Matthew Sherborne
In this guide to hidden garage doors you’ll see what it is, different designs, how to hide a garage door, openers and tracks for hidden garage 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 parts of the house 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. Instead of a standalone garage or one in front or side of the house with its door, the garage becomes a part of a room in a house that is used for many purposes. Its doors can lead to the interior of a house.
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 hidden garage doors.
A hidden garage door is an entrance to the garage that can be mistaken as part of the façade. It usually opens into a room that is used as a parking space for vehicles, storage room, entertainment room, workshop, or a space where the men in the family can spend time.
Aside from being a fad with builders, a hidden garage door 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.
Garage 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 make sure that 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 garages use the space for other purposes. Oftentimes, they would hide the garage door 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.
Garage Door Hidden In The Ceiling
Some residential houses have ample overhead space that they seem to be wasted. Why not conceal the garage door in the ceiling to make use of the extra space?
When you opt for a roll-up garage door, 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 garage door. One can open the garage door even if the swing door is closed. Concealing a garage door behind a swing door can block some eyesores from your vantage point when you open the garage door.
How To Hide Garage Door From The Inside
An empty garage can be used for other purposes such as an entertainment area, a game room, or a man cave design. To set the atmosphere right, the garage door must be hidden from sight.
There are many ways to conceal the door to give the room the right ambiance for the day’s activity. A garage door seen from the inside can be an eyesore.
One way of hiding a garage door 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 garage door from the inside so that your audience will not realize that you are in your garage.
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 against the garage door.
Do you have guests eager to watch movies? Convert the empty garage into a mini-movie theater by hanging dark curtains all around it. You will enjoy the feel of being in a darkened movie theater.
If the garage door has openings, you can cover the openings with foam panels cut to fit the openings. The door will look like a solid wall from the inside.
Hidden Garage Door Opener
Nowadays, most garage doors can be opened automatically, using an electronic door opener. This means that you do not have to open the door manually and show where the door is. Entering the right code or password using your device will make the door open, regardless of where it is located.
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 garage door openers have been one of the reasons for robbers to enter and rob homes.
Installing a wireless door opener is one way to ensure security. Whenever you arrive at your house, you can enter the code and the door will open.
You can attached a concealed electronic garage door opener to the side of your home, out of direct line of sight. This will enable you to easily enter the code from outside your garage for entry 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 garage door opener to the car key holder. Avoid putting it in your pocket because it can fall out.
Hidden Garage Door Tracks
Garage door tracks or rails allow the garage door to move up and down. The rails are attached to the wall using a bolt and hung from the ceiling. When you buy a garage door, it comes with tracks or rails. You do not need to buy one anymore.
With the rails exposed, you cannot conceal the garage door. So, to keep the garage door hidden, you can use a fabric to cover the rails. Extend the fabric to the ceiling to give the overhead of your garage door 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 that you want for the occasion or activity. Converting your garage into a party venue, a game room, or a man’s refuge will be easy.
If you have a garage inside your house, you can make it look like a part of your house by making it invisible. No one would think that is a garage inside unless they have seen your vehicles on it.
Cladding the garage doors will prevent the structure from interfering with the austere design that minimalist builders want to achieve.
Visit our article about garage design software for more about planning & visualizing your own custom layout plan.
