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Overhead Door - Hide in Ceiling

Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
6
Location
Southeastern Connecticut
Hello Everyone -
Does anyone have ideas on how to frame my garage ceiling so when I raise my overhead doors, they will disappear into the ceiling?
Maybe it's a stupid idea but I would like to have lights in that area that can be on when the door is raised.
Thank you everyone in advance for your ideas.
Marc
 
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Shootinok

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
710
Location
Oklahoma USA
Guess it could be done, my thought is you'd need a big slot as the doors on the radius move quite a bit away from the wall.
Do you have single or double bay door? If double, the span of the ceiling joists is far enough that you'll loose some additional ceiling height due to the member size needed to span that length unsupported.
Can you hang lights beside the tracks to help light under the doors when open?


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app
 

fourjeepin

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 12, 2011
Messages
3,653
Location
Atlanta, GA
I think I would look at building some brackets that hang under the doors. And most the lights to the brackets. Much easier to fab than the door disappearing into the ceiling.
 

gnpenning

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 25, 2015
Messages
2,754
Location
I have more questions than answers.
As mentioned a false ceiling or creative mounting of your lights will be much cheaper and easier. Coiling door is an option. Otherwise you will need a high lift track to get the door above the bottom truss cord. The expensive part will be getting trusses made with no W bracing in the area the door will be going in.
 

rsanter

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 22, 2007
Messages
18,489
Location
visalia ca
what direction do the rafters run?
if they are parallel to the wall on the door is on then you may be able to do a high lift kit to put it into the attic (unless you have a newer house with trusses)

otherwise install a high lift kit to get the door as close to the ceiling as possible, then frame a pocket or shelf so to speak below the opened door. mount your lights there
 
OP
B
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
6
Location
Southeastern Connecticut
Guess it could be done, my thought is you'd need a big slot as the doors on the radius move quite a bit away from the wall.
Do you have single or double bay door? If double, the span of the ceiling joists is far enough that you'll loose some additional ceiling height due to the member size needed to span that length unsupported.
Can you hang lights beside the tracks to help light under the doors when open?

Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

The doors are 10' wide by 8' high and the ceiling height is 11'. Although I plan on mounting the track as close to the ceiling as possible, I don't want to cause myself any other issues by having the doors go into that big slot.
 

Hot Rod Grampa

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Joined
Jul 7, 2017
Messages
812
Location
Near Cooperstown New York
It can be done but it would require clear space in attic so truss design is critical. Also no easy way to seal hole when open or closed. Conditioned air would disappear quick. We once put a roll up door into the space between the first two trusses. Allowed door to be the same height as ceiling.
 
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willbrown82

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Messages
85
Checkout garagedoorlighting.com. Another option for lights with the door open. They have videos on their instagram page.
 

ChaseDE

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Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Messages
2,178
Location
Delaware
I think I would look at building some brackets that hang under the doors. And most the lights to the brackets. Much easier to fab than the door disappearing into the ceiling.

Yeah, I think Jack Olson's (Olsen?) 12 Gauge garage uses this method.
 

JRC3

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2014
Messages
12,481
Location
Southwestern OH
Custom trusses? No one heard of stick framing?
I know. LOL
I've considered taking the overhead garage door through and above the rafter ties for more lift height with the door open. Of course this can only be done if the garage door is at a gable end with the ties parallel to the door opening.
 

hsvtoolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2015
Messages
185
Location
Rocket City USA
Rather than try to route the door into my attic space, I plan to
switch from the old-fashioned Overhead brand to a LiftMaster
side-style drive motor. The LiftMaster design eliminates the
chain, track, and motor in the center of the door. I like this
idea because a side-drive motor allows the door tracks to run
almost flush with the ceiling. My hope is that I can relocate
the door tracks and get back over 2 feet of height. The open
door still blocks the lights on the ceiling, but otherwise it will
be out of the way.

I really like the idea of the "garagedoorlighting.com" folks, but
they need to provide a photo of what they're selling. I mean,
did anyone else notice there's not ONE photo of the actual product
on the entire web site? Do I really have to visit Freiburger's
Instagram just to see what I'm buying? Which is basically
some LED strip lights and an extension chord? Great idea
regardless.
 

bradpac

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 8, 2013
Messages
721
Location
Central TX
LED strips that hit a contact when the door is all the way open? Sounds pretty easy to fabricate, although I would still just hang the same LEDS under the door so I can use the same lights whether the door is open or not.
 
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