Raising garage door…ideas please

[69charged]

Hello all. I’m starting to close my garage in and insulate it as the warmer weather comes.
One thing that has bugged me since moving in is the overhead doors. They are 10’ tall, but the previous owner has them mounted so low that they only open 8 or so feet. And I can’t get my boat in without disconnecting it and pushing it up farther.

So in my infinite wisdom ( enter strong sarcasm!!) I want to raise the spring and jackshaft up and move the tracks up. Then I will change to a jack shaft mounted opener. My thoughts are to remove the 2x6 they nailed to the wall as a spacer, and the 2x10 across the top. Move the jackshaft up a foot or so, along with the tracks, and re-install the doors.
I will also have to trim the tin work on the outside to accommodate removing the extra 2x’s. Does that make sense and anyone see a problem with my proposed plan??

Pictures:

Here you can see how they nailed on the 2x6 and 2x10 to mount the doors. I want to remove that and get rid of it.



In this one you can get a better look how the door doesn’t travel all the way up. I could probably change the limits on the chain drive opener, but when I switch to a jackshaft opener, there won’t really be enough tension on the cable to work properly. So if I extend the track up, and move everything up, I should end up with enough door weight to keep the tension monitor happy.



This picture shows how the 2x6 is nailed on and the door mounted to it. I would rip everything off, insulate, and put 1/2” plywood over the whole thing. Then re-install the doors on the plywood.

Thanks for looking through, and let me know your thoughts and opinions.

Clarence

 

[The Cobbler]

I don't get it. the doors don't go all the way up and lay horizontal? is the track long enough for them to do that? sounds like it's an opener issue, not an install issue.

 

[Youngandfree]

The door is the right height for the opening. If you raise up the header making the opening bigger, you're going to need a bigger door.

Like mentioned already, you need tonadjust the opener to pull the door all the way up. If you can disconnect the opener and push the door up high enough to get the boat in, then just fix the opener. The other reasonable option is install a high lift track but that's not free like fixing the opener.

 

[carcruse]

You might just need a longer t-rail for the opener. The one you have might be for only a 8 or 9 foot high door.

 

[BurtEggley]

the way ours is adjusted, it sits about 1/2 inch above the bottom of the header when it is up. If your door is the problem and not the header, it may not be installed properly. Can you adjust the stop to allow it to open a couple more inches?

 

[rsanter]

When you disconnect the garage door opener and push the door up further, does it stay where you put it?
if it does then the issue is just the opener
most openers have kits available to adapt them to the taller doors

there are members on here that have modified their tracks and “high lifted” their door and were able to still use the door, spring, and opener that they have

 

[69charged]

Thanks for the replies. I’m thinking I didn’t explain it good enough about what it is I’m wanting.
I guess the best way to describe it is I am wanting “high lift tracks”. I didn’t know what they were called. I am wanting to raise the entire door and tracks so when it’s open, the whole door is hugging tighter to the ceiling. Hope that explains better.

As for the 2x6 and 2x10, I would like them gone more for aesthetic reasons. Plus the jackshaft is bolted to the top one. So I am wanting to raise the jackshaft, and then I’ll lag bolt it up higher through the plywood into studs.

That work?

 

[Fav Onefour]

High lift conversion is doable. There are kits made just for doing the switch.

You will need more framing than a chunk of plywood at the top to hold rails and shaft.
I get the idea of trying to improve aesthetics, but your 2X materials are closing the opening. I can't tell how the exterior jamb is done, but I doubt it is self supporting.

It's really a two part list to do the switch. Framing and trim must be addressed. You can convert to in wall framing. It won't be quick and easy like they did with the initial build. The exterior trim would need to be redone with a narrower jamb. When you have a solution to do that properly, it's time to do the high lift conversion.

This type of project can be fun. It looks like power was already installed for the higher opener location. The end result would look good. Unfortunately, a shortcut approach will bring you right back to figure out to fix a floppy rail system and poor sealing door. Do it right while everything is open.

 

[69charged]

High lift conversion is doable. There are kits made just for doing the switch.

You will need more framing than a chunk of plywood at the top to hold rails and shaft.
I get the idea of trying to improve aesthetics, but your 2X materials are closing the opening. I can't tell how the exterior jamb is done, but I doubt it is self supporting.

It's really a two part list to do the switch. Framing and trim must be addressed. You can convert to in wall framing. It won't be quick and easy like they did with the initial build. The exterior trim would need to be redone with a narrower jamb. When you have a solution to do that properly, it's time to do the high lift conversion.

This type of project can be fun. It looks like power was already installed for the higher opener location. The end result would look good. Unfortunately, a shortcut approach will bring you right back to figure out to fix a floppy rail system and poor sealing door. Do it right while everything is open.

Yeah I hear ya. The initial plan was to totally remove the doors and tracks, run conduit for the sensor wires, have it all spray foamed, sheet it all with 3/4” plywood, trim the tin on the door jamb, then start re-installing the tracks as if t was a new install.
My last house had 1/2” plywood on the wall, and the jackshaft was mounted to that. It worked good, but I am unsure if there was extra blocking behind because it was done before I moved there. So I intended to have blocking in for the bearing mounts and what not. Just wanted to make sure my ideas were sound before I started rippin and a tearin!!!

Thanks

 

[PCustoms]

@69charged full stop

Post a pic of the door open

I think you need to extend the black bracket and mount it lower on the door

Edit: see below

 

[PCustoms]

Here's a quick sketch



Red is how much further you want to open (I assume)

Drawn in blue is where your hockey stick/mount should connect

 

[69charged]

Here's a quick sketch



Red is how much further you want to open (I assume)

Drawn in blue is where your hockey stick/mount should connect

I understand. But I’m also trying to raise the whole assembly to get the tracks tighter to the ceiling.

 

[69charged]

I also realize now that the 2x10 might be what they did as a header. And that there might not be a header behind there. Which will greatly add to the work needed. There have been many things I’ve found and had to redo because of the previous owner, and this may be another one of those “what the hell were they thinking” instances. I would have traditionally framed a couple 2x10’s in the wall or a laminated beam. We’ll see. I may end up doing just that.

 

[PCustoms]

I understand. But I’m also trying to raise the whole assembly to get the tracks tighter to the ceiling.

Didn't catch that, your post seemed focused on the fact that it didn't open enough

 

[69charged]

Didn't catch that, your post seemed focused on the fact that it didn't open enough

All good. Your right. I didn’t word it properly to say what I was trying to do.

 

[Fav Onefour]

I also realize now that the 2x10 might be what they did as a header. And that there might not be a header behind there. Which will greatly add to the work needed. There have been many things I’ve found and had to redo because of the previous owner, and this may be another one of those “what the hell were they thinking” instances. I would have traditionally framed a couple 2x10’s in the wall or a laminated beam. We’ll see. I may end up doing just that.

I sure hope that's not the case. It is not installed properly to function as a true header. That fix alone would be needed either way. You may already be committed to some of the project by necessity.

I'd at least get up top and see if you can partially verify the header question. It would be surprising if the stud cavities were open down to a simple, flat 2X opening header.
Something is odd with the interior 2X framing. They stuck plastic sheeting behind the material. I'm not sure why that was done unless it was in preparation for insulation and vapor barrier overlap.

 

[PCustoms]

Not possible to tell how the building is framed from the pics provided, but is clear that 2x10 is not a header and is mounted to the face of the studs.

Is there a header behind that?

Only OP can tell...

 

[firebirdparts]

Well, it's not exactly complicated. My only comment on the framing is that your spring bracket has a ton of torque on it and you ought to expect that. Otherwise it should all be about like it is if you remove the "spacers". You'll have to have something up there somewhere to take that torque. Mounting tracks is trivial. You can probably download a set of instructions for the doors if you don't already have it. Too bad they were already installed, now you'll have to piece a little chunk in.

Your real problem, obviously, is with opener travel, not the tracks. You pull that door back another foot and it'll be open. Maybe that's not fixable, I don't know. I don't use a track opener on a 10' tall door, so I don't know. It's possible you could train the opener and be done, perfect, for zero effort. In fact I'd say it's likely, if you're able to get the door open unlatched.

If you switch to a jackshaft opener, that has inherent limitations which hurt you here, and so in that case moving the tracks up would in fact help about 6" or so.

 

[carcruse]

Do you want the door closer to the ceiling to get the whole door further from the floor or are you just trying to get part of the door from hanging lower than the header when open ( as your second door is to the left in one of your pictures)? If higher whole door further from floor, get high lift tracks. If you just want the last section of door even or slightly higher than header, get a longer opener t-rail.

 

[69charged]

Thanks for all the replies.
The plastic is put there as a vapour barrier. But, usually only done when insulation is installed. This is what’s leading me to believe it’s cavities in behind there. If that’s the case, I’ll install a proper header. Believe me when I say that it wouldn’t surprise me with what I’ve seen on the rest of the house. It’s been an interesting journey!!
I’ll climb up and see what I can see.
Stand by……

 

[NUTTSGT]

If you remove that 2x6 and 2x10, you'll need to completely remount the door, tracks and opener. That set up appears to be where the door sits flush to.

Personally, I would leave that as is. Your door tracks and opener need something substantial to be mounted to and that does a good at it and looks fine.

Most typical openers like you have are made for up to 8' tall doors. Any higher and they need an extension section of track. If you are switching to a jack shaft opener, that becomes a moot point and not needed.

Raising the door track to gain more interior height above the door opening is going to require new vertical sections of track, while you should be able to reuse the horizontal section. That should be easy to accomplish with a trip to your local O/H door dealer. However, doing so is going to require another substantial piece of 2x material in the location of. . . . however high you raise the door track to.


Stop by you local O/H door dealer. Take pictures, and measurements with you and tell them what you want to do. If they are a decent company and close, they may stop by, measure everything to make sure all is good before they sell you vertical tracks.

You'll also need longer cables and possibly bigger or different drums due to the increase in cable length.


In the end, it may be cheaper and easy to hand over the cash to have them come out and do the work since you may be going to an unconventional door track height and custom cable length.

 

[kngelv]

It looks like you have a 12" riser which is the curved section at the top. Depending on how you want to go it will require a larger riser and possibly new vertical track. Also because you are raising the door higher you will likely need a new spring to accomodate the additional weight. Either way you will have to adjust sprinng tension. Do you have experience doing this? It would be a lot easier to hire a garage door expert vs DIY.

James

 

[Youngandfree]

 

[BurtEggley]

just let a little air out of the trailer tires when it is in the garage.

 

[69charged]

It looks like you have a 12" riser which is the curved section at the top. Depending on how you want to go it will require a larger riser and possibly new vertical track. Also because you are raising the door higher you will likely need a new spring to accomodate the additional weight. Either way you will have to adjust sprinng tension. Do you have experience doing this? It would be a lot easier to hire a garage door expert vs DIY.

James

Most definitely do have experience. I have installed probably dozen doors or so in my time. Not an official company installer by no means. But I’ve been around!!
I’ve done 16’ high doors, 16’ wide doors, and a few others in between. So no issues there.

Didn’t get a chance to see what’s behind the 2x10. Hopefully tomorrow.

 

[69charged]

New idea. How about I remove the existing doors and tracks and chain drive openers, spray foam the wall all while leaving the 2x’s on there, then instead of plywood I use 2x6’s stained, and then move the whole door assembly up a couple feet. Then add a couple feet of track to the bottom. I’m doing barn board on the whole ceiling and the stained 2x6’s would complement that. And give a solid structure to bolt the tracks and jackshaft to.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I wouldn't add pieces under the current vertical tracks, I would like buy new so you have one piece.

I just bought 4 pieces of tubing vertical for two 8' doors and with tax, $132.


You'll also need to take into the account the wall to track brackets... adding a short piece will require 2 of those brackets per side.

 

[Innovate1]

If the opening is big enough you shouldn't have to deal with moving the header up but you need to check that it's in there. With multiple trusses bearing on the wall above it there better be something besides the surface 2 x. Moving the tracks up shouldn't be a big deal but if you want to go clear to the ceiling you may need new drums and springs. There is a company in northern Illinois that many here have used for parts for these sorts of OHD mods and reported being happy with them although I haven't used them. I don't have the name handy so hopefully someone else can post it. I would take measurements of how high you want to move the track up and send them the pics and details.

Found it: https://ddmgaragedoors.com/

 

[Skooterj]

What is behind the 2x10? Can you get on a ladder and take a picture from above? If the actual wall doesn't have a header and the 2x10 is being used an a support beam, I wouldn't move it without reframing the entire opening and adding an actual header. And I wouldn't really trust a 2x10 nailed to the interior face to act as the header either. So if this is the case, the whole opening needs fixed. Assuming there is an actual header behind the 2x10 (2x8 LVL maybe????), adding a high lift kit wouldn't be hard. The easiest way would be to extend the current vertical 2x6's to the roof line, add a 2x8 center spring plate and order a high lift rail and spring kit. You will need to add blocking to properly support the rail extension 2x6s and the 2x8 center spring plate. The correct way would be to remove the current 2x6s, replace them with ones running from floor to ceiling and cutting the 2x10 shorter so the 2x6's have a free path from floor to ceiling.

 

[racecougar]

Converting over to a high lift track setup isn't particularly difficult here. Example of 8' doors with a 12'7" ceiling height. You can see the framing that Skooterj called out above.

 

[BurtEggley]

Is this really where it stops going up? If so why? It should go all the way up. Several suggestions in this thread explain how.

Why so much slack in the chain? It looks like almost a foot. Who put the opener in and adjusted the tension? Things just do not look like they were ever installed and adjusted properly.

Regardless, the opening needs a header of some kind to support things above it and the sides. If you are not an engineer, suggest you hire one to redesign it if you want to make changes to the structure. Permits will be required.

 

[Brent T]

I used a kit from these guys. https://ddmgaragedoors.com/parts/high-lift/custom-garage-door-high-lift-conversion-kit-quote.php

You can figure it out yourself as well, but this eliminates the guesswork and is still a DIY once you get the kit from them. I did mine in a few hours and am happy with the results.