Picking Garage Doors

[bad_idea]

I'm confused. In process of building my garage. Stick built 30x40. Walls are 11' 8" from slab to top plate. Ceiling is a 2/12 pitch. Door openings are 9x9. I would like the doors to be about 6" off of the ceiling when open. I swear this should be simple. I can't get a straight answer from my local install company. They can't tell me where the door will be in relation to the ceiling. Before I pay these people $3k I really would like to know I am getting what I want. BTW, $3k seems steep to me. It is (2) Clopay 4300 series doors with windows. I don't mind figuring out how to install these doors if it saves me good money. Where the hell can I go to just buy the doors? This guy is talking about the tracks having to be engineered - that seems like bull to me. I am trying to accomplish a fairly common goal here. I don't see it as that exotic.

 

[Tinkerman66]

The doors normally break over soon after upward travel. If wanting to break over higher the track and the springs will require custom figuring.

 

[pbon]

There are high lift kits with a bigger turn radius at the top of the door. As the door comes in it will move closer and closer to the ceiling so the door will be slanted when raised.

 

[LB-1911]

I'm confused. In process of building my garage. Stick built 30x40. Walls are 11' 8" from slab to top plate. Ceiling is a 2/12 pitch. Door openings are 9x9. I would like the doors to be about 6" off of the ceiling when open. I swear this should be simple. I can't get a straight answer from my local install company. They can't tell me where the door will be in relation to the ceiling. Before I pay these people $3k I really would like to know I am getting what I want. BTW, $3k seems steep to me. It is (2) Clopay 4300 series doors with windows. I don't mind figuring out how to install these doors if it saves me good money. Where the hell can I go to just buy the doors? This guy is talking about the tracks having to be engineered - that seems like bull to me. I am trying to accomplish a fairly common goal here. I don't see it as that exotic.

High Lift Garage Door Conversion

Well. 3 months later I've started laying down the epoxy. Primer is on. Cutting in was a pain and doing a 3 car is definitely a bit more time consuming than doing the last one I did which was a 1 car. Base coat goes on Friday. Clear Sat. Urethane on Sunday.

Also I was going to do something funky with the space above the garage doors. I was going to do sheet metal but that didn't work out so I filled the wood and painted it the color of the walls so it blends in now.

Let's hope the primer cures well and properly with no bubbles.

 

[small&rusty]

Are the doors in question, insulated? 3 grand isnt a bad estimate for installed insulated doors. I was quoted $5800 for a 16x10 with opener, and a 10x10 no opener installed. If I install the doors I'm only saving 455 bucks in labor. I believe Home Depot sells Clopay doors, otherwise I'd go to the Clopay website and do a dealer search. Not sure about your area, I was given the option to buy and install the doors myself through a dealer here.

 

[jstroede]

I'm confused. In process of building my garage. Stick built 30x40. Walls are 11' 8" from slab to top plate. Ceiling is a 2/12 pitch. Door openings are 9x9. I would like the doors to be about 6" off of the ceiling when open. I swear this should be simple. I can't get a straight answer from my local install company. They can't tell me where the door will be in relation to the ceiling. Before I pay these people $3k I really would like to know I am getting what I want. BTW, $3k seems steep to me. It is (2) Clopay 4300 series doors with windows. I don't mind figuring out how to install these doors if it saves me good money. Where the hell can I go to just buy the doors? This guy is talking about the tracks having to be engineered - that seems like bull to me. I am trying to accomplish a fairly common goal here. I don't see it as that exotic.

Maybe you can't get what you want?

You are asking for an extended sized door with high lift and roof pitch.

What you are asking for is not an off the shelf solution.

John

 

[346ci]

Have you considered a roll up door? I wanted the standard overhead doors until checking out one. I really like the clean look and no tracks to block lights or anything attached to the ceiling.

 

[77Birdman]

Price seems in line. 9' doors are gonna drive the price. I priced a basic insulated 9' door from HD and it was over $800. Add glass and price goes up. I was planning on using custom track in my shop with cathedral ceiling and the install guy said it wouldn't add that much cost. I dont think the track is a cost issue as much as the doors themselves. With the rising cost of steel, I have found the price of garage doors has risen at least 30% since last winter.

 

[RoyBell]

I just ordered 2 standard single doors (8' wide x 7.5' tall?). Max insulation (R17.x), windows with tint, stamped bead board, and 2 x 8500w openers- $4200 all in. I think 3K for just 2 doors is a bit steep even they are a little larger than mine.

 

[Oldbear]

I have 12ft walls with a 16ft x 10ft insulated door - side mount jack-shaft opener. My ceiling is a cathedral style (scissor trusses). I wanted the door to follow the ceiling line so that I don't have issues with anything on my 4 post lift (installing soon). It was a custom rail job as it combined both a high-lift and matched the pitch of my ceiling. It didn't add much more than $200 to my final bill. It certainly wasn't anything out of the ordinary - our local lumber yard orders right from the factory (which happens to be an hour away). It was just a form with measurements for the factory to bend and weld up my tracks.

I was $2300 installed, plus $400 for the opener (these are Canadian dollars). It was installed by a local contractor.

 

[Radix2]

I'm confused. In process of building my garage. Stick built 30x40. Walls are 11' 8" from slab to top plate. Ceiling is a 2/12 pitch. Door openings are 9x9. I would like the doors to be about 6" off of the ceiling when open. I swear this should be simple. I can't get a straight answer from my local install company. They can't tell me where the door will be in relation to the ceiling. Before I pay these people $3k I really would like to know I am getting what I want. BTW, $3k seems steep to me. It is (2) Clopay 4300 series doors with windows. I don't mind figuring out how to install these doors if it saves me good money. Where the hell can I go to just buy the doors? This guy is talking about the tracks having to be engineered - that seems like bull to me. I am trying to accomplish a fairly common goal here. I don't see it as that exotic.

I think the dealer is being cautious with respect to your 6" requirement.

How it works is the dealer sends Clopay your dimensions and configuration - high lift, follow the roof, etc. Clopay selects the parts and the order can be completed. 6" is extremely tight and may not be met exactly with available parts, so the dealer is being honest. I think a more reasonable expectation is more like 12" with the understanding that the install crew will get it as close as they can.

The super close low headroom tracks used on low flat ceilings use double tracks to prevent the top section from going over the track, These can't be used with high lift or follow the roof since the first set of wheels has to run in its own track the whole way.

I think you should just specify your configuration, discuss the aim of getting it up as much as possible, and then accept how it comes out - just like the rest of us.

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

I understand what you want but the installer will not make the job impossible for himself. The door tracks are custom cut, extended and designed for your application. Springs , cables, drums, are different but the estimate of $200.00 extra is in line. If the contractor figures wrong the door will not work and he will be on the hook for the cost both in parts and labor to remedy. So he is going with the safe route and you may not be exactly where you want to be but the door will work. You could do all the math yourself and order the doors online. Many places will sell it to you but no guarantee it will fit. Good luck

 

[bad_idea]

The most aggravating thing about working with that dealer is their inability to give me a distance from the ceiling. I understand 6" is tight. But they were unable to give me an estimated distance from the ceiling.

I have contacted two more local companies, one has responded with a quote and waiting for the other to send the quote over. The quote I got today was for approximately the same price but they sounded a lot more competent.

I can accept that a quality door running tight to the ceiling costs good money. I expect for good money the dealer/installer can explain to me competently what they are selling me. Not keen on spending the money and hoping for the best.

 

[Pluribus]

I'm confused. In process of building my garage. Stick built 30x40. Walls are 11' 8" from slab to top plate. Ceiling is a 2/12 pitch. Door openings are 9x9. I would like the doors to be about 6" off of the ceiling when open. I swear this should be simple. I can't get a straight answer from my local install company. They can't tell me where the door will be in relation to the ceiling. Before I pay these people $3k I really would like to know I am getting what I want. BTW, $3k seems steep to me. It is (2) Clopay 4300 series doors with windows. I don't mind figuring out how to install these doors if it saves me good money. Where the hell can I go to just buy the doors? This guy is talking about the tracks having to be engineered - that seems like bull to me. I am trying to accomplish a fairly common goal here. I don't see it as that exotic.

The most aggravating thing about working with that dealer is their inability to give me a distance from the ceiling. I understand 6" is tight. But they were unable to give me an estimated distance from the ceiling.

I have contacted two more local companies, one has responded with a quote and waiting for the other to send the quote over. The quote I got today was for approximately the same price but they sounded a lot more competent.

I can accept that a quality door running tight to the ceiling costs good money. I expect for good money the dealer/installer can explain to me competently what they are selling me. Not keen on spending the money and hoping for the best.

Had something similar happen to me with a local garage door installer. Stopped in to their shop, and even with my pointing to the displayed door and hardware/tracks, the rep still couldn't understand the concept of how far down from the ceiling would the door be if installed for maximum clearance from ground to the bottom/inside of the door. Drew it for him with references to where the measured distance I was looking for would be. He kept referencing some other standard measurement, so I gave up and decided that they weren't the people I'd use to do an installation.

I may not use the correct industry jargon, but I can sure point to something and reference what min/max measurement points I need, and I can also back it up with a drawing that damn sure should have got the point across.

 

[matt_i]

Having raised an existing door, the major issue is getting the drum/shaft/spring right next to the ceiling.

I made my own cables with nicopress copper sleeves from McMaster Carr (need oval and stop sleeves plus a thimble for the lower "peg") I just scabbed in a straight piece of garage door track, plus some various flat bar connectors and welded angles, very simple fabrication really.

I had to tighten the spring at least 1 turn more than before (I had counted turns as I backed it off) in order to get the door to "stay there" in the new upright position...which might compromise its life. It may have been helpful to move the spring farther out from the plane of the wall.

Another issue: the sheaves/drums have to have enough circumferential groove length to takeup all of the cable. I got lucky, needed only 1 foot, which is probably 2/3 of a turn more on a ~6" drum which was already there. The springs also need to be able to handle the additional number of turns, which might drive a stronger spring that has to turn a lower number of rotations.

Bottom line is I think you need to be in touch with Engineering for whatever door company you choose. Possibly seasoned field install people could help too. Sales are likely not going to be up to speed on the technical intricacies.

 

[Jlbc212]

Back in the early seventies I worked for a door company that had its own track and spring shop with a full-time engineer on staff. They could custom make just about any set-up a customer wanted, but even back then a 9 ft high door would be considered unusual and limit the customer's choices. They eventually eliminated the track, spring shop and the engineer. It became too expensive to maintain that resource. Today most door vendors I'm familiar with have to rely on their suppliers, suppliers who like keeping their stock limited to a few basic setups.

 

[bad_idea]

I have gotten two more quotes from other companies and have done some research. Looks like I have two options - not sure which is a better choice. Cost is similar and door height to ceiling is similar. Comes down to which option will be a better quality solution.

Choice A - 15" radius tracks with high lift kit.
Choice B - 32" radius tracks.

Suggestions?

 

[RoyBell]

I am not a garage door expert, but I would assume the larger radius would be less stress on parts over time?

 

[driftpin]

I put in two, single bay doors from Clopay, they're insulated & reinforced for HVHZ (high-velocity hurricane zone) we need in Florida. The doors are high-rise, 118" to the track bottom, a 6" drum. Not sure of the model, I think they're 4300. No windows. The doors stay relatively cool to the touch all summer long, especially compared to a painted piece of metal lying in the Florida summer sun. No thermal readings, but I'm pleasantly-surprised at how temps in the garage are kept-down. It's insulated w/fiberglass in the roof (rafters, not trusses) & CBS/concrete walls.

I am pleased with the doors, no issues at all, the installer was very good, he made some suggestions that helped. I would get the same doors again.

 

[nmk_61802]

Ideal (which is Coplay) would not go tighter than 14" to the ceiling for me, even at a custom order. I eventually just ordered the extra track and did it myself.

As others said this is a custom solution. At a miniumum they need to figure spring and drum sizes to fit the extra weight and different balance points.

 

[kbs2244]

Radddix2 nailed it.
The problem is you are asking for a measurement that is at the end of the normal calculating sequence.
(Have the companies never heard of spread sheets?)