Drywalling the ceiling while the garage door is installed

[CTDan]

I need to finish drywalling the garage. The only part left is the ceiling. I have a 15' wide insulated double door. Quite heavy. I need to lower the rails that are attached to the ceiling so that I can drywall under the bracket.

I cannot lower the door and disconnect the bracket from the ceiling since the springs are under tension, right? I cannot lower the springs myself and most of my neighbors and friends are not quite the types to do get their hands dirty.

What's the best way to do this? Block and tackle? Counter weight with buckets and stone?

Should I leave the garage door up and suspend the rail using metal straps?

And yes, the insulation is a bit messy. I will tidy that up as I go along.

Anybody?

 

[Stuart in MN]

I'd raise the door to take tension off the springs, disconnect them, then lower the door (make sure you have help for this part since the door is heavy.) Once it's lowered, then there's very little weight or force on the rails. You should be able to simply unbolt it from the ceiling joist, lower it down a little, then slide a piece of drywall above it and screw that into place, then reinstall the bracket and finally lift the door back up and reconnect the spring.

 

[CTDan]

Yeah. The problem is that I don't have the help I need to lower it.

 

[blair683]

I have the same dilemma. Although I am using OSB and not as concerned about looks. I plan to just osb around the backbhangs for the garage door.

 

[ard]

I need to finish drywalling the garage. The only part left is the ceiling. I have a 15' wide insulated double door. Quite heavy. I need to lower the rails that are attached to the ceiling so that I can drywall under the bracket.

I cannot lower the door and disconnect the bracket from the ceiling since the springs are under tension, right? I cannot lower the springs myself and most of my neighbors and friends are not quite the types to do get their hands dirty.

What's the best way to do this? Block and tackle? Counter weight with buckets and stone?

Should I leave the garage door up and suspend the rail using metal straps?

And yes, the insulation is a bit messy. I will tidy that up as I go along.

Anybody?

If you cannot find help to lower the door (a front end loader would work too)...

I'd put in two temporary anchors 4 feet, 6 feet further back.... and then attach a rope or cable to that temp anchor, Then using a large turnbuckle, use these anchors and cables to now hold the two springs where they are attached to that bracket.

Pull on the connection to that bracket until the tension is released.

Once the bracket is no longer under tension, remove it. Sheetrock out to this point, reinstall brackets, load the brackets with the springs, remove the cables and temp anchor. Finish the Sheetrock.

 

[finn]

First off, I have torsion springs, not tension springs like the o.p, but in any case, a set of vice grips clamped in the rail above the top section rails will immobilize the door.

I then made a duplicate set of temporary brackets, mounted forward of the original brackets to temporarily support the rails to the ceiling while I installed the drywall (and osb in another garage).


I don't know why the vice grip trick , with variation, can't be used here.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I'd eitehr drywall around the brackets.
or
1. put up temporary brackets
2. drywall where the permanet brackets are
3. Reinstall permanent brackets
4. Remove temporary brackets
5. Drywall the rest.

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

Build a deadman one inch shorter the track height off the door. A tripod out of 2x3 with a v shape at the top for the track to sit in. Put a ratchet strap across both rails so they cannot spread apart. Take exact measurements where the screws were. Make sure the screws will be long enough after you install the rock. Don't do anything with the door until the rock is less than four feet away and that will help you with the exact location. With the door open put the deadman under the track and unscrew the lag bolts. After you do the rock use longer lags and they will pull the weight of the door up that last half inch or so. Be careful rocking above the rear hangers so they don't get all whacked. Hope this helps.

 

[PassnThru]

You're over thinking this. Loosen the springs until you can remove them. Plenty of people hang doors by themselves - you're just doing it in reverse.

 

[rayra]

Just drywall around the brackets. You're planning to cover up their attachment hardware anyway, right?

 

[n20junkie]

With the door down, and locked out, you can just loosen and remove the brackets. The rails will support themselves just fine assuming they were installed properly.

 

[aabirdman]

Like #10. Just cut around the brackets. Make your cuts tight and mud them when you tape everything else. It's not like they are something that needs constant attention.

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

Please be careful with some of the advice. Those springs have stored energy that equals the weight of the door. Your picture shows the rear hanger will collapse towards the door and each springs may have up to 175 lb strength. Nothing to be fooling with. In the closed position you can use a come along to take up the energy of the spring, unhook the door cables then release the energy with the come along. Please be careful.

 

[CTDan]

Please be careful with some of the advice. Those springs have stored energy that equals the weight of the door. Your picture shows the rear hanger will collapse towards the door and each springs may have up to 175 lb strength. Nothing to be fooling with. In the closed position you can use a come along to take up the energy of the spring, unhook the door cables then release the energy with the come along. Please be careful.

This is my biggest concern. Those springs are under a ton of tension when the door is down. If they go, it will shoot across the room and hopefully the cable will contain it.

Burying the metal brackets in drywall is not really an option. I need a good seal for fire, fumes, and drafts.

Here is my current thinking. There are three mounting holes on the rail that I can use to bolt on a metal strap. I will then screw those straps to the ceiling joists. This will hold the rail temporarily while I remove the rear metal hangers, put up the new drywall, new mounting brackets, and put everything back where they belong. The red lines are the locations of the metal straps.

 

[TractorJeff]

Put the door up which takes off the tension. remove one spring, lower door. You are guiding/controlling the weight of one side.
Install the drywall on that side.
Raise door re-attach that side, then do the other side the same way.

 

[gnpenning]

While you're at it add a cable through the middle of those extensions springs and secure both ends . This way when one breaks the spring will be contained.

Tractor Jeff's will work, but you will have uneven tension on the sides of the door and it will need help going up and down.

A couple suggestions will get someone hurt or killed.

You can undo the springs with the door up and unbolt each section and lower and raise one section at a time.

You have a couple good options, pick what you are comfortable with. How I would do it and how you would most likely will be different. Be safe.

 

[n20junkie]

Please be careful with some of the advice. Those springs have stored energy that equals the weight of the door. Your picture shows the rear hanger will collapse towards the door and each springs may have up to 175 lb strength. Nothing to be fooling with. In the closed position you can use a come along to take up the energy of the spring, unhook the door cables then release the energy with the come along. Please be careful.

Open the door, take the springs off, install come along where spring was, lower.



Worst case, get a door company to do it for you. Drywall properly, then reinstall brackets and have door company reconnect.

 

[CTDan]

While you're at it add a cable through the middle of those extensions springs and secure both ends . This way when one breaks the spring will be contained.

Tractor Jeff's will work, but you will have uneven tension on the sides of the door and it will need help going up and down.

A couple suggestions will get someone hurt or killed.

You can undo the springs with the door up and unbolt each section and lower and raise one section at a time.

You have a couple good options, pick what you are comfortable with. How I would do it and how you would most likely will be different. Be safe.

Thanks for the help. And yes, there are cables in the middle of the spring. It will contain it, but man... that spring will shave a few years off your life if it lets go!

 

[gnpenning]

Many a windshield has lost the battle to a flying spring. You don't want to try and out run it when it goes..... Glad you have it covered.

If you do undo the springs and try to lower the door. Remember it doesn't have to go all the way down. Around half way will let you drop one side of the track to install your sheetrock. Reattach then do the other side. Like I mentioned before, several ways of doing it with out trying to kill yourself.

 

[APEowner]

I don't really understand the problem. I'd just add blocking so there's something to secure to and drywall up to the bracket.

 

[cdestuck]

This is my biggest concern. Those springs are under a ton of tension when the door is down. If they go, it will shoot across the room and hopefully the cable will contain it.

Burying the metal brackets in drywall is not really an option. I need a good seal for fire, fumes, and drafts.

Here is my current thinking. There are three mounting holes on the rail that I can use to bolt on a metal strap. I will then screw those straps to the ceiling joists. This will hold the rail temporarily while I remove the rear metal hangers, put up the new drywall, new mounting brackets, and put everything back where they belong. The red lines are the locations of the metal straps.

I think you solved your own problem. If you're drywalling from back to front I might just attach a 2x4x8 above each rail to attach each temp bracket to. As you work closer to the front, cut the 2x4 shorter until you can hook back onto the original rear bracket. You got it going brother