Garage Door Advice

[Krfjkm]

Hi guys—

I’ve finished building my detached shop and have now started on the remodel of my attached garage that houses the daily drivers.

Taken it down to the studs and redoing lots of electrical and some plumbing. This is how we generally come and go from our house so we want it to look nice.

The “goalposts” for the garage doors have seen their better days— they are 1x4’s which then go into the header and Jack studs. I want to replace the 1x4’s to make everything look nice.

I am assuming when the door is up the tracks on the side aren’t under pressure and when the door is down the upper tracks aren’t under pressure. Am I right in this thinking?

My plan is to take out the lag bolts holding the tracks and insert a new 1x4 under them to make things look better.

Anything this esteemed group would recommend??

Thanks!!

 

[nadogail]

Invite an experienced garage door installer to your garage and solicit a professional opinion.

There are too many variables involved for me to attempt to advise you from my armchair.

 

[Walkers]

Your thinking is solid. If in doubt just loosen them all first and make sure none are under any strain.

 

[Krfjkm]

Your thinking is solid. If in doubt just loosen them all first and make sure none are under any strain.

Great idea!

 

[CraigStu]

I see an empty mounting bolt hole just above the top joint in the vertical 1x4. I am thinking you could run a bolt it there which would hold the track up while you remove the lower bolts. Then go w/ Walker's idea. I 'think' that, w/ the door up, spring tension will be almost zero so all you need to support is the 1/2 of the door's weight. You might also be able to release any remaining spring tension via adjustment. Just be sure to do it in a manner that you can put it back accurately after the 1x4s are replaced. Before you release tension put a vise grip on the track as a double safety so the door can't roll down the track.

 

[PassnThru]

If the door is up then the side tracks are certainly under pressure - they are holding the weight of the door up. You only have one other attachment point at the end of the track and it's not holding all of the weight.
I don't see a center spring so they look like extension springs to me. Put the door up - unhook the springs - and then put it back down on a furniture dolly or a creeper - something that can move a little. Then you only have to worry about keeping the door upright (which should be easy only doing one side at a time) versus it crashing down on you from the ceiling.
Also, the lags aren't just held right now by the 1X - they go into the stud behind it. Your door will end up roughly back in the same position which means you may or may not exactly hit the existing hole. Likely you will drill a new hole and it will be slightly off causing the lag to not be holding at full strength. To solve that problem you can make a template off a reference point for each lag and use it to predrill for the lags in the new board. Or you can drill a clean hole in the existing stud after you take the old 1X off and glue in a dowel.

 

[Jinks]

If the door is mounted correctly those lags go through the 1 X 4, & bolt into the studs. Verify that by removing one & checking the length. If that is the case put the lag back & just repair the existing 1 X 4 in place. If you're going to repaint, you can fill & sand easily enough & save yourself the work & risk of unbolting the entire door.

 

[adsinnott1]

Cut the 1x4 in half and do the bottom half and leave the top lag bolts in place. then remove the top lag bolts and replace that section. There will be a seam in the middle of the 1x4, but who cares?

 

[htmdude57]

I agree with Jinks, I believe the 1x4s are really just a spacer, and the lag bolts are secured in the 2x4s. But it also looks like there is a layer of sheet rock sandwiched in there too. Maybe you should replace both with wood that makes up the same thickness as the 1x4 and sheetrock.

 

[Krfjkm]

Thought I would follow up on my repairs—- went together really nicely! Thanks all for the advice!

 

[tthornto]

That 1x4 is either just a spacer or is both a spacer and trim. I would replace it with a pvc trim board or If you insist on replacing with wood, use cedar or redwood and paint/stain it on all sides prior to installing so it doesn't rot where it contacts the ground.

 

[GreatDoorsandGates]

Happy to give my unsolicited $.02,
Garage door labor is fairly cheap nationwide. I’d presume you can hire the side jamb replacement and/or door take down and later reinstall for MUCH less $$ than you’d expect. Specifically call your local door company and ask for a quote to “replace both side jambs”. (Phx market, probably top 5 highest $ this is a 30 min job for us and rates $150-250) below is more insight if you care to take it on.


#1!!!!! To replace the “side jambs” at some point you’ll have to come in contact with the spring tension!!!! IT BITES AND IT BITES HARD!!!!!!! The bracket that joins the vertical/horizontal track together is called a “FLAG BRACKET” it looks harmless, but it holds the end bearings/torsion tube in place all of which are directly tied to the spring tension. It’s probably worth the labor to hire a pro. The spring tension is weakest (if correct springs/by clear headed & well trained technician etc etc but we don’t know), but it makes it the highest probable time for one slip to cause an “off track door” you don’t want to have the door overhead something slip then your couple hundred or even 100lb door wanting to fall in/on you when you’re not prepared.

When the door is overhead (pull the release and check doors “balance” by hand should stay halfway and OVERHEAD from spring tension alone) the bull of the doors weight is resting solely on the horizontal track & the remainder should be SUSPENDED by the spring tension. If you take on this task, I’d suggest two piecing it, replace only the wood below the flag bracket where the vertical track attaches to the stud via two “jamb brackets” safer. Either way the vertical track is under very little pressure.

 

[Krfjkm]

Great info and thanks! I am respectful of the spring and won’t go near them. I was just interested in the side jam on the vertical track.