If you’re looking for garage doors that make a statement, a true swing out garage door could be the perfect option. Unlike traditional overhead garage doors, these products swing open and shut on hinges mounted to each side of your garage door opening.
To help you decide if swing out garage doors are right for your home, we’ve created a guide to provide an overview of everything you need to know.
What is a Swing Out Garage Door?
True swing out garage doors open and close on heavy-duty hinges that are mounted to the jambs of your garage opening. They’re typically composed of two opposing door slabs (or leaves) that open outwards, although in-swing options are also available. The “active” slab has a handle and opens first, and the other slab is stationary until the pins holding it shut are released.
Swing out garage doors are a beautiful, authentic option that dates back to 19th-century carriage houses and doors. They’re ideal for garages with limited overhead space or for homeowners who want to avoid overhead track systems in converted areas. Swinging garage doors are available in nearly any size and are manufactured as single units.
Keep in mind that swinging garage doors require more space than traditional overhead doors since they open horizontally. You’ll also want to make sure your door is at least one foot taller than it is wide to avoid sagging. And if you opt for an automatic opening system, you’ll need to choose one that’s specifically designed for swing doors. There are two main options:
- A double unit system that mounts directly above each door and extends or retracts a jointed arm to open and close the slabs.
- A single overhead track with a small gliding box attached to rods that push the slabs open or pull them shut.
What Are Bifold Swing Out Garage Doors?
Like closet doors in your bedroom or kitchen, bifold garage doors collapse to half their size as the door opens. This reduces the width (and swing) to the dimensions of each door slab. Bifolds aren’t as heavy as traditional swinging garage doors, and they don’t open as far into your driveway.
Benefits of Swing Out Garage Doors
When properly installed, swing out garage doors are easy to open and close, whether they are manual or equipped with an automatic opener. Unlike roll-up garage doors, swing out doors won’t get stuck if there’s a power outage or the opener fails while the doors are opening or closing.
Since swinging garage doors don’t have the metal tracks and other moving parts that overhead doors do, they need very little maintenance. Even with an automatic opener, swing out doors have fewer components and are easy to switch to manual control if the opener has an issue. All you’ll need to do is some light garage door cleaning to keep your door in shape.
Also, since swing out garage doors hinge on the sides, they don’t need the bulky metal tracks that come with regular overhead doors. This frees up valuable ceiling space, giving you more room for storage or high-profile vehicles. With fewer parts to maintain, you’ll also enjoy a cleaner, more spacious garage interior.
Another benefit of not having the metal tracks is more storage space. Many people use their garage ceilings for extra storage, but traditional roll-up doors take up valuable overhead space. Swing out garage doors, on the other hand, swing open from the sides, leaving your entire ceiling free. This gives you the extra space you need to store bikes, kayaks, and other large items.
Components of Swinging Garage Doors
Swing out garage doors are built and installed differently from traditional doors. Because of this, it’s important to understand the main components and how they attach to your garage. You’ll need to hire an experienced carpenter or a professional contractor to install your doors. We’ll review the major components of swing-open garage doors.
Astragal
This is a thin strip of material, typically made of wood, that’s attached to the active slab of your swinging door. It’s designed to seal and cover the seam between the two leaves when the door is closed.
Casing
This is the finish-quality material surrounding and framing the garage door opening. It covers the edge of the jamb, the gap for shims, and the raw edges of the wall. Casing often has a molded profile for visual appeal, such as a beaded edge.
Framing
Finish framing hides the gaps around the opening of your garage and is made up of casing and jamb. It also ensures the door swings open and shut properly and without causing damage.
Jamb
This finish-quality wood trim is applied to your garage door opening to cover exposed studs and headers. It also hides the wall materials on both sides of the opening. Your jamb should be flush to both sides of the wall, and one side is usually routed to accept swing door hinges.
Shim Space
This planned space is included between rough framing and the final jamb to allow installers to make adjustments. These changes are typically made to level out-of-plumb framing and ensure the door operates correctly.
Sill
The sill of your swing out garage door is the horizontal material that serves as its threshold. Exterior sills are typically raised and made of aluminum to protect against water infiltration.
Stop
This prevents the door slabs from swinging beyond the closed position and causing damage to the contents of your garage. Stops are milled into the jamb to create the most weather-tight seal possible. The position of your stop indicates whether the door is in- or out-swing.
Sweep
Typically made from aluminum, the sweep covers the 1/8″ gap between the bottom edge of the door slab and the sill. Sweeps are required on all exterior doors and are designed to prevent water and air infiltration.
How to Measure for Swing Out Garage Doors
Three openings must be considered when measuring for your new true swing garage door: rough, masonry, and finished. Let’s take a closer look at each of these openings and why they’re important.
1. Rough Opening
The rough opening is defined by the location of the wood framing involved in new construction, such as studs and headers. The bottom of the rough opening is typically subfloor, but it can also be concrete. The rough opening must include additional space to ensure the door operates properly once installed.
If you’re replacing an existing door that already has a finished opening, you can skip this measurement.
2. Masonry Opening
The masonry opening refers to the hard, finished material surrounding the garage opening where the door jamb is attached. Both new construction and existing door replacements require a masonry opening measurement.
3. Finished Opening
The finished opening is created when the trim is installed around the rough opening, which must be plumb and level. The finished opening should have casings, and the jamb must be ready to accept hinges. There should be 1/8″ clearance on all four sides of the slabs to ensure the door opens and closes properly.
Design Your Perfect True Swing Garage Door with Artisan
If you’re interested in swing out garage doors for your new house or want to replace your existing door, we’re here to help. We can create a fully customized door that complements your home and enhances the overall curb appeal of your property.
Construction Specifications
Every Artisan swing out garage door starts with our proprietary core frame that won’t warp, twist, or bow. This includes urethane foam core insulation and internal blocking to support any hardware. The door’s exterior frame overlay features milled edges, along with simulated or true divided lite windows.
You can choose from exterior facing in a variety of materials, and the door edges are banded to match the overlay face. Each door also contains a bottom rail designed to shed water away from the door frame and panels. All of our true swing out garage doors come with a one-year warranty starting from the date of factory shipping.
