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Own A Narrow Garage? How You Can Make It Work

A narrow garage can be a pain. Narrow garages are harder to get into and out of without damaging your car – they also provide less storage space. However, for some homeowners, a narrow garage is the only option – especially in urban areas where space is limited. If you happen to have a narrow garage, there are many things you can do to make it easier to navigate and easier to use for storage. Here’s what you need to know.


Overhead Door Traditional Steel narrow garage door


Install Parking Aids

Parking aids can help guide you into the garage without touching or scraping the sides of your garage door. There are a number of solutions for parking aids, whether you choose to DIY one or go with a proper commercial parking aid.

What are some simple DIY parking aids?

  • Some people attach a paintbrush to the door frame so that if you hit the paintbrush, you know you’re too close to the edge.
  • Hang a tennis ball from the ceiling so that if it touches the car’s windshield you know that you are fully in the garage.
  • Place a wooden block on the floor of your garage to act as a stopping indicator.
  • Fasten a soft material such as old sofa cushions, carpet, or foam pads to the walls so that you can get as close as possible.

What are the top commercial parking aids?

  • Laser parking aids that mount inside of your garage are come in handy as they help guide you when parking in your garage.
  • There are a number of digital display parking aids that mount to your garage wall. These aids come with proximity sensors that display how far you from the wall or come as a traffic-light style display that flashes green, yellow, or red depending on your proximity.
  • Some proximity sensing parking aids come with a display that plugs directly into your cigarette lighter and will indicate you are close to the accompanying sensors mounted on your wall.

woman backing into garage

Back Into Your Parking Spot

This might come as a surprise, but backing into a narrow parking spot is often much easier than pulling into a parking spot driving forward. As you’re backing in, use your side mirrors to straighten the vehicle and avoid the edges of your garage. Thanks to a law passed in 2018, all cars made after May 2018 are mandated to have a backup camera – so chances are that you have one. The proximity sensors and wide field of view on these cameras make backing into your narrow garage easier now more than ever. overhead door installers at work

Widen Your Garage

If you have a large property and a disproportionately narrow garage, hire a contractor to widen your garage and make it easier to navigate. Remodeling can improve your garage’s value and make using the garage much easier. The suggested minimum size for a 1-car garage is around 12′ wide by 24′ deep and 22′ wide by 24′ deep for a 2-car garage. As a general rule, always go bigger with more space than what you think you will need. If you do remodel, you’ll need to install a new garage door. Overhead Door Company of Oklahoma City sells garage doors for every style of home. You can find our selection of residential doors online.


cluttered narrow garage

Clean the Space

It’s much harder to tell if you’re safe to pull in if your garage is full of clutter. Keep a clean and organized space by removing clutter. Install garage organizers to make more space for what you do need to keep in the garage. Whether those organizers are floating shelves or cabinets, or a loft area, keep the organizers off the ground and away from the area where vehicles will pull in.


Install Better Lighting

Poor lighting is a problem when you’re trying to pull your car into a narrow space. Work with an electrician to install bright overhead lighting in your garage. If you’re remodeling your garage, this is also an excellent opportunity to install more windows to allow more daylight into your garage.


Remodeling Your Narrow Garage? Contact Overhead Door Company

It’s no fun owning a narrow garage. If you’re remodeling to make your garage wider, contact Overhead Door Company of Oklahoma City to make an appointment to discuss your upcoming garage remodel.

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Kristen Mangum
Kristen Mangum
2022-12-21
Friendly customer service. Bought a hard to find remote for an old garage door opener. Opener has 3 buttons so I can program both doors to it. Easy to find location right off 29th St.
Robert Ballinger
Robert Ballinger
2022-12-12
Great people
Betsy Chronister
Betsy Chronister
2022-09-13
I was given a very fair quote. A week later a tech came and installed. Then came back to install lock. Tech was very professional and polite. Spen time with me making adjustments to my liking. I totally recommend Overhead door to my fellow Okies.
Hendrix Morrow
Hendrix Morrow
2022-06-29
Overhead Door did a great job. They got me on the schedule the next day and fixed my spring in 30 minutes or less. Joe was great, professional, and courteous. Awesome service, and he didn't tell me I needed extra materials like the previous garage door people that quoted me $575. Overhead Door told me a price over the phone and it didn't change. I'd recommend them every time.
Sandy Molleda Molleda
Sandy Molleda Molleda
2022-03-22
A very good place for a new garage door and a new remote.
John Ehrhardt
John Ehrhardt
2022-01-28
Pleased with their services. Coil spring broke and door stopped working. Spoke to Ron, and less than 24 hrs later the technician had us up n running again. These guys did exactly what they promised to do, with no nonsense. I like that.

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