It is challenging to visualize a world without garages. It houses your rake, your toolbox and, most importantly, your car. The word “garage” comes from the French word “garer,” which means to protect and shelter. Like most inventions, the garage was created out of necessity and has evolved tremendously.
An Accidental Garage
After Henry Ford created the Quadricycle in 1896 in an old shed, he soon found the doors were not big enough to move the vehicle. In order to allow Ford to remove his new creation and take it for a test drive, he decided to strike an opening in the brick wall that was large enough for the Quadricily to exit. In return, he unintentionally created the very first garage.
A Bigger Need is Created
As more and more people began to buy automobiles in the 1920s, they suddenly needed to find a place to keep their cars safe. People already had carriage houses for livestock and horses but quickly realized that it was not the right place store a car due to bad odors. A short time later, people began building structures solely to store their cars. The units were actually a lot like carriage houses but were made completely from wood with two front doors. However the structures weren’t very functional. The doors were heavy and awkward, and after a short time, the hinges fell out due to rust.
The Modern-Day Invention
The invention of modern-day garages were necessitated by the fact that a normal-hinged door needed a much wider opening space, leading to extremely large garages. The traditional wooden overhead doors that were made have been replaced by fiberglass and galvanized steel. The maintenance of galvanized steel or fiberglass product is minimal compared to that of wood. These materials don’t rust, warp, fade or rot.
New technologies like garage door openers, tamper-resistant bottom brackets, pinch-resistant doors and many other innovations have been developed. Raynor Garage Doors of Kansas City can help you select the best garage door for you and your needs. Give us a call today at (913) 766-2366.
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