You can convert your garage into a truly meaningful space with the right accents. Above is the California full-view garage door, 18' x 8', Black aluminum frame, with Clear glass. This garage has been converted into a cozy area, with lots of natural light, perfect for enjoying the scenery!
Renovating a garage, or building one from scratch? Either way, be sure to keep reading.
Whether you’re spearheading a new renovation on your garage or installing a totally new garage and garage door, you’ll have questions. Terminology can be tricky and hard to understand. Garage door professionals can provide you with the answers you seek.
Are garage dimensions and garage door clearances confusing to you? Not sure what you should look for? Keep reading to understand these terms.
You have questions about garage doors and garage door openers – and we have answers! There are loads to learn about from garage height, to headroom, to which garage door opener is best for you. Purchasing a new garage door and garage door opener is an investment and should not be taken lightly.
Learn more about what garage door headroom is and what garage door opener types are available to you.
Q1: What is garage door headroom and why should it matter to me?
Above is a simplified diagram that shows how to find your garage dimensions as well as visually representing what headroom and backroom is.
Garage headroom can sound like a bunch of nonsense if you are not familiar. Basically, the term garage headroom refers to the clearance your garage allows. Unsure of your clearance? It’s the measured height from the opening to the ceiling!
Once you understand your headroom measurements, don’t forget to consider your door movement and garage door size. You want a garage door and garage door opener that works well with both the movement and size of your current garage door opening!
Q2: Does my garage have low headroom? If I do have low clearance, how will I install an overhead garage door?
The definition of a low headroom garage is one where there is lacking space to install a standard lift. Since standard lifts are incredibly common (particularly in houses), there are workarounds to still enjoy a standard lift with low headroom.
Technologically speaking, you have low headroom if you have less than 8 ½ inches of room available for extension springs in your garage. Regarding torsion springs used in the over the garage door headers, low headroom is considered less than 10 ½ inches.
Common scenarios where low headroom garages may be present:
- In older homes where high ceilings are not prevalent. Houses built way back when weren’t too concerned with headspace – because they didn’t really have such advanced garage door opener technology yet.
- It may surprise you that low headroom is also prevalent in new construction homes. This is typically because the headroom was not accounted for in the building plan or was overlooked.
- Low headroom may also be the result of a garage ceiling which features vents or other systems which cannot be obstructed.
- Concrete garages also are prone to have low headroom.
Above is an illustrative example of a garage with low headroom.
Front low headroom and rear low headroom: Which do you have?
Low headroom can happen in two separate locations in any garage. These two ‘types’are known as front or rear low headroom. The difference is the place of the spring and drums, where front low headroom signals front mount springs.
The above perfectly contrasts front low headroom versus rear low headroom. The drums where the cable is wrapped are not in the same location; this is purposeful, as it allows this mechanism to work even with low headroom!
You can still install an overhead garage door with low headroom with the right hardware
Installing an overhead garage door with low headroom is a breeze with the right hardware in place. You’ll need low headroom hardware, also referred to as a double- or dual-track system.
This specialized hardware works by providing an upper track is utilized by the top section of the door, while the other three sections make use of the lower track.
Q3: What is the process to install a garage door in a space that has low headroom?
The installation process for low headroom garages versus regular headroom garages is very similar. The big distinction is that the garage door opener and springs are installed in a different location. Essentially, different hardware will need to be used – but the result is the same.
Concrete garages usually feature low headroom. This low headroom garage here still looks chic with a specialized garage door optimized for performance in a low headroom space. Above is the Village Collection A Design, Plank base, 9' x 7', Cherry, windows with Cascade Inserts.
Q4: What is a wall-mounted opener, and can I get one in my low headroom garage set up?
You’ll enjoy the ease of a wall-mounted opener. Also called a jackshaft, this type of garage door opener is conveniently tucked away on one side wall of your garage for easy access, but also hidden from plain sight. Jackshafts are typically used for high lift clearance but can be modified to work in low headroom garages, too.
Wall-mounted garage door openers function by connecting to the garage door’s torsion bar. This way, you can have full use of your garage door lift, without requiring a rail track.
Wall-mounted garage door openers are multifaceted and may work well in a variety of scenarios. In fact, any a wall-mounted garage door opener can accommodate almost any type of lift you have!
Historically, jackshafts have been used in commercial applications. Recently, they’ve been getting more popular in residential installations. If you have a front low-headroom garage, a wall-mounted garage door opener will work, but will need special modifications.
Need some suggestions for a garage door opener? We suggest the LiftMaster 8500W model is highly regarded as a reliable and high-quality garage door opener. The LiftMaster garage door openers are also high-tech, featuring myQ technology which allows you to remotely access your garage door with the push of a button.
Boost the utility of your overhead garage space
Wall-mounted garage door openers aren’t all hype – they are quite useful for freeing up valued overhead space! When a wall-mounted garage door opener is installed, you won’t have your garage door opener and a central rail mounted to the ceiling, therefore freeing up ceiling space for creative storage solutions.
Ceiling space can be quite important in your garage. Consider these various products to hang your items from the ceiling. Family Handyman suggests the following ideas to make the most of that overhead space:
- Use cargo nets (hung from above) to easily store lightweight items.
- Garage ceiling storage lifts can be installed for the storage of bulky items like outdoor furniture or camping equipment.
- Coated hooks can be affixed to your ceiling to hang your bike easily and safely.
- Ceiling-mounted racks can be installed for latching totes.
Wish you had an additional room? With a wall-mounted garage door opener, you can convert your garage into an additional room!
You may not believe it but, your garage has the potential to pose as a cozy gathering area or posh in-home bar! By renovating your garage space, and making use of the extra room, you can use your garage for a whole lot more than just parking a car.
Transform your garage into a multifaceted and enjoyable space
Would you believe the above photo is a garage!? Yup, that’s right! The garage above has been carefully renovated to provide seating and even a gaming table! Need ideas on your garage renovation? HGTV’s website has some great concepts to look through.
You can make the most out of your garage by converting it. The options are endless! As talked about in these garage conversion ideas from Budget Dumpster, a company that does junk removal for residents across the USA, it’s clear that your garage has so much potential.
Some suggestions include:
- A guest suite or in-law apartment.
- A playroom for your kids.
- A studio space for creative ventures such as painting.
- A secluded in-home office.
Go big or go home when it comes to your garage renovation. Have you considered turning your garage into the best pub of your neighborhood? If not, you should!
A wall-mounted garage door opener is both visually pleasing and multifaceted bringing utility and sublime design together.
Q5: Is there a specific measurement of headroom needed for a wall-mounted garage door opener?
Using alternative hardware, you can install a wall-mounted garage door opener in nearly any space, regardless of headroom.
Typically, 2 inches of open space above the garage door is standard to install the wall-mounted garage door opener. If you don’t have that headroom, you can still do so with alternative methods.
A wall-mounted opener can be successfully installed In a low headroom situation simply by lowering the placement and installing it just below the torsion bar with the help of an alternate mounting kit.
This is an alternative mounting kit for a wall-mounted garage door opener. The alternative mounting kit allows the installation of jackshaft garage door openers that cannot be directly fitted on the torsion bar.
If considering using an alternative mounting kit, consider the specifications. To install a wall-mounted garage door opener, even with an alternative hardware solution, you’ll need at least 8 ½ inches of space on one side of the door.
Pick a color and design for your unique garage door
If you have your garage door openers squared away, you can move on to the finer details, like what garage door color or design you might like. We have so many designs and colors waiting for you to choose from!
At Doan’s Overhead Doors, we provide 3 garage door styles: Traditional, Carriage House, and Contemporary. These three categories are meant to help you identify an aesthetic that fits your home, but you can also customize your design. After all, we carry a wide range of garage doors that has something for everyone!
Apart from the style, you’ll be able to pick from so many colors. From bold blues to minimalist grey or white, our doors can be customized in any color you want.
White is such a classic color for a garage door! Above is the Princeton P-11 design, 9’ x 8'. Adding crisp white garage doors to your home can immediately brighten the façade!
Create your own garage door with an online tool
Unsure what color and design might look best on your house? Surely many people do – that’s why we provide an online Design Centre!
Using our online Design Centre, you can play with different colors and designs of garage doors without ever leaving your house! Thinking about adding some windows and decorative hardware? Try it out in our design centre first.
We can help with your garage door needs
Need professional help or advice with a garage door installation, repair, or renovation? Call our team at 705-324-1005!
Our technicians are experts when it comes to garage doors. They are ready to help you install, make repairs, or reimagine your garage door.
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