Hidden Garage Doors (Concealment Ideas)

In this guide to hidden garage doors, you’ll see what they are, different designs, how to hide one, openers, and tracks for doors.

Home designs now often lean toward a straightforward style, which people refer to as a minimalist design. Everything inside is made invisible, from a cabinet to a garage. Hidden by a wall or a cladding, these house parts are hidden from the view. 

In the past, a garage is a prominent part of the house because it shows that the homeowner owns one or several cars. Some houses have stand-alone garages, while others have them on the side or front of the house. The door might be made of steel, wood, aluminum, or fiberglass with an ornate design.

One can see from afar that it is the door of the garage.  Today, builders are more concerned with minimizing materials for a garage door so it looks seamless with the home’s exterior.

What Is A Hidden Garage Door? 

Builders who follow the minimalist idea of simplicity believe that garage doors must disappear.  This is achieved by using panels that match the exterior of your home. 

A hidden garage door is an entrance that can be mistaken as part of the façade. It usually opens into a room used as a parking space for vehicles, a storage room, an entertainment room, a workshop, or a space where the men in the family can spend time. 

Aside from being a fad with builders, a hidden opening can prevent thieves from breaking into a home through the garage. Finding the door can delay the entry of robbers. To these people, a few seconds’ delays can make a big difference in the success of their operation. 

Doors can be hidden by using materials and paint that are the same as the materials and color of the façade. The workmanship must be seamless to ensure there are no tell-tale signs of where the door is located. 

Hidden garage doors look like part of the façade. The hinges are concealed. If you are not familiar with the layout of the façade, you will never know where the door is or whether there is a door at all.

Many homeowners who have empty parking areas use the space for other purposes. Oftentimes, they hide the doors to make it a more authentic venue for gaming, hanging out with relatives or friends, watching movies, or for gatherings and parties. 

In this case, you do not need to find another place or clear another area in your house. Doing some decorating is enough to have the space that you want. For minimalists, this is one way of having a simple space that can be used for several purposes. 

Door Hidden In The Garage Ceiling

Some residential houses have ample overhead space that seems to be wasted. Why not conceal the garage door in the ceiling to use the extra space? 

When you opt for roll-up panels, the horizontal sheets roll up near the ceiling when the door is opened. The coiled portion can be visible inside but not outside. 

One can use fabric cladding to hide the coiled door. The fabric must be extended to adjacent exposed parts to give it a seamless look to conceal the door. 

Another way is to use a swing door installed over the door. One can open the door even if the swing door is closed. Concealing the area behind a swinging door can block eyes from peering in when you open it. 

How To Hide A Door From Inside the Garage

An empty garage can be used for other purposes, such as an entertainment area, a game room, or a man cave design. The doors must be hidden from sight to set the atmosphere right. 

One way of hiding a doors from the inside is to hang a heavy curtain to cover the area where the door is. Choose a color that suits the theme. If you are using your garage as a man cave, choose masculine colors. If you are converting it into a children’s playroom, you can use a curtain printed with cartoon characters.

Of course, you want to conceal the door from the inside so that your audience will not perceive an industrial feel. You can successfully create an impressive ambiance for whatever activity you are hosting.

Make the garage door invisible by covering it with a dark and heavy fabric.  Place wood panels in front of it. They can serve as the background for the decoration. You can place tall and leafy potted plants or use a divider to block the sighline. 

Do you have guests eager to watch movies? Convert the empty space into a mini-movie theater by hanging dark curtains around it. You will enjoy the feel of being in a darkened movie theater.

You can also cover the openings with foam panels cut to fit the openings. The door will look like a solid wall from the inside.

Hidden Opener For Garage

Nowadays, most garage doors can be opened automatically using an electronic opener. Entering the right code or password using your device will open the door, regardless of its location.

The downside of using an electronic garage door opener is when another person who is an expert in breaking codes or passwords gets hold of the device. Stolen openers have been one of the reasons for robbers to enter and rob homes.

You can attach a concealed electronic opener to the side of your home, out of direct line of sight. This will enable you to easily enter the code for entry from outside without it being very noticeable to others.

When it comes to handheld openers, there are a few simple rules of thumb. Do not put the device in places where thieves can easily find them such as under the car seat, on the dashboard, and behind mirrors. If the device is big and cumbersome, have it remodeled to your convenience?

You can attach the opener to the car key holder. Avoid putting it in your pocket because it can fall out. 

Hiding Your Door Tracks

Tracks, or rails allow the mechanism to move up and down. The rails are attached to the wall using a bolt and hung from the ceiling. When you buy a door, it comes with tracks or rails.

With the rails exposed, you cannot conceal the door, so to keep it hidden, you can use a cover or fabric to cover the rails. Extend the fabric to the ceiling to give the overhead of your ceiling a seamless look. 

When you use the space in your garage for other purposes, hidden tracks will enhance the looks of the space. You can easily achieve the ambiance you want for the occasion or activity by converting your space into a party venue, a game room, or a man’s refuge will be easy.

Visit our article about garage design software for more about planning & visualizing your own custom layout plan.