Question:
Everywhere that I look, I can find details on garage door assembly etc.
But, nowhere can I find the framing details for (size and distance
requirements) for same.
Lowe's employee offered where I purchased said garage door following advice:
Rough opening is same size as door, that is, 8' X 7'. This does not appear
it will work. Its already framed in now based on that advice.
I asked about height requirements and noted to Lowe's employee that the box
exterior stated 18" overhead beyond door height. Employee stated that was
the horizontal back area distance required, not the overhead. After using
standard 92 5/8" studs, am seeing that overhead is what I assumed to begin
with. So, I have to somehow make the overhead 5.5" higher above the now 97
1/8" height.
Can anyone tell me where to look for this info, or perhaps some details
here?
Answer:
First, a 8x7 garage door measures exactly that: 96" wide by 84" tall. The
door overlays the opening (sits up against the wall, not inside of it). So
any opening smaller than 96" x 84" (finished) will work for the door-
providing there is no obstruction on the wall surface (like a concrete
foundation jog) or in the doors path (like a lolly column). You just lose
usable opening space, no other functional repercussions. I like to frame my
openings 1.5" larger than the door so that when the 3/4 trim goes on they
finish the same size as the door. Any gaps showing are covered by the door's
weather strip molding. This maximizes the opening. But you can have a
smaller opening than max and the door will still work.
You need 18" clearance above the door opening to get STANDARD door tracks
(15" radius) to install easily. But they make optional tracks for overhead
doors to fit most existing ceiling heights with a functional limit of about
6" clearance. The Big Box may not have them but they can special order them.
If you can find a salesperson with an IQ above 90 you could just tell them
the clearance height and they could order the correct track to fit it. Maybe
not. Sometimes you are better off dealing with a real overhead door company
than a home improvement center for non standard items. The house I'm working
on right now has owner installed garage door openers for their 8 foot tall
doors. The standard opener track is made for 7 foot tall doors, so their
doors open one foot short of all the way. They don't seem to know or care
about this as the minivan will fit right in. I'm not saying anything.
An overhead door company will sell you the parts you need if you ask. You
may pay a little more, but you will get it right the first time.
