If you're a history buff, or even if you're not, you may have wondered why this old saying comes up again and again throughout time: "Necessity is the mother of invention." Well, here it is again. But if it's repeated so many times, there must be some truth to it, wouldn't you think? So when we're looking at the history of garage doors, it's only natural that it would follow the history of the car. Let's see why.
All these cars - where do we put them?
As the car worked its way into society, so did the need for somewhere to store it. And the result of that need, as described by an architect in 1912, was the creation of "a new type of outbuilding". People in those days thought of an outbuilding as a carriage house - the place where you keep your horse and buggy. Since a carriage house was a building that housed everything to do with your means of transportation, at first, cars were kept next to the horses, in the same building.
But there arose, shall we say, a stink about this situation. People who had cars in those days were usually of higher class than most, and to have their fancy new cars smell of horse manure just wouldn't do. So an alternative was sought.
The first garages were actually a lot like our modern-day parking lots, but with one level. People figured that if they could store more than one horse in a barn, then perhaps they could store more than one car in a similar structure. So they built large garages, some publicly-owned and some privately-owned. It became quite a business - they'd charge $15-$20 a month for a parking space. For your money, you'd get a parking space, along with about 100 other cars, in a heated garage that was maintained and cleaned by the owner. This system worked well until about 1910, when there became too many cars for the garages to accommodate.
Back to the carriage house idea
After the parking garage idea, people started to look for a more convenient place for their vehicles - closer to home. The carriage house had worked well before, if only they could get rid of those smelly horses. And that led to the invention of the garage as we know it today. The word garage comes from the French garer - to shelter or protect. And that was its purpose - to shelter and protect their vehicles.
So the carriage house model was used to build similar buildings that could house people's cars. They were simple structures and, of course, had a door, because one of the purposes was to protect the car from the elements. The first garage door worked just like a barn door. (In actuality, that's exactly what it was.) It was a double door, attached to the garage with strap hinges, that opened outwards. Garage doors in those days were really just basic sheds. And the doors were subjected to heavy wear and tear, being opened and closed almost daily. The hinges would creak, screws would get bent and eventually fall out. Also, if there was snow on the ground, it would block the path of the door, making it very hard to open without shoveling first. A better way was indeed needed.
With the invention of sliding tracks for doors, more versatile garage door designs were developed. It took a lot less space if the doors could remain within the area of the garage so that, on a sliding track, they could be moved sideways, across the front of the garage. But that meant that the garage had to be at least double the width of the door. Another development was needed. And it came in the form of a garage door that was cut into sections, then hinged together at intervals, allowing it to fold around a corner. Now the garage didn't need to be much wider than the door itself.
The invention of the folding overhead door
A further solution to the question of space came with the invention of the overhead door by C.G. Johnson in 1921. This door could be lifted upwards, folding parallel to the garage ceiling. And 5 years later, in 1926, Mr. Johnson also invented the electric door opener, to assist those who had trouble lifting the heavy wooden door. This was the beginning of the Overhead Door Corporation, which is one of the leading manufacturers and servicers of garage doors today.
Overhead doors became the choice of consumers. Wayne-Dalton, one of the leading manufacturers and servicers of garage doors and garage door openers, has an interesting history. It started out when Emanuel Mullet bought a garage door business from Ervin Hostetler in 1954. Ervin had already invented a wooden door that folded horizontally to store itself overhead.
Wayne Door, as Wayne-Dalton was known in 1956, was moved to Mt. Hope, Ohio, the largest Amish community in the world. That turned out to be a very "crafty" move. They hired the fine Amish craftsmen living in the region, resulting in the production of a line of superior-quality garage doors. Throughout their thriving history, Wayne-Dalton has been a leader in garage door innovation, introducing new technology in the areas of garage door openers, pinch-resistant doors, and tamper-resistant bottom brackets, just to mention a few.
People wanted style in their garage doors
As architecture changed, so did people's ideas of garages. Because of the decreasing amount of available space, garages had to be moved closer to the houses. So architects decided to incorporate them right into the design of the house themselves, giving them the same style and color as the rest of the house. So as the variety of house designs expanded, so did garage designs.
All kinds of house and garage styles were sought out, like Colonial, French, Mediterranean, and even Old English. One of the more popular architectural forms was Craftsman, with their open framework, their lattices, and their pergolas. The garage was indeed becoming an architectural marvel - and, of course, the garage doors had to match. So the demand for fancier garage doors became widespread, and the industry flourished.
Garage door materials progressed with technology
Garage doors had always been made out of wood. But there were several disadvantages to wood doors. Wood was subject to the weather, warped by the heat of the sun, and rotted by the rain. So it needed periodic maintenance like scraping and re-painting - or even total replacement. However, technology came up with some great alternatives.
All these cars - where do we put them?
As the car worked its way into society, so did the need for somewhere to store it. And the result of that need, as described by an architect in 1912, was the creation of "a new type of outbuilding". People in those days thought of an outbuilding as a carriage house - the place where you keep your horse and buggy. Since a carriage house was a building that housed everything to do with your means of transportation, at first, cars were kept next to the horses, in the same building.
But there arose, shall we say, a stink about this situation. People who had cars in those days were usually of higher class than most, and to have their fancy new cars smell of horse manure just wouldn't do. So an alternative was sought.
The first garages were actually a lot like our modern-day parking lots, but with one level. People figured that if they could store more than one horse in a barn, then perhaps they could store more than one car in a similar structure. So they built large garages, some publicly-owned and some privately-owned. It became quite a business - they'd charge $15-$20 a month for a parking space. For your money, you'd get a parking space, along with about 100 other cars, in a heated garage that was maintained and cleaned by the owner. This system worked well until about 1910, when there became too many cars for the garages to accommodate.
Back to the carriage house idea
After the parking garage idea, people started to look for a more convenient place for their vehicles - closer to home. The carriage house had worked well before, if only they could get rid of those smelly horses. And that led to the invention of the garage as we know it today. The word garage comes from the French garer - to shelter or protect. And that was its purpose - to shelter and protect their vehicles.
So the carriage house model was used to build similar buildings that could house people's cars. They were simple structures and, of course, had a door, because one of the purposes was to protect the car from the elements. The first garage door worked just like a barn door. (In actuality, that's exactly what it was.) It was a double door, attached to the garage with strap hinges, that opened outwards. Garage doors in those days were really just basic sheds. And the doors were subjected to heavy wear and tear, being opened and closed almost daily. The hinges would creak, screws would get bent and eventually fall out. Also, if there was snow on the ground, it would block the path of the door, making it very hard to open without shoveling first. A better way was indeed needed.
With the invention of sliding tracks for doors, more versatile garage door designs were developed. It took a lot less space if the doors could remain within the area of the garage so that, on a sliding track, they could be moved sideways, across the front of the garage. But that meant that the garage had to be at least double the width of the door. Another development was needed. And it came in the form of a garage door that was cut into sections, then hinged together at intervals, allowing it to fold around a corner. Now the garage didn't need to be much wider than the door itself.
The invention of the folding overhead door
A further solution to the question of space came with the invention of the overhead door by C.G. Johnson in 1921. This door could be lifted upwards, folding parallel to the garage ceiling. And 5 years later, in 1926, Mr. Johnson also invented the electric door opener, to assist those who had trouble lifting the heavy wooden door. This was the beginning of the Overhead Door Corporation, which is one of the leading manufacturers and servicers of garage doors today.
Overhead doors became the choice of consumers. Wayne-Dalton, one of the leading manufacturers and servicers of garage doors and garage door openers, has an interesting history. It started out when Emanuel Mullet bought a garage door business from Ervin Hostetler in 1954. Ervin had already invented a wooden door that folded horizontally to store itself overhead.
Wayne Door, as Wayne-Dalton was known in 1956, was moved to Mt. Hope, Ohio, the largest Amish community in the world. That turned out to be a very "crafty" move. They hired the fine Amish craftsmen living in the region, resulting in the production of a line of superior-quality garage doors. Throughout their thriving history, Wayne-Dalton has been a leader in garage door innovation, introducing new technology in the areas of garage door openers, pinch-resistant doors, and tamper-resistant bottom brackets, just to mention a few.
People wanted style in their garage doors
As architecture changed, so did people's ideas of garages. Because of the decreasing amount of available space, garages had to be moved closer to the houses. So architects decided to incorporate them right into the design of the house themselves, giving them the same style and color as the rest of the house. So as the variety of house designs expanded, so did garage designs.
All kinds of house and garage styles were sought out, like Colonial, French, Mediterranean, and even Old English. One of the more popular architectural forms was Craftsman, with their open framework, their lattices, and their pergolas. The garage was indeed becoming an architectural marvel - and, of course, the garage doors had to match. So the demand for fancier garage doors became widespread, and the industry flourished.
Garage door materials progressed with technology
Garage doors had always been made out of wood. But there were several disadvantages to wood doors. Wood was subject to the weather, warped by the heat of the sun, and rotted by the rain. So it needed periodic maintenance like scraping and re-painting - or even total replacement. However, technology came up with some great alternatives.
