I’m installing metal on my ceiling and am now installing where the overhead door tracks are. I have two doors, the main one is a 20’ wide by 14’ tall heavy insulated door. The smaller is 12’x12’. They were installed by an overhead door company a couple years ago and I’m just now doing the ceiling. The inside of the vertical door tracks are exactly 246-1/2” bottom, middle, and top of the vertical. The horizontal tracks are where I have questions. They installed the rear of the horizontal tracks 1” narrower than at the front where it meets up with the vertical tracks. When the door is up, I can see where it’s bulging the horizontal track outwards. When I called them asking about this, they were absolutely no help. Only thing he would say is “reinstall them exactly the way they were”. My question now is, is it normal to narrow up the horizontal tracks at the rear, or should I make them the same 246-1/2” apart as the vertical are. I can square them up by measuring diagonally, if I end up changing the width.
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Any overhead door experts?
- Thread starter schurtjl
- Start date
I'm a little curious about this myself as I just dealt with a similar issue while sheeting the ceiling in my garage over the past weekend. One of my door tracks was square to the wall, the other was tapered out slightly. In my case, I just loosened the bolts holding the mounting frame together, squared it it up, and tightened everything back up. I then ran the door up and down a dozen or so times (Wife knows not to question my actions anymore) watching the rollers and position of the door in the opening. I could not see any difference other than the roller pins now don't slide in and out of the carrier, so I'm chalking it up to either a sloppy install or the mount just worked its way loose over time.
EDIT:
Family Handyman just says to align them - no mention of tapering in or out.
https://www.familyhandyman.com/doors/garage-door-repair/how-to-install-a-garage-door/
EDIT Again:
Looks like this place recommends making sure the edge of the door is within 0.5"-0.75" of the track - not angled in or out.
https://www.home-repair-central.com/adjusting-garage-door-track.html
EDIT:
Family Handyman just says to align them - no mention of tapering in or out.
https://www.familyhandyman.com/doors/garage-door-repair/how-to-install-a-garage-door/
EDIT Again:
Looks like this place recommends making sure the edge of the door is within 0.5"-0.75" of the track - not angled in or out.
https://www.home-repair-central.com/adjusting-garage-door-track.html
Last edited:
1500hd
Well-known member
The tracks need to be square. Measure diagonally should be equal measurements.
I ended up calling a competing commercial overhead door company and posed the question to them. This gentleman was much more helpful than the company that did my install. (I’m guessing the company that did my install was trying to cover their own arses). He said it’s sloppy craftsmanship that was done. The horizontal rails should have been installed the same width apart as the vertical rails, and possibly flared a little wider, but never narrower.
wssix99
Well-known member
I ended up calling a competing commercial overhead door company and posed the question to them. This gentleman was much more helpful than the company that did my install. (I’m guessing the company that did my install was trying to cover their own arses). He said it’s sloppy craftsmanship that was done. The horizontal rails should have been installed the same width apart as the vertical rails, and possibly flared a little wider, but never narrower.
Yes. You will also find that the more alcohol the installers drink on the job, the less square things are.
I have some lovely rectangular desks that I built on my house and a "creative" trapezoid shape one that we contracted out. (Because we didn't care about it so much and will tear it down some day.) The carpenters were able to function pretty well drunk. The foundation guys - not so much...
matt_i
Well-known member
An idea is to use one wall as a reference for one track, set it parallel.
Now set the track width parallel...one track to the other.
All should be good.
The punched sheetmetal angle that seems universally used has a lot of slop in the holes and thus a lot of potential for adjustment by just loosening things up and crowding it in the direction you want to go and then tightening back up.
Now set the track width parallel...one track to the other.
All should be good.
The punched sheetmetal angle that seems universally used has a lot of slop in the holes and thus a lot of potential for adjustment by just loosening things up and crowding it in the direction you want to go and then tightening back up.
I think the critical part is when the doors are closed. but having said that, the tracks should be square to the door & parallel I would think. There's a lot of built in tolerance with the way the rollers can move , and the installers took advantage of it.
gnpenning
Well-known member
I would like to see pictures of the door all the way up. I would like to see the track, roller and hinges relationship. Make sure the pictures are straight on and not to far away.
If the track is causing the rollers shoulders to press and drag against the hinges it is creating a bind. The rollers should be able to" float" in the hinge. The roller stem carries the weight of the door on the hinge side. The wheels carry the weight on the track side. Both should be able to move in and out with no bind.
If the track is causing the rollers shoulders to press and drag against the hinges it is creating a bind. The rollers should be able to" float" in the hinge. The roller stem carries the weight of the door on the hinge side. The wheels carry the weight on the track side. Both should be able to move in and out with no bind.