Garage Door FAQ | Door Ace

More often than not, headroom or overall clearance will depend upon the type of spring system that will be installed with your new garage door. For extension springs, a minimum of 10″ is required for your garage door to have enough room to operate correctly. Torsion springs require a little bit more space, typically at 12″. Remember, these measurements are only taken into account for garage door operation. If you plan on installing or replacing a garage door opener, additional headroom is required for the guides and rails. At Door Ace, we provide all of the specifications straight from the manufacturer to ensure your garage door will have enough clearance for your opening.

If you have your heart set on a new garage door that doesn’t allow for enough clearance, keep in mind that low headroom kits are available for certain models. Whether your garage door comes with extension or torsion springs, headroom can be reduced up to 4.5 inches. Just ask your garage door specialist and technician about your options!

Sideroom is the key measurement from each side of the garage door opening, outward to the nearest wall or obstruction within the garage. When replacing or installing a new garage door, it’s important to allow up to 3.75″ on either side of the door for standard extension and torsion springs and up to 5.5″ for residential extension springs.

Another key metric, backroom specifies the distance from the garage door to the back wall of the garage. For residential garage doors, backroom is door height plus 18″. For commercial doors, you’ll need to include the door height in addition to 23″ for 2” tracks and 25” for 3” tracks. When installing an automatic garage door opener, additional backroom will be required to fit all of the necessary components.

Depending on the type of garage door, the finished opening should be the same size as the door you wish to purchase and install. Always keep in mind that the door fits against the opening from the inside. Also, the rough opening should be finished with an exterior perimeter sealant or stop molding to keep out rain, wind, and other elements from your garage space. Garage doors with steel jambs account for an additional 2” to the finished opening for side seal application.

It’s quite typical for garage to hang about 4 to 6 inches into the opening. This ensures consistent tension on the cable, preventing separation or migration from the drum or pulley. If your garage door operates with an electric opener, this additional distance can be adjusted, so the door is pulled completely flush with the opening, which would provide additional clearance for a vehicle if necessary.

There are so many factors that contribute to the overall cost of a new garage door installation, including: model, size, material, decorative options, and site conditions. That’s why Door Ace offers free consultations. Our garage door specialists want to provide you with the quote and information you need to reflect an accurate estimate. Sometimes, garage door replacements are even covered by homeowner’s insurance!

If you have experience installing and repairing garage doors as part of your work as a contractor, you’ll be able to service your own door. However, even if you are a builder but aren’t familiar with garage door set-up or components, you should always opt for a garage door specialist in your area to prevent any costly potential damages to your system.

Lucky for commercial property owners and residential homeowners, just about any garage opener can be installed with a new door. At Door Ace, we ensure that all of our garage door openers abide by all necessary safety and compliance. For any garage door opener system, it’s important to reinforce the door before attaching the opener’s components.

At Door Ace, we highly recommend that your garage door springs are repaired and/or replaced by a certified garage door technician. This is because your springs, especially torsion spring systems, experience higher levels of tension and must be handled with care. Depending on the amount of wear, tear, and tension your garage door springs are experiencing, a spring replacement can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.