Garage door issue

[northerngmc]

I have a brown 16' X 8' garage door in my garage that faces west. Now that spring has rolled around and temperatures are again approaching the freezing mark I am having a problem with my garage door.

In the late afternoon, with the sun shining on the door it appears to be expanding and then when it goes to open the door is bowed outward in the centre and the top centre of the of the door hit the shaft mount above the door. After the sun goes down I can again open the door.

The door does have a strap across the inside at the top that I can tighten in the winter to stop it from bowing in, and I have released the tension from this.

 

[CNGsaves]

More information would help . . . . wood, aluminum, insulated, etc?? Any damage to door??

Pictures of inside and out??

 

[koditten]

Yeah, pics would be good. Regardless, the door should not bow. It sounds like the tracks are too close together. They are usually installed with plenty of room for the door to grow and shrink.

Can you checkk your door tracks and see if the tracks can be slid wider? You might have to loosen or remove the lag screws.

Having it that tight has to be putting apretty good strain on the door opener if you have one.

Let us know.

KO

 

[readhead]

I agree. Sounds like the tracks are to close together. Did it do it before or is this a new installation?

 

[imnutz]

It is known as thermal bowing, has nothing to do with the tracks. Two things you can try - first check shaft for level, the installer may have let it sag in the middle or the anchor bracket that holds the springs may be able to be trimmed, or second, heavier gauge strut installed on the top section, right at the top inside of the section, not in the middle

 

[northerngmc]

Door is an insulated Steelcraft (R16) door. Garage is new and this is the first winter with heat in the garage.

 

[northerngmc]

It is known as thermal bowing, has nothing to do with the tracks. Two things you can try - first check shaft for level, the installer may have let it sag in the middle or the anchor bracket that holds the springs may be able to be trimmed, or second, heavier gauge strut installed on the top section, right at the top inside of the section, not in the middle

Thanks, I will check if the shaft is level tonight.

The anchor bracket has the corner trimmed at the factory but maybe I should just take my tin snips and trim the bracket a little more.

I agree about the tracks as it moves easily on the tracks and is hitting the bracket when the door bows out in the sunshine.

 

[Criss]

I have a Clopay MDL 4060 and it has at least 2 struts maybe 3.

 

[northerngmc]

The shaft is indeed lower in the centre than the outside. It looks like the header has sagged in the middle.

I have the builder coming in to look at it.

I am wondering if the snow load has affected it.

 

[CNGsaves]

The shaft is indeed lower in the centre than the outside. It looks like the header has sagged in the middle.

I have the builder coming in to look at it.

I am wondering if the snow load has affected it.

Please post up some pictures . . . . this sounds very unusual !!

 

[HotrodHR]

I have a brown 16' X 8' garage door in my garage that faces west. Now that spring has rolled around and temperatures are again approaching the freezing mark I am having a problem with my garage door.

In the late afternoon, with the sun shining on the door it appears to be expanding and then when it goes to open the door is bowed outward in the centre and the top centre of the of the door hit the shaft mount above the door. After the sun goes down I can again open the door.

The door does have a strap across the inside at the top that I can tighten in the winter to stop it from bowing in, and I have released the tension from this.

I had to look up Fort Smith NWT on Google Earth after reading that "spring has rolled around and temperatures are again approaching the freezing mark" just to check the latitude... All I can say is WOW! You are way up there and your 1959 GMC is probably the most northern one around (maybe the only one).

Looks like an interesting place to live... what do the folks up there do for a living? Do you haver any pics of that 59?

 

[northerngmc]

I had to look up Fort Smith NWT on Google Earth after reading that "spring has rolled around and temperatures are again approaching the freezing mark" just to check the latitude... All I can say is WOW! You are way up there and your 1959 GMC is probably the most northern one around (maybe the only one).

Looks like an interesting place to live... what do the folks up there do for a living? Do you haver any pics of that 59?

You might think that my 59 was most northernly, but I know of 2, 59 GMC's further north. One in Hay River and one a trip to Inivuk I saw one about 8 years ago.

Album of pics on another site. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/album.php?albumid=1133 I hope that link works.

What it looked like when I bought it in 1989

What it became 10 years ago.

 

[6t7gto]

Your link took me to a login/register page. Don't want to register. When I got to the home page of the forum, I have no idea where your truck thread is.
David

 

[northerngmc]

Your link took me to a login/register page. Don't want to register. When I got to the home page of the forum, I have no idea where your truck thread is.
David

Yeah I wondered if that would work.... Did the 2 photos I linked from that site show up?

Try my Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/northerngmc/

 

[northerngmc]

Please post up some pictures . . . . this sounds very unusual !!

What do you think? Inside and outside view. Snow has really melted the last couple of days and we are finally above freezing.

 

[PT Doc]

Pretty obvious from that photo.

 

[northerngmc]

Pretty obvious from that photo.

Is the solution obvious?

 

[Criss]

I'm on my mobile phone so the pictures are so so.. what's your header sitting on and what is it? 16' span would normally be at least a double 11-7/8 lvl. That would be adequate for western PA snow load. I also can't see if there are any other load above the roof that transfer down.

Even though I don't know/see everything a fix could be quite easy by backing up the roof and replacing the assisting headed with one spec'd. If you get me some details I could have it spec'd out for you.

 

[koditten]

I was wondering too if the header had sagged. Your trusses, roof and any snow load have to be carried by the header. Can you verify that the header is not sagging?

 

[northerngmc]

Yes the header is sagging. It is about 1" lower in the middle.

Builder stopped by after work to take a look. He seemed perplexed as too why this would have happened. The header beam built with 3 2X12's and plywood. Glued and fastened together Beam and the wall were built in a shop and then erected on site.

Tomorrow he is coming back to move the torsion spring mount up so the door will open without hitting it. Then as the snow melts he wants to monitor what it does as the snow load decreases. It was +6 C today, the warmest it has been since early October!

 

[Criss]

You would of thought triple 2X12's would hold. I would be curious how much sag is their. A straight 16' 2X4 as a straight edge could get you a measurement just out of curiousity. Either way from the pictures the header sagged and it will need to be replaced with something that can take a heavier load.. LVL or steel I beam. Is there any other living space/ dormers e.c.t transferring load down to that header?

 

[Criss]

After doing a little research in your area I don't know about those 3 2X12's. Looking at your snow load table, apparently you get quite a bit of snow up there.
http://www.hsh.k12.nf.ca/technology/cmhc/english/book/appendix/table22/index.htm

 

[northerngmc]

You would of thought triple 2X12's would hold. I would be curious how much sag is their. A straight 16' 2X4 as a straight edge could get you a measurement just out of curiousity. Either way from the pictures the header sagged and it will need to be replaced with something that can take a heavier load.. LVL or steel I beam. Is there any other living space/ dormers e.c.t transferring load down to that header?

You can see the picture on the first page, nothing above the door but roof.

After doing a little research in your area I don't know about those 3 2X12's. Looking at your snow load table, apparently you get quite a bit of snow up there.
http://www.hsh.k12.nf.ca/technology/cmhc/english/book/appendix/table22/index.htm

Yes we had a bit of snow this past winter, probably 60 cms on the ground by spring. Most of it is still there.........

 

[northerngmc]

An update.....

Builder has ordered an engineered beam and the header over the door will be removed and replaced with the engineered beam.

 

[northerngmc]

Update.....

Sold the garage!

Builder installed a new engineered header. We will see what winter and the snow load bring for the new owner.