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Discussion Forum

Garage ceiling height

DonNH | Posted in General Discussion on August 19, 2005 08:18am

I’m about to start framing the walls for a 24×36′ garage, and am trying to decide how high to make the ceiling.

I’m putting a 16 x 9′ door in, and ideally I’d like to have the door clear somewhere around 10′ or 10’6″, so that I could jack up a 6′ high vehicle about 4′ high and still open the door.  On the other hand, I’d rather keep the ceiling as low as possible to keep the overall building height down, minimize heating volume, and minimize the number of steps (& therefore run length)  to the 2nd floor (have to make stair rise/run & headroom to code).

Adding to this is that I’ll have a steel beam sticking down 8″ below the ceiling where the garage opener track will have to pass, so there’s that much more height I need.

I’ve checked with one door outfit, and it looks like their standard setup (15″ radius track) will give me about 9-1/2′ of clearance under the door, and would require about 11′ ceiling height when accounting for the beam.  Their other option is a larger radius track, which would give me about 11′ of clearance but require 12-1/2′ of ceiling height, which is more than I really want to go.

Are most of the door manufacturers about the same, or can I get just about anything I want?  I’ve got a call into another local installer who I think does more custom work, but haven’t gotten a return call.  I want to start building walls tomorrow, so I need to make a decision.

Thanx

Don

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Replies

  1. MikeSmith | Aug 19, 2005 09:14pm | #1

    don... you can have low-mount hardware with most standard overhead doors

    8"  above the track... plus your 8" drop beam.. = 16"

    9'-0" door  plus 16"  equals    10'-4" ceiling..

     however.. we usually grade our floor slabs 4" from back to front to keep water runoff from the vehicle moving instead of collecting..

     so your  rear ceiling ht. can be 10'-0"   and at the door the  10'4" 

    i'd add in 2" just to make sure... and verify the low-mount hardware is available for your door...

    since your ideal, as stated, is 10' - 6", i don't think you should have a problem

    Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
    1. DonNH | Aug 19, 2005 10:58pm | #4

      Thanks Mike

      However, what I'm looking for is basically the opposite of low-mount hardware, as I'm trying to get the 10'6" under the door when it's open.  I suppose if I went to a 10' high door with the low-mount track I'd get the desired results, but I really don't want to go with that tall a door.

      The floor's already in - I didn't want a lot of slope, so I went with flat in the back and sloping 1" in the front 18'.  It'l probably require some squeegee work when the cars dump snow & ice, but should keep the water going basically the right direction.

      I'm thinking that I'll probably just go with an 11' ceiling height, which should give me plenty of room to put standard tracks in, and give me about 9'-6" of clearance under the door.  That should be workable, as I can probably pull the vehicles in past the door if I really need more height.  I'll also research some of the other options which don't require the track going under the beam.

      1. DanH | Aug 20, 2005 12:38am | #6

        The low-mount kit basically reduces the distance between ceiling and rails. If you add extensions to the rails and change the top-most wheel sets, you can place the rails higher.Probably a commercial garage door installer can work this all out for you, custom-designing the setup. Of course you'll pay more for the door, but those guys gotta put gas in their SUVs too.

  2. User avater
    xxPaulCPxx | Aug 19, 2005 09:37pm | #2

    This may help some:

    http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=200394-83410-3651-372&lpage=none

    View Image

    This opener mounts WITH the torsion springs, so you don't have that center bar down the middle of your garage.  I do alot of work on my cars as well, I might have to get this system myself.

    Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA

    Also a CRX fanatic!

    1. DanH | Aug 19, 2005 10:15pm | #3

      In addition to that (which looks like just the deal, BTW) there are several other schemes available, mostly involving things like mounting the opener sideways and using a cable system.

    2. DonNH | Aug 19, 2005 11:11pm | #5

      Paul,

      Looks interesting, but I get a "product no longer available" message when I click on it.  Do you have a mfr. and/or model I can search on?

       

      Don

       

      1. User avater
        xxPaulCPxx | Aug 20, 2005 04:52am | #7

        Wayne¯ Daltonidrive Torsion Springs Garage Door Opener

        Item #: 200394       Model: 3651-372

        $257.00

        You could also just have that 10' door setup, without using the top sections.  If the rail system goes much higher than the opening, then the top panel will be flush with the opening when it is all the way down.  Lower rail systems press the top panel into place after the door is fully down.

        Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA

        Also a CRX fanatic!

        Edited 8/19/2005 9:55 pm ET by xxPaulCPxx

        1. User avater
          G80104 | Aug 20, 2005 05:51am | #8

          Wayne Dalton, "The Ryobi of the Garage Door World!"

           Have used the I drive system in the past. Only in a jamb when there was no head room. Won't want one on my house!

          Use Wayne Dalton doors on a daily basis, Cheap Door, thats it. If you ever see a Wayne Dalton Door that has weather stripping that goes all the way accross the bottom of the door, take a picture because it will be a 1st!

          Edited 8/19/2005 10:52 pm ET by G80104

          1. User avater
            xxPaulCPxx | Aug 20, 2005 10:26am | #9

            You want to trash that door, go right ahead.  It is a unique solution the I have not tried personally, and I welcome any informed input.

            If you want to trash Ryobi tools, I will have to take exception.  I have and use their 18v tools on a nearly daily basis.  I probably drop my impact driver, or drill, or both, on concrete from between 4' and 9' at least once a week.  I have their table saw, recomended in a FHB review.  I got their 18v kit based on a Consumer Reports review of cordless drills, where Ryobi beat all handily.

            Ryobiu tools, in my experience, are useful, rugged, durable, and sized right for the jobs I do (framing, repair, and demolition).  I a not a contractor, but I do daily work on my house.  Tell me where you can get a better bang for the buck.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA

            Also a CRX fanatic!

          2. User avater
            G80104 | Aug 21, 2005 12:38am | #11

              More bang for the buck....

            Bosch & Makita come to mind.

            Funny thing is the Guy that came out last week to hang 4 Wayne Dalton Doors, he had one of then POS Ryobi Combo kits!

              As has been stated here before...  "Friends don't let Friends buy Ryobi!"

          3. User avater
            IMERC | Aug 21, 2005 08:59am | #13

            guess "cheap" is all that matters to himmm.

            found a plan to get a Bosch 18 kit for just over 3 bills...

            interested???Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!---->

            WOW!!! What a Ride!<!---->

            Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

          4. User avater
            G80104 | Aug 21, 2005 04:44pm | #16

            Count me in !

          5. JonE | Aug 21, 2005 01:44am | #12

            "I got their 18v kit based on a Consumer Reports review of cordless drills...."

            'Nuff said.  You may get some bang for the buck, but I'd be all over Hitachi and Bosch for the best dollars spent.  Just so you don't think I'm trashing Ryobi, I have an 18V Ryobi sawzall.  I bought it because I had no electric on the site and I needed to do some rough cutting.   $99 well spent, and I got a neat flashlight out of the deal. 

  3. scrumseeker | Aug 20, 2005 01:33pm | #10

    Don

      to get a 16' x 9' door to a clear ht of 10'6" you need @ 18" hi lift track.  In this scenario, a jack shaft (wall mount) operator should be used, eliminating the operator rail at beam.

    It has been a while since I figured exact clearances for this setup,  but 10'6" + 8" beam = 11'2".    9' door + 18" hi-lift + @ 8" required headroom for torsion spring setup = 11'2"

    Jack shaft operator will require side room, either side of the door of @ 20".  You will  need a solid shaft on the torsion spring system.  And I would probably slope the horizontal tracks well uphill to let gravity keep positive tension on the cables when the door is in the up position.

    If you do use a trolley type operator, don't forget the operator head will hang lower than the rail by several inches (even less headroom)

    I would stay away from the Idrive (personal experience).  I am not to sure it can be used on a 9' tall door anyway.

     

    1. DonNH | Aug 21, 2005 03:39pm | #14

      You basically confirmed what I've decided to do.  I'll size the wall so the back is at 11'2", which will make the front an inch or 2 higher. Once I've got the roof on & am ready to put the door in (at least a couple months off), I'll have the door installation co. come look, measure & let me know what options I have.

      Thanks for all the input.

      Don

       

  4. ponytl | Aug 21, 2005 04:12pm | #15

    Just depends on what u want to spend... but i have a roll up door on my big garage... no tracks at all...

    p

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