Garage door bracing

[Hollywood D]

Hey, first post. Have a question about garage door bracing. My truck is about 1" too long to fit in the garage. If I was able to remove the bottom piece of bracing from the door and replace it with a piece of lumber I would have clearance. The door has the standard metal u-channel braces. It's a 2-car garage, 7' x 16' door I believe.

I searched everywhere and cannot find anywhere where someone has used wooden bracing on a garage door, which makes me believe it can't be done. Not sure if the lumber would be able to withstand the forces. I was thinking a piece of 1x4x16. The door is a wooden/particle board door (or whatever it is they use now).

I suppose I could also 'push' the door out a little bit by removing the trim and adjusting the tracks out. Not sure what else is involved in that though to do it correctly.

 

[cdestuck]

Instead of using a piece of wood, I would locate a piece of 1 1/2'' x 1 1/2 angle iron, prob 3/16'' thick and mount it where your taking the brace off of. Just drill holes about every foot and lag it to the door.

 

[upndown]

A 1x4 will not work without sagging, if it did the factory would have used it. Cheaper tan a 16' metal strut.

Is the strut hitting your bumper? Some pictures wouldn't hurt. Also what is the height of your strut?

 

[Hollywood D]

Yea when the garage door closes, the bottom strut would hit the rear bumper while trying to close. I'll try and get some pics of the door.

 

[Hollywood D]

Here's some pics of the door

 

[barks]

radrush's comment makes the most sense so far. Seems this would maintain, perhaps increase, the door's integrity.

 

[dwm]

I'm no expert on garage doors, but I've not seen strut installed like that before. The objective is to prevent the door panels from fatigue cracking (wind load, bowing under its own weight, etc.). Seems to me that your strut isn't doing much on that front since it's not attached directly to the panels. It's helping, it's just not what I've seen before. But you do need one contiguous piece that's rigid perpendicular to the plane of the door. 2x dimensional lumber isn't going to do it.

If it were me, I'd buy a shorter truck. Just kidding! I'd put a thin notch in the 2x4s and install angle iron with one face of it against the door panels. Door panels might not be thick enough to use screws, but some West System epoxy or even just Loctite PL Premium will keep it on the door. Or put the edge of the angle iron against the door (I'd put some metal-core edge trim on it to prevent noise and keep it from scarring the door) and lag the angle to the 2x4s.

With space that tight, of course you're asking for trouble no matter what you do to the door. At a minimum I'd move the obstruction detectors up to the height of your bumper. That's where I have mine. One door has them at the height of my bumper (quite low since it's a lowered sportscar), the other door has them at the height of my sweetie's SUV bumper.

 

[Hollywood D]

You're right it's not directly attached to the panels it is lagged into the vertical supports. Maybe that's why this door is so obnoxiously loud. I think those vertical pieces are 1x3s.

 

[kingchevy]

What if you removed the bottom seal and screwed on a piece of say 3/16" x 3" flat bar to the bottom of the door, then reinstall seal. I think that would be more support than it has now.

 

[Hollywood D]

That could also be an option. Would a piece of angle iron or flat bar have to be continuous? I've never seen either of those in 16' length. I think Home Depot and Lowes only carry angle iron in 6 foot lengths.

 

[PugetDude]

The roll formed strut is there for wind load, to prevent the 16' wide door from bowing in under heavy wind conditions.

 

[Hollywood D]

What if I moved the strut up to the next panel where it would be above the bumper and put angle iron at the bottom where the strut was? Would that be acceptable? If it's not, it's not. I don't want my door to fail on me. I'm just brainstorming. I like all the ideas.

 

[kbs2244]

The strut is there for two forces.
When the door is closed it resists wind load.
When the door is open it keeps the door from sagging.
Putting it where it is vertically, but on the outside would be the quick and dirty way.
But you may have an appearance problem.
Replacing it with a 1 ½ x 1 ½ angle iron piece across the bottom would work, but then you would have a problem attaching the weather seal.


For only an inch I would look at the bumpers.
Front and back.
Can you snug them up ½ inch each?

Or maybe the front wall.
Can you make a notch in the paneling?

 

[Highbeam]

Take off the stupid front license plate holder. Remount the plate lower or directly to the bumper. That bought me about two inches on my F350.

You'll need a tennis ball stopper so you know when to stop but you're playing with fire to need every last inch.

 

[toolmiser]

The license plate holder idea is good. Can you cheat something else in the front of the garage? How about putting a header across a few studs then make the bottoms into 2 x 2"s? Just think a little outside the box.

 

[Zeke]

If it's just for wind, use the wood you had in mind with good linear, tight grain. If the door is not left up much, I'd not worry too much about that brace. I've only seen them on a few wood sectional doors, not all. And those times there were more than one it seems. One at the bottom seems not so vital. Your call.

 

[wnstwolf]

Trying to think abut that outside idea. As the door opens would that obstruction now hit the top of the door trim? I know the top of the door breaks away quickly as it goes up the track but there is a point where there is not much clearance between panels and header?

 

[Hollywood D]

I put angle iron on it and it seems to be bracing fine, although still not enough clearance. I'm thinking about pulling the trim off and moving it out. I have about 1/2" of length to play with on the track supports/brackets. The header and the studs are 2x6s. The little trim pieces are 1x3. What if I replaced the 2x6s with 2x4s? They don't appear to be structural. The trim pieces are nailed to those. I will provide pics.

 

[Totallymetal]

The strut on my garage door is installed on the 2nd panel, up above where the bumper would sit... It was this way when I bought the place last year. Works good so far.

Come to think of it, my last house had it in the same location. That was new construction.

 

[Hollywood D]

I was moving the door up and down without any bottom strut on and didn't see any deflection. It may survive without one. I rarely leave my garage door up anyways.

 

[aar0s]

The roll formed strut is there for wind load, to prevent the 16' wide door from bowing in under heavy wind conditions.

This. Every strut I've seen installed has been like this. With out that strut the door will bow even when it's down from even a moderate wind.

 

[Hollywood D]

I attempted yesterday to cut out a nice nook for my rear bumper to seat into. After knocking down some of the drywall I discovered 5 2x4s sandwiched to each other. I have a sort of bay window in the garage. The 2x4 sandwich was on the edge of the window. Same for the other side of the window.

My plan was to put in a header after cutting through the 2x4s but after seeing all those 2x4s together, I'm pretty sure it's a load bearing mechanism. So I didn't cut anything and scrapped that idea.

 

[cdestuck]

I attempted yesterday to cut out a nice nook for my rear bumper to seat into. After knocking down some of the drywall I discovered 5 2x4s sandwiched to each other. I have a sort of bay window in the garage. The 2x4 sandwich was on the edge of the window. Same for the other side of the window.

My plan was to put in a header after cutting through the 2x4s but after seeing all those 2x4s together, I'm pretty sure it's a load bearing mechanism. So I didn't cut anything and scrapped that idea.

If a inch would do it, I would set my circular saw depth for 1.5'' and make multiple cuts close together across all five studs for as much height as you need and knock them out with a hammer and chisel. Your not going to lose much strength.

 

[cdestuck]

That could also be an option. Would a piece of angle iron or flat bar have to be continuous? I've never seen either of those in 16' length. I think Home Depot and Lowes only carry angle iron in 6 foot lengths.

For this, forget the big box stores and go to a welding shop and see where they get their stock. It would have to be continuous and it does come in either 20 or 21' lengths. Perhaps the welding shop will purchase it for you.

 

[Hollywood D]

If a inch would do it, I would set my circular saw depth for 1.5'' and make multiple cuts close together across all five studs for as much height as you need and knock them out with a hammer and chisel. Your not going to lose much strength.

I didn't think about that.

 

[Cardboard Man]

Here's a thought in a different direction. You could try to "tuck" the bumper of your truck instead of carving up your walls. This assumes that you have a step type bumper that is supported by brackets to the frame. Usually there is enough room between the bumper and the body to accomplish this. It might be as simple as drilling a new set of holes in the bracket. Worth a look.

 

[upndown]

If a inch would do it, I would set my circular saw depth for 1.5'' and make multiple cuts close together across all five studs for as much height as you need and knock them out with a hammer and chisel. Your not going to lose much strength.

A standard 2x4 is only 11/2" thick. That's a reinforcement strut, what would you fasten it to?

I believe flat stock will be your only option.

 

[cdestuck]

A standard 2x4 is only 11/2" thick. That's a reinforcement strut, what would you fasten it to?

I believe flat stock will be your only option.

I was referring to the 5 sistered studs at the front of the garage. Notching the depth of them 1 1/2'' where the bumper would hit would still leave a 2'' deep stud which is plenty. And I even have a feeling that those five studs there aren't supporting as much as thought. When building I have sistered multiple studs together for a variety of reasons.

 

[Hollywood D]

The master bedroom is above the garage so that's the only reason I could think they put that many together. Figured they were supporting something. But it's an exterior wall.

 

[Flexia]

Just take the brace off the door and see if it sags when up. I am thinking the c channel on the bottom will prevent that. Oh and once you take it off you won't want to tell anyone here you did.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

As noted above, move the brace to the next panel up where it ends up above the bumper, and call it a day.

Charles

 

[upndown]

As noted above, move the brace to the next panel up where it ends up above the bumper, and call it a day.

Charles

Moving the strut up one section will do Nothing for reinforcing the Bottom Section!

 

[Lt1cobra]

Maybe you could replace the bracing with something like a piece of roof tin? Say 3-4 groves that you screw to your door? Dunno about the weight though? (Added load on garage opener)

 

[timewarp]

Moving the strut up one section will do Nothing for reinforcing the Bottom Section!

Yes it will as the 2 sections are attached to each other by more than 2 hinges, if the second panel can't bow the first panel can't either.

 

[upndown]

Yes it will as the 2 sections are attached to each other by more than 2 hinges, if the second panel can't bow the first panel can't either.

It sure as hell can! If you look at the construction of that door, there is no bottom rail at all, just a thin extrusion to hold the bottom W/S on.

I still think some flat stock spanning the entire width of the door will be your best bet.