The Pros and Cons of Having a Pedestrian Walkthrough Garage Door

A recent craze in the garage door trends is installing a pedestrian walkthrough. This is basically a
normal sized door embedded into the full garage door. The walkthrough allows you to access the
garage without going through the house. Walkthroughs were initially used in industries' garages to
cut down on energy loss. They are, however, slowly slipping into the household garages. They are
especially common in houses where the garage is located in the basement, where there isn't enough
room for a regular access door.
While it may be the new craze in town, pedestrian walkthroughs have both advantages and
disadvantages. If you are thinking of installing one on your garage door, then this article should
help you make the right decision.

The pros of pedestrian walkthroughs

 Ease of access
If your garage is located in your house's basement, then building a conventional access door will be
difficult. A walkthrough, in this case, will allow you to enter and exit your garage without raising
the whole garage door or going through the house.
 Energy saving
Having a pedestrian walkthrough can help cut energy costs. Rather than having to open the whole
garage door to get a shovel, the walkthrough will come in handy. Opening the smaller door causes
you to lose less heat as well as power involved in lifting the larger door.
 Convenience
Power outages and mechanical failures of the garage door opening system can inhibit your access to
the garage. If you are constantly using the garage, or perhaps it doubles up as your storage area or
workspace, this can pose a problem. Having a walkthrough will make it easier to access the garage
even when the garage door system has failed.
 Practical
In areas with a higher building density, accessing enough side space for a regular door can be a
challenge. A pedestrian walkthrough, in this case, would be very practical. It helps improve your
privacy as opposed to opening the entire garage door and have your belongings in view to anyone
nearby.

The cons of pedestrian walkthroughs

 Extra expense
Pedestrian walkthroughs do not come cheaply. Instaling a walkthrough on your garage door can be
just as expensive as installing an entire garage door system. Unfortunately, garage doors do not
come with this feature. Installing them, therefore, doubles the price.
 Extra security
Having a pedestrian walkthrough is simply another easier way for intruders to get into the house.
You will, therefore, have to invest in extra security to ensure your home is safe.
 Diligence
If your garage door is an electric one, you will have to ensure that the walkthrough is properly
closed during operation. Closing and opening the garage door when the walkthrough isn’t properly
closed can inflict potential damage to your garage door system.
 Energy efficiency
Although the walkthrough will help reduce the amount of heat loss when using it, it is an extra
opening. Extra insulation will, therefore, be required. The pedestrian walkthrough will have to be
properly insulated as well as have weather stripping installed so as to maintain its efficiency.

Whether or not to install a walkthrough will depend on what works best for you.