Garage Door Doesn't Fit

[Jetboy]

So I'm building a new garage this summer. I'm trying to do so on somewhat of a budget as I'm building out of pocket as I go. I saved the garage door from the old garage. Neatly disassembled it. Stored it. Kept all the hardware together. Then this weekend I went to install it. I got it back out after having moved a couple times around my project to keep the parts safe. Spend half a day cleaning it up. Found a small ding and spent time to straighten it out. Pressure washed it with soap and a brush to get it really clean and looking good.

I start installing it. Stack the 4 panels. Put the last one up. And there's still 3" of light shining through. WTF? I never thought to measure the door. Sure enough the old door I saved is only 6'8" tall. The effort to try to save it, and turns out to be a custom size. So... I have a door for sale... cheap! and I get to buy a new one anyway.

I could of course re-frame in my door opening, but it's already done, trimmed, painted, and ready. Plus I would like to have the extra height to leave the ski rack on my 4runner and still squeeze in.

Thought someone might get a laugh at my expense.

 

[Delancy]

On a commercial project with (48 ) 12'x14' commercial doors in 14'x50' bays, I neglected to calculate the width beyond the finished framed opening size that the tracks and tensioner actually required and how the load bearing walls that all had to fit between, infringed upon that dimension.

After the fact, had to cut down (336) 2' door panels from 12' to 11' 8", then dismantle 672 ln ft of completely sheeted, 16' tall walls, add 2" to each jamb face, retrim and resheet, just to hang the doors that were now 4" narrower than contracted with customer.

In fairness, it was a last minute change from a roll-up to an overhead, that I hastily responded to sales staff, wasn't an issue, but was a very, very, very costly mistake that I shouldn't have made, having been in the business for ten years at that time.

C'est la vie.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Add a piece of 1"x in between each panel??

 

[sggoat]

McGiver fix: Maybe add a 1"X4"(or 1x6) stub(with an aluminum cleat along the bottom) to the bottom of your door(2 - 10' boards should do it). Could make it out of PT decking material. Might have to remove the original bottom cleat where the seal fits and re-install on the new expansion. With the additional vertical height of the door, you may need to mount the opener a little further into the garage to allow for this. The closing should be no problem if the torque setting on the opener is adjusted.
Seems like this fix might cost ~$100+labor--way cheaper than a new door, plus if you do it, it will be way more sturdy than anything you could buy without getting something custom built.

 

[Jetboy]

Delancy: That does not sound like fun. I suppose you have to cut both ends of each panel too so you get a centered pattern.



I thought about adding some type of door extender. I think it could work, but the track is also too short so possibly it would fit at the bottom. Easiest fix would be a trim block at the top to just shrink the opening. For about $500 I can get a new door installed. I could probably find a good used one for half that if I watch the classifieds for a while.

I would really like to have a garage door on the back of the building so I could pull my boat back there to store it, but I think I'll need a roll up door for that, so this one won't work.

 

[Delancy]

Delancy: That does not sound like fun. I suppose you have to cut both ends of each panel too so you get a centered pattern.

Fortunately, commercial doors are striated panels, so one end cap, one cut at one end, no embossed pattern to center.

My unsolicited opinion, either shrink your framed opening or but a new door, the latter preferred, since it won't be an issue for potential buyers later on.

 

[jeffro109]

You can get more track at a local hardware store if you need to extend its height a bit.