Garages are considered a staple of the modern American home. Still, only around 66% of US housing units have a garage or carport. That means a third of homes don’t have a dedicated place to store their car. Of course, you can do a lot more with a garage than simply store your car.

If you’re looking to add a garage to your home (or you need to rebuild your current garage), you’ll first have to make a decision:

Do you want an attached garage or a standalone garage?

Depending on your situation, you might not have much of a choice. For those who do, each option can provide certain advantages. Let’s take a look at both styles so that you can make an informed decision on what works best for you.

Pros and Cons of Attached Garages

Attached garages started to appear in the 1920s. Today, most new homes are built with attached garages. There are a number of reasons for this. For starters, an attached garage acts as an extension of the home itself. If you’re building a brand-new home, it makes sense to build a garage right along with it.

Even with an attached garage, the placement can vary. While you might picture it being attached to the side of the home, it can also be attached to the rear of the house (especially in more urban areas) or even underneath part of the home.

Attached garages provide extra convenience, especially during cold or rainy days. If you need to quickly run to your garage, you don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing or whether you have shoes on. It’s also typically less expensive to build out an attached garage. And since they’re connected with your home, they tend to be better insulated.

However, there are a few downsides.

While your home can help insulate your garage, the garage itself can actually make your home less efficient (especially if it’s not climate controlled). While you might think that an attached garage can simply connect to your home’s HVAC system, this generally isn’t recommended. Instead, it will require its own systems.

An attached garage can also be a potential security risk for your home. Robbers often break into the garage before breaking into your home. You should always make sure you’re locking the door between your home and garage.

Pros and Cons of Detached Garages

Detached garages provide more flexibility for where you put your garage. Depending on what you’re using your garage for, it can also provide more privacy. A detached garage creates a good sound buffer between your home and whatever is happening in your garage. This is especially helpful if you plan to use your garage for doing work, practicing music, or installing a home theatrev, etc.

Of course, being disconnected from your home removes some convenience. You lack the privacy of moving between your home and garage. In the wintertime, you’ll need to scoop out paths between the two. Also, a standalone garage is likely going to cost you more yard space.

Properly Equipping Your Garage

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what you use your garage for. Either way, you’ll want to make sure it’s properly equipped with quality entry doors, overhead doors, and a modern garage door opener system. If controlling the temperature and reducing sounds are important to you, we highly recommend upgrading to insulated overhead and entry doors.

Whatever you need, Springfield Overhead Door can help. We have a huge selection of high-quality overhead doors, entry doors, garage door springs, and garage door openers in Ohio. Contact us today to get started.