You dream of building a garage in your back yard, but you’re wondering how to go about framing in the opening for the door. Here are 8 simple steps to get everything ready.
1. Framing the door
- Use 2 x 8s or 2 x 10s.
- Attach them securely to the structure of the house.
- If you’re planning on covering these pieces with aluminum or PVC sheeting, make sure to allow enough space to finish the corners.
2. Width of the opening
- The width of the frame opening must correspond to the width of the door. If your garage door is 8’ wide, the opening also has to be 8’ wide or slightly smaller — let’s say by a maximum of ½” on each side.
3. Height of the opening
- The same principle applies as with the width. If your garage door is 7’ high, the opening also has to be 7’ high.
4. Inside the garage
- To attach the track assembly, we recommend using 2 x 6s‑and even better‑finishing the entire interior surface with ¾” plywood, securely nailed to the timber posts of the house.
- Make sure that it’s all even and properly aligned.
5. Clearance above the door
- If you’re planning on installing an electric garage door opener, there needs to be at least 14” of clearance space (including drywall, if any).
- A standard‑movement rail assembly takes up 12” and it’s necessary to add 2” more for the door opener.
- If you have less than the required 14” of clearance or more than 18” (e.g. cathedral ceilings), contact us and we’ll go over the possible solutions with you.
- It’s very important for the spring system to be attached to a solid base, as all of the weight of the door is transferred to this system at the center of the door.
6. Clearance on each side of the door
- To attach vertical tracks on each side of the door, it’s preferable to have 6” of unobstructed space.
7. Rear clearance
- To attach the horizontal tracks, you will need rear clearance corresponding to the height of the door, plus 28”.
- If you’re installing a door opener, you must allow 48”.
8. Wiring for the door opener
- If you’re planning on finishing the inside of your garage with drywall or some other type of material, it would be wise to run the door opener wiring beforehand. We can provide you with a plan indicating where the wires should be run and where to install the outlet for the door opener.
And there you go! Everything’s ready for the installation of your new garage door! Contact us at 416-239-7777 if you need more details on the information we’ve given you in this article.
At Automated Door Systems, we want your project to go smoothly, and most of all, for you to be proud of the results!
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