects and pests are more likely to get into them. You might also want to add overhead storage hangers for larger pieces of equipment such as bicycles, kayaks, or other large items that are difficult to find a place for otherwise. 

There's more to these doors than just some extra overhead space, however. Side-sliding garage doors are also quiet and don't use as much energy. Less power is needed to move side-sliding garage doors, which means the motor doesn't have to work as hard to get the job done. Meanwhile, overhead doors tend to vibrate pretty loudly every time they're opened or closed.

Repairing side-sliding garage doors is also pretty easy. This is because you don't typically have to replace the entire door — often, swapping out a single panel does the trick. Compared to traditional garage doors, there are fewer moving parts to take care of and they don't require as much lubrication. In addition, parts are easy to access when you need to make a repair.

There are some advantages to adding side-sliding doors to your garage, but there are drawbacks as well. Although they can add more storage, they'll reduce the amount of space you have along the side walls while they open. These garage doors are also more vulnerable to freezing conditions because of the horizontal tracks on the garage floor they need to slide open and shut. The tracks of the sliding doors can collect moisture and cause problems if temperatures go down. If your garage door freezes shut, it can be difficult to get it open again, so these doors might not be the ideal option for colder climates.

Also, keep in mind that side-sliding garage doors are currently more expensive than standard roll-up garage doors. They aren't as affordable due to the necessary materials because the design choice isn't as common. Installation will also be a bit more complex, so it's more likely that you'll need to have a professional install side-sliding doors, compared to a standard garage door installation.