Getting in and out of your remodeled garage is an important consideration, and you’ve got attractive options. Here are popular garage access entryway choices you’ll want to consider.
An Entry Way and Mud Room
If you expect the remodeled garage to become a main entry point for household members, it makes sense to include a mud room. This is especially true if the house doesn’t currently have one. If you have small kids, a mud room with a low bench to sit on while removing boots or putting on shoes will be put to good use. Adding a door from the mud room into the living space will reduce the influx of cold air in winter and help to contain dirt and dust.
Sliding Glass Door
This is a good option for the back of the garage if it opens onto a nice yard. You’ll enjoy the added light the sliding glass door allows into the room as well as the expanded view of the landscape. If you don’t have a deck or patio, adding one you can access via the sliding glass door will enhance the project quite a bit.
French Doors
If the remodeling project is on the upscale side, then consider French doors in the place of a sliding glass door. They offer a touch of elegance to the project that will boost your enjoyment of the remodel as well as the resale value of your home. Attractive curtains can be added to control the entrance of light as well as to gain privacy when it is desired. A sliding glass door and French doors are not expected on the front of the house, and they look odd opening onto a driveway. They may negatively affect your home’s resale value. Putting them in back makes better sense.
An Attractive Second Front Door
If you’ll be using the space as a home office, a good-looking door will be useful for welcoming work-related visitors. It is best to have this door on the side of the garage with a walkway leading to it. You may need to place a small sign on the front of the garage that points the way to the side door. Tell your visitors before the appointment to follow the walkway around to the side door.
You may not want to put this door on the front of the house for aesthetic reasons. Having a second front door may make your home look like a duplex. In addition, it will produce confusion. Visitors and delivery people won’t know which is the “real” front door.
Leave the Garage Door
If you think you may want to turn the space back into a garage someday, leave the garage door in place and frame the interior wall inside it. Removing the wall and framing to allow for vehicles will be easy, and it will maintain the exterior look of your home. No one will need to know you’ve remodeled the garage either.
Summary
You may want a both side entry door and French doors or a sliding glass door in back. Think about how you plan to use the indoor space, and you’ll have a good idea of what type of doors to use and where they should be placed.
