The origins of garage doors and its sizes come about in a peculiar way.
The first make shift garages were actually barns and barn doors as automobiles were first called the horseless carriages.
These doors were of big widths and heights, and not all were standardized but at the very least, these doors were 30 feet wide and 20 feet high.
This was so to accommodate the horses and carriages that were still present.
These days, garage door sizes have more or less been standardized.
In North America and Europe, most standard garage size doors are around 7 feet high and 9 feet wide.
The reason for the bigger width space has to do with the opening of the car doors which is an additional 3 feet per side if the door is open to its fullest aperture.
For two car garages, while the former standard was around 16 feet by 7 feet, because of the emergence of Sub Urban Vehicles and the like, the ongoing standard has increased to 20 feet wide by 9 feet high.
It is interesting to note that in a crowded city in Japan and Tokyo where space is a premium, the width of garage doors is very small.
In some areas, the width is just around 6 feet wide or almost the width of a car itself.
In fact, when parking the vehicle in Japan, all other passengers must leave the vehicle and only the driver can remain as he may be the only person able to get off the vehicle.
Cars have been designed around this situation and interestingly enough, Japanese versions of vans such as the Mitsubishi Delica and the Toyota Previa are made narrower and much higher with sliding doors.
This is so that the driver can park the car in such a small space and then get out not using his door but going through the rear passenger's sliding door as well.
These days when ordering a garage door, its sizes may be customized to fit your specifications.
The presence of new material such as Glass Reinforced Polyester, Vinyl, and ABS has made it quite easier for manufacturers to cut garages doors to specifications and since these materials don't move like wood, they are virtually maintenance free.
Though more expensive than steel, such material are not as expensive as real wood and in the long run may be a worthwhile investment to have.
Furthermore, these new material, although light, have reinforced steel at its sidings to prevent any forcible entry as well.
Because of its weight, a small garage door automatic door opener machine is used and incurs savings to the consumer.
All in all, getting a new garage door using such materials is a good investment for your home.