Garage Door Expert Needed

[elmariachi]

I have 10 foot ceilings in my garage, pics are here. My doors are only 7 feet above the floor when open. problem is I can't jack my truck up because it hits the door. So I called the builder's original installer and asked about raising the door closer to the ceiling. You would have thought that I had asked for an airport to be built in my backyard. I understand that I need more vertical track, but they are saying its a full day job, selling me an extra panel (not sure why, the opening isn't getting any biggger) a new spring and misc hardware. Sound reasonable?Can someone with experience comment on how involved this should be?

Thanks.

 

[RickP330]

Get a second opinion. Has to be more insallers in your area no?
RP

 

[wrigh003]

My understanding of the extra panel issue is that the door needs to be pulled backward by the garage door opener. If you look at how your door goes now, it'll be done in such a way that the opener pulls back on the top section of the door, and then the rest of the sections of the door just follow in the track. There's not a whole lot of actual lifting for the opener to do, the track/spring does most of the work. What you'll be getting for your money is an extra section of door to go on top of what you currently have, any kind of frame/opening modification to accomodate that extra section, a bigger spring to handle the extra weight, and then the additional track, etc. Make sense?

 

[Kevin54]

it'll be done in such a way that the opener pulls back on the top section of the door, and then the rest of the sections of the door just follow in the track. There's not a whole lot of actual lifting for the opener to do, the track/spring does most of the work.

A door pulls up from the bottom panel with the cable. A well balanced door needs very little to pull it up. What you cannot do is go back further because the cable starts to go back the other way. I don't see where the extra panel would help. I would think a longer side extension to put the raduised track higher up would take care of it. That along with maybe a little longer cable.

 

[djjsr]

selling me an extra panel (not sure why, the opening isn't getting any biggger) a new spring and misc hardware.

The top rollers have to sit in the curved section of track, as they are now. When you extend the track vertically, you need the extra panel to relocate the top rollers back into the curve because the opener pulls back, not up. (assuming you use an opener)

The new springs are probably for the additional weight of the extra panel.

 

[elmariachi]

The top rollers have to sit in the curved section of track, as they are now. When you extend the track vertically, you need the extra panel to relocate the top rollers back into the curve because the opener pulls back, not up. (assuming you use an opener)

The new springs are probably for the additional weight of the extra panel.

Okay, needing room for horizontal/lateral pull makes sense. So I guess unless two panels will fit above my door (doubtful) then all I am going to get is the height of one more panel because there has to be room above the new panel for the spring roller and opener mount.

 

[Old Moparz]

What you need in order to get an overhead door into a higher position when it's open, is called a "high lift option". I'm sure an existing door can be modified, but I'm guessing that the installer will be swapping a lot of parts, therefore the high price. The difference in price if you were to have ordered the high lift door from the very beginning is minimal, like under $100 or so.

No matter what dimension, the doors themselves are identicle between a standard lift & a high lift. Using a 7' or an 8' door isn't the issue, but the length of the vertical track, the cables, the radius on the curved tracks, & the springs, are all different. Even the wall brackets that mount the vertical tracks are farther away from the wall at the left & right side of the opening so the door clears the wall going up & down.

I'm not exactly sure why a panel is going to be added to your door unless the installer has a way of converting & reusing most of your set up, & somehow is reducing what he is replacing. I have 2 high lift doors for my garage, but I don't have openers so I can't compare mine to yours. I recall one garage door company suggesting I get a 10' high door for my 8' openings to aviod the high lift need, but they were now commercial doors in that size & twice the cost.

 

[JohnZ]

I understand that I need more vertical track, but they are saying its a full day job, selling me an extra panel (not sure why, the opening isn't getting any biggger) a new spring and misc hardware. Sound reasonable?Can someone with experience comment on how involved this should be?

Thanks.

That's a standard "high-lift" door conversion - I had the same thing done to the 18' x 8' sectional door in front of my lift bay (12' ceiling) eight years ago; the horizontal tracks are now 8" from the ceiling, and the opener track is 2" from the ceiling. The added dummy panel (and lengthened drawbar) is necessary to solve the geometry problem of the opener pulling horizontally to get the door moving vertically. Two guys from the original door installer converted mine in about four hours for $400.00.

 

[boiler7904]

Ask them if they can add / modify track and make it work with a jackshaft operator and not add another panel.

I've got a commercial job now where 16' tall doors are going vertical for about 14' before turning to follow the ceiling using jackshaft operators. The panels stop at the top of the opening.

 

[nova65ss]

You can go with high lift and use a jackshaft opener and do not need an extra section. It is possible to use your existing opener and extend the arm but there will be a slight hesitation midway through the up and down travel. I think BMW did his without an extra section and has no issues. Guys have been doing it that way for years. The extra panel really just allows the door to run smoother.

 

[Tom Fuehrer]

Hi guys, I'm having a 2-Post lift installed today and am also looking at adding clearance by moving my garage door higher.

I found this company that sells High-Lift conversions:

http://www.diygaragerepair.com/Garage-door-springs-door-parts-for-garages-s/345.htm

I have no experience with them but they show a high lift conversion on the site. It is exactly what I need to do at my place.

Tom