Coping with garages

[EllenL]

This may seem like a weird question, but DH and I are moving into our first home with a garage (we've just lived in garden condos with parking lots). I'm totally freaked out about the two-car garage (getting the cars in and out---the spaces just seem so small. I'm scared of scraping the garage walls on the side as well as the front or not clearing the automatic garage door.

I've seen some stuff on line, like some wall bumpers and laser parking systems. Anyone have any experience with these? Or any humorous garage experiences? Or any hints about getting used to the garage? The obvious solution would be to not use the garage, which would be fine since we're used to not not having one, but the homeowners association requires that cars be garaged.

Yep, I'm a worrier and a nervous driver!

[BucknellAlum]

If you have never done it before, it is natural to be nervous about parking hte car. Do you drive a big behemoth like an Expedition or something? If not, you probably won't have much trouble, once you practice.

Is it a front entry (i.e., do you pull straight in from the street?) Those are easier. We have a side entry, so I have had to learn when to turn and how close to get my side mirror as I am turning in.

I found that I use "landmarks" to help me know when I am pulled in far enough. I can look at the storage shelf next to me and know how far I should be; but there are still some days when I have to get back in and pull up farther, all because I don't want to hit the front of the garage!

Once the cold weather comes, you will be so glad you can just get in your car and not have to go out in the elements!

[Robyn1007]

Relax! Do you or DH have really big cars? If you both have average cars then you shouldn't have a problem. It takes a little getting used to but eventually you'll be able to tell visually that you are far enough in but you can get different things that mark that you are in far enough or some people just put a tennis ball on a string, hang it from the ceiling and when it hits your windshield you're there. I know they look tight but it is possible, as long as you don't store too much stuff in it. :p

ETA: I always check behind my car just to verify that its in far enough.

[funnybone]

I've always had a garage - the last three have been side loads so it's different getting into those than ones you go in straight. I'm not sure the size of your space or the size of your vehicle, but you will get the hang of it in no time. We've never encountered a problem with the automatic door not closing or opening all the way. Just wait for it to fully open before you drive in and I always close it at the panel at the door to the house. The door should sense that something is in the way and not close if that's the case. I can't imagine not having a garage.

[lindrusso]

Some garages are smaller than others, so some really can be a challenge.

My in-laws had one so small that they could both get in, but one had to go nose first and the other back in so that they could open the car doors to get out!

This is the first house where we've both been able to park in the garage, but that's only because it's a 3-bay garage - in the other houses we either had no basement or no shed, so the garage was used for storage and we could only get one car in. In this house, also with no shed, one bay is for all the bikes, etc., the other two for our cars.

The garage itself is big, but the openings are small! I was so nervous parking in it at first, so I understand how you feel. Lucky for me, my mirrors fold both ways - I've already folded them several times. :rolleyes:

The best thing is that with both of us in the garage, there is no danger of either of us backing out into the other car - we had more than our share of those incidents! :o :o

[clairea]

I just moved into my first house with a garage, so I understand where you are coming from! Ours is a side entry garage, and each bay has a separate door with columns between so it is pretty narrow to get in, but so far I have managed without any major damage :), and I drive a minivan not a tiny little car. Just take it slow going in and out, and don't worry if you have to stop and go back and forth several times making little turns until you are at the right angle. It gets easier pretty quickly. I close the garage door from the buttons on the wall -- that way I have already walked around the back of the car and made sure I am far enough in.

When that first cold, rainy day comes, you will love your garage!!!

[muriel3002]

You're supposed to park your car in your garage?! I thought that was the place for all of DH's stuff! :D You know - lawn mower, wheelbarrow, snowblower, tools, work bench, gardening stuff, patio furniture storage, kayaks, sleds, smelly hockey gear, etc.

[RunnerKim]

We don't park in our garage either. It's not that uncommon in Portland where people have lots of outdoor stuff and the weather doesn't get that bad.

One of the houses I lived in as a teenager - my Dad had tied wiffle balls to a string and hung them to indicate where to stop the car so you didn't pull in too far (or not far enough and leave the bumper hanging out). Pretty low tech but worked.

Kim

[SusanPC]

We have a two car garage in a townhouse, and it is TIGHT to say the least. We enter off an alley and I am the world's worst driver in reverse!

But, you will figure it out. I now am the master of backing in so close to the wall that we have plenty of room to walk between our cars. (We have an SUV and a sedan, DH parks front in on the right and I back in on the left--so there is extra room for each of us to get in and out of the driver side. When we go somewhere together we pull out before the passenger enters b/c we park so close to the wall/storage shelves). Just take your time for a while and then it will become 2nd nature.

Also, not sure if yours is the same but my automatic garage door won't shut if there is something in its path. So, if I hit the clicker and the lights on the opener start blinking I know I am not in far enough :)

Enjoy your new home!

[ErinM]

My first though when I saw this thread was "People have to COPE with garages? Man, I'd love to have one!"

Really, it just takes practice. There is PLENTY of room in a two car garage for two vehicles, unless one or both of those vehicles are large, as stated earlier.

My mom tries to pull the car over as she drives in, so she drives in a bit to the side once she's in the space. I tend to drive straighten myself out. Let me just say that when I do it my way, I've never hit the garage door. When I've had to pull out after my mom's pulled it, I've come very close.

My first garage on my one was a tiny one car space that I really had to be careful with pulling in. People who watched me pull in were afraid I was going to do some real damage - I probably had less than an inch of clearance on the passenger side, so that I'd have enough room on my side. I'd generally have to pull out before letting anyone get in!

My car is now living again without a garage. I am totally going to miss it come snow time, but it helps that I don't have to go anywhere early in the morning, so I most likely won't have that snow scraping battle! Plus, by the time I do leave, plowing should have happened, which will make my life a lot easier too!

[Cherise]

DH and I both back our cars into the garage (was mandatory that I learned to do that when I learned to drive, otherwise dad said I couldn't use the car). We have a long 2x4 on the ground with heavy weights behind it for each car. When we back in the garage, the rear wheels hit the 2x4, and it prevents us from backing in too far (assuming your not going fast enough to roll over it). Never have to worry about being to far back or forward. It does shift a little bit eventually, so maybe every 2 or 3 months we inch them forward a bit. As for the distance between the cars, you just have to get a feel for it. DH is always amazed that I never take off my side mirror because I am so close to the doorway when I pull in. Just takes practice, and always pay attention to where you are as you are backing in. Garages are the best, I never, ever want to be without one again!! Enjoy yours, don't fear it.

[EllenL]

Thanks for your responses. It definitely sounds like a garage is enjoyable in bad weather and that you all are managing, but even DH who is a more confident driver than me and who has better visual perception isn't sure he can manage! So far at our new complex, we've only seen one car in each two-car garage----I'll be amazed if anyone really can manage it. We just have regular midsize cars (a Honda Accord and Toyota Camry), but it just doesn't seem possible to get them both in. I'm in awe of those of you who back it in, along with your other car! Keep in mind that I haven't parallel parked since I was required to in order to get my first license---way over 30 years ago!

We may wind up selling one of the cars and just garaging one. DH and I recently retired and it seems like we can manage with one car. And we both feel we can manage getting one car in the garage (it seems ample for one car and some stuff like a garbage can, ladder, etc. It's sort of a cop-out to get rid of one of the cars and we like them both (they're comparable in terms of miles, mileage, age, reliability), but I have absolutely no confidence in acquiring garage skills!

[MusicMom]

I found that I use "landmarks" to help me know when I am pulled in far enough. I can look at the storage shelf next to me and know how far I should be; but there are still some days when I have to get back in and pull up farther, all because I don't want to hit the front of the garage!

I use landmarks too because I'm not very good with spatial relationships. I also get thrown off because our driveway goes at a slant into our garage and we can't just drive straight in.

(you should see me trying to teach my son to park in the garage... :eek: ) It's not pretty,

[tbb113]

Is it a double garage with one BIG entrance? If so, you should have no problem parking two cars in there (assuming you aren't keeping lots of other stuff in your garage). The only time I was afraid to park in my garage was when I had a van and a single garage...I was afraid I would get the mirrors since the space was tight.

Maybe you can measure the width of your car and the width of the garage and convince yourself that you will fit just fine. It really is no different then parking your car in a parking space (I'm assuming you can do this without an issue).

[Gumbeaux]

Here is a side wall protection solution.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/bayoutitan/Garage5.jpg

[Kay Henderson]

What works for me in a new garage is to park the car the best I can and memorize what it looks like from the driver's seat when it is properly parked. For example, we park our Maxima on the right side (looking at the garage from the driveway). I drive the car in until the right rear view mirror is at the house side of the third drawer in the workbench. If there are no obvious guidepoints, a piece of the easily removed blue painter's masking tape could be put on the wall.

Another trick we used in one house was to have a string hanging from a rafter. When the string was at the center of and next to the windshield, the car was properly parked.

Have fun in your new digs!

Kay

[EllenL]

Thanks again for your replies. I'll try some of them---when I get the courage. DH tried it and actually did get both cars in, so it really is big enough, even though it doesn't look like it (to my eyes).

We definitely enjoyed having a garage today, pulling the car in and unloading boxes and walking right into our place---beats schlepping boxes up to the second-story condo we have now. I think we'll love our new place. It's actually a complex for "active seniors" and we're only (???) 52, but we've been finding it difficult to live with our young neighbors (partying outside our bedroom window at 3 a.m., etc.).

Thanks for treating my question seriously and not ridiculing me. That's what I like so much about people on this board. There's a generosity of spirit and humaneness. I know it sounds ridiculous to worry about using a garage, but it was something I was dealing with and it was nice to just get some feedback from you all about this. I wish I didn't have some of these fears and
inadequacies. In my next life, I'm going to come back fearless and competent!

[JHaris]

Here is a side wall protection solution.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/bayoutitan/Garage5.jpg Where do you buy that wall protector or rather car door protector?

[JHaris]

One thing to remember, if you have a roof rack and have something on it, don't drive into the garage without removing it FIRST!

I forgot that DH's bike, his pride and joy, was on top and started into the garage after a long drive!!! I hit the brake as soon as I heard the sound, but not soon enuf. Needless to say DH was dead quiet and I decided to stay the same. Bike was fixable, thank goodness, but bike rack and car roof rack ripped out of car roof. That night was a quiet one. Interestingly, both the car repair place and the bycyle shop were not surprised.... it seems that this happens a lot. By the next morning DH was speaking to me!!! I was hoping to keep this incident quiet, but the children did find out and I still haven't heard the end of it and this was last November!

We just got our garage door opener at our house 3 years ago and I love them. Not having to get out in miserable weather to open or shut the doors is wonderful. It does have the option that when it touches something, it stops. Definitely an essential feature, children or no children.

[Gumbeaux]

Where do you buy that wall protector or rather car door protector?

http://www.autoanything.com/garage-accessories/69A1398A0A0.aspx



.

[JHaris]

http://www.autoanything.com/garage-accessories/69A1398A0A0.aspx



. Thanks so much for the info.

[SusanL]

it wasn't pretty :eek:

[jilliniowa]

DH attached a tennis ball to a string (with a thumbtack, I believe), and then tacked the other end of the string to the appropiate place in the ceiling. When the tennis ball hits my windshield, I know I am pulled in far enough.

[cookieee]

You're supposed to park your car in your garage?! I thought that was the place for all of DH's stuff! :D You know - lawn mower, wheelbarrow, snowblower, tools, work bench, gardening stuff, patio furniture storage, kayaks, sleds, smelly hockey gear, etc.

and scuba diving gear, fishing poles, nets, pool table, old vcr recorders, boxes of misc. stuff......haven't used the garage for the car in 9 years :rolleyes: