**1. Garage Insulation:**
– Uninsulated attached garages in northern climates can reach freezing temperatures.
– Lack of insulation can lead to energy waste and discomfort in adjacent living areas.
– Insulating only the outside of a garage without insulating the walls can be costly.
– Proper insulation is crucial for maintaining comfortable temperatures and reducing energy consumption.
– Attached garages can cause heat transfer issues with the house if not properly insulated.
**2. International Garage Variations:**
**Australia:**
– Commonly have two, one and a half, or double car garages.
– Prior to the 1970s, most garages were detached from houses.
– Popular garage door options include the B&D Rolla Door and American-style tilting panel lift doors.
– Garage sizes in Australia must adhere to strict guidelines set by Australian Standards.
**United Kingdom:**
– British homes typically feature single or double garages, attached or detached.
– Traditional wooden garage doors have been replaced by metal up-and-over doors.
– Garage sizes vary, with a typical large single garage being 10 by 20 feet.
– Early garages played a crucial role in protecting vehicles from weather and reducing rust.
**3. Historical Significance of Garages:**
– Garages historically protected vehicles from weather and rust.
– Early motor cars were stored in garages to facilitate easier morning starts.
– The term ‘garage’ originates from the French word ‘garer,’ meaning shelter.
– Modern cars are well-protected against rust and start easily even in cold conditions.
– The polysemic nature of the word ‘garage’ refers to both the building and the collection of vehicles.
**4. Garage Evolution in North America:**
– Mobile homes in North America often have detached single car garages.
– Garages built after 1950 usually have a door connecting to the house.
– Circa 1955 detached residential garage in Toledo, Ohio with electric chain drive doors.
– Interior space for one or two cars is normal.
**5. Specialized Garage Structures:**
**Post Frame Garages:**
– Often used in rural settings for farm and workshop equipment.
– Can be cold storage or insulated for warm storage.
– Attached to traditional frame houses.
– Provide storage away from the elements.
– Common for storing streetcars or buses.
**Carhouses:**
– Used in the US and Canada for streetcars and buses, also known as car barns.
– Storage facilities made of metal or brick that protect vehicles from weather elements.
– Similar facilities in the UK are known as bus depots or depots.
A residential garage (UK: /ˈɡærɑːʒ, -rɑːdʒ, -rɪdʒ/ GARR-ahzh, -ahj, -ij, US: /ɡəˈrɑːʒ, -rɑːdʒ/ gə-RAHZH, -RAHJ) is a walled, roofed structure with a door for storing a vehicle or vehicles that may be part of or attached to a home ("attached garage"), or a separate outbuilding or shed ("detached garage"). Residential garages typically have space for one or two cars, although three-car garages are used. When a garage is attached to a house, the garage typically has an entry door into the house, called the person door or man door, in contrast with the wider and taller door for vehicles, called the garage door, which can be opened to permit the entry and exit of a vehicle and then closed to secure the vehicle. A garage protects a vehicle from precipitation, and, if it is equipped with a locking garage door, it also protects the vehicle(s) from theft and vandalism. Most garages also serve multifunction duty as workshops for a variety of projects, including painting, woodworking, and assembly. Garages also may be used for other purposes as well, such as storage or entertainment.
Some garages have an electrical mechanism to automatically open or close the garage door when the homeowner presses a button on a small remote control, along with a detector that stops the movement of the garage if something is in the way of closing. Some garages have enough space, even with cars inside, for the storage of items such as bicycles or a lawnmower; in some cases, there may even be enough space for a workshop or a man cave. Garages that are attached to a house may be built with the same external materials and roofing as the house. Garages that are not connected to the home may use a different style of construction from the house. Often in the Southern and rural United States garages not attached to the home and made from a timber frame with sheet metal coverings are known as "pole barns", but usually serve the same purpose as what is called a garage elsewhere. In some places, the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that, while roofed, is not completely enclosed. A carport protects the vehicle to some degree from inclement weather, but it does not protect the vehicle from theft or vandalism.
The word garage, introduced to English in 1902, originates from the French word garer, meaning shelter. By 1908 the architect Charles Harrison Townsend was commenting in The Builder magazine that "for the home of the car, we very largely use the French word 'garage', alternatively with what I think the more desirable English equivalent of 'motor house'". Today the word is polysemic because it can refer to a collection of vehicles as well as the building that contains them.
Definition from ChatGPT:
Garage (residential):
A garage in a residential context refers to a building or enclosed space typically attached to or located near a house, used for storing vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, bicycles, or other items like tools, equipment, or household items. It provides protection for vehicles from the elements and can also serve as a workshop or additional storage space.