What is the Minimum Garage Ceiling Height for Wall-Mounted Openers?

This full-view garage door is in the California, 18' x 8', Black aluminum frame, Clear glass.

This modern glass garage door allows you to look outside while you’re relaxing inside. When the temperatures rise, you can raise the garage door to let a breeze in. You can barely see the garage door hardware. The garage door opener is hidden as well, allowing for beauty and function. This California full-view garage door, 18' x 8', with clear glass really opens up the space.

A garage change-up lets you imagine just how great your space can be. What can you do with your garage? Faced with a garage project, you might feel overwhelmed with all the choices.

Garage doors and openers might not be something you talk about every day. While researching, you might get confused with the terms you read. Garage door professionals are ready and waiting to help you weed through the confusion.

While researching, you will hear about garage measurements and garage door headroom. How much clearance do you need? Does clearance indicate what lift or garage door opener you need? If you’ve been wondering this same thing, we’re here to help you.

Keep reading to find answers about garage measurements, clearance, wall-mounted garage door openers, garage door installation, and more. While shopping for garage doors, it pays to be informed. Hopefully, these answers will help you make your choice.

We can help you solve your garage door headroom garage door openers confusion. Knowing your options regarding garage door clearance will help clear things up.

Q1: What is garage door clearance? Can it determine what overhead door fits in your space?

A helpful illustration to see where are all of the locations to look at when measuring a garage door.

You need a few measurements before shopping for your new garage door. Proper completion of this task will help in your research and shopping.

The garage headroom clearance you have lets you how much room you have between the door opening and the ceiling. Door movement and garage door size can be hindered if you don’t have enough space.

Q2: What determines a low headroom garage door? Do low clearance overhead doors exist?

If you do not have enough space for a standard lift, then you have a low headroom. The standard lift is what is used most often in house garages.

If the ceiling to the garage door space is less than 8 ½ inches for extension springs and less than 10 inches for torsion spring over the garage door header, you have low clearance.

Low headroom often happens in these situations…

  • Garages in homes that are older, with low ceilings
  • Garage doors in new construction – take a look at your plans
  • rages that have something attached to the ceiling, taking up room
  • Underground parking, or garages made with concrete

Here's a technical drawing of a low headroom garage door.

The image above defines low front headroom. This shows the lack of space between the ceiling and the garage door tracks.

Understanding front vs. rear low headroom

Low headroom is either front or rear. When you find your hardware, you’ll know which one you have. Rear low headroom indicates rear mount springs.

Notice the difference between low headroom front vs rear garage door

The above diagram might explain it better. You can see the difference between front and rear low headroom by looking at the hardware. When low headroom hardware is installed, two tracks will be on top of each other.

Does this mean I can’t purchase a low headroom garage door? No! You still can, you just need specific hardware.

Low headroom hardware, has two tracks. It is especially made for garage doors with this headroom type. The two tracks, laid one on the other, allow for smoother movement.

The top part of the door uses the upper track. Additional parts use the rest of the mechanism. Movement remains the same. This set up lets the top door go up and down with a smooth motion and take up less room.

Q3: What are the basics of installation for a garage door with low clearance?

The installation for low headroom garage doors is the same as overhead doors. The garage door opener and mechanisms are simply seen in different spots. Hardware components such as horizontal tracks, bottom brackets, and top roller brackets become the difference.

These garage doors are in the Village Collection, A Design, Plank base, 9' x 7', Cherry, windows with Cascade Inserts.

If you have concrete walls, you might have low headroom. The Village Collection A Design, shown here, is the Plank base, 9' x 7', Cherry, windows with Cascade Inserts. The designs on this garage door give it a rustic look.

Q4: Do you need a wall-mounted opener?

A wall-mounted opener is exactly what it sounds like. It is a garage door opener that is installed to on the wall beside the garage door. You might hear it called a jackshaft. The wall-mounted opener is historically used for high lift clearance and arched ceilings.

Since the garage door opener hooks to the door’s torsion bar to move the door instead of using a rail track.

Wall-mounted garage door openers give you alternatives since they can be used in any types of lift: standard, high, low front headroom, and inclined track.

Wall-mounted garage door openers are gaining in popularity in residential construction. This doesn’t mean it’s the best option, though.

A picture of the LiftMaster 5500W wall-mounted door opener with all the accessories it's coming with

The LiftMaster 8500W model has minimal maintenance and saves overhead garage space. It tops the list of reviews and popularity. LiftMaster garage door openers, have built-in myQ technology. This technology lets you control your garage door no matter where you are.

This option increases your overhead garage versatility!

Jackshafts are huge space savers for your overhead garage space, thanks to not having the garage door opener and a central rail mounted to the ceiling.

Now that you have extra space, what can you do with it? You can find various products to hang your items from the ceiling, in this article from Family Handyman.

  • Lightweight items can be held up with nets
  • Large items can be stored with the help of garage storage lifts
  • Bicycles can hang on hooks, leaving floor space open
  • Racks on the ceiling provide options as well

Wall-mounted garage door openers open up a lot of ideas if you’re giving your garage an overhaul.

Do you need more space in your house? Perhaps you can gain the extra room from your garage?

Your garage can be the answer to your space issues. There are so many things you can use your garage for.

A beautiful garage conversion into a light-filled living space.

Take advantage of your garage space and turn it into funtional living space. There are several things you can do to your garage to spice it up and the garage door provides you with light. Check out a few garage makeovers on HGTV’s website.

A dumpster rental service for homeowners, contractors, and businesses, called Budget Dumpster, offered the following suggestions for garage conversion ideas:

  • A place for the kids to hang out
  • A room for your college student or mother in law
  • A guest bedroom
  • A creative space to spread your wings
  • A remote office
  • A space to play games with the family

Do you host sports watching parties at your house? You can turn your garage into the best pub of your neighborhood with just a few adjustments.

A wall-mounted garage door opener allows for a more unified space since you don’t need a garage door opener on the ceiling.

Q5: Does a wall-mounted garage door opener need a lot of headroom?

Utilizing an alternative mounting kit means you don’t have to fret about the clearance required for a wall-mounted opener!

If you have two inches above the garage door (center of the shaft) to install a garage door opener, you should be good. If not, you don’t need to fret.

A wall-mounted opener is good if you have standard or low headroom. The garage door opener is set below the torsion bar with an alternate mounting kit. It’s exact placement can be manipulated if needed. Pretty smart, right?

Alternate mounting kit if your wall-mounted garage door opener cannot be installed to the torsion bar.

An alternate mounting kit has 2 gear systems. Installation of the shaft goes above, and the opener is lower. Jackshaft openers are perfect for this since they cannot be directly installed on the torsion bar.

You need 8 ½ inches of space on one side of the door for the opener's casing and shaft collar. This space gives you all the room you need.

We can help you choose your garage door!

Let’s choose a garage door design and color! A garage door makes a statement, letting your house stand out on your street.

The team of The Garage Door Store offers 3 garage door styles, including Traditional, Carriage House, and Contemporary. Depending on the style you’re looking for, we have a wide range of garage doors for everyone.

You will find exactly what you need!

This garage door is in the Princeton P-11 design, 9' x 8', Ice White doors and overlays, 8 lite Panoramic windows.

The style of these Traditional garage doors in white might be perfect for you. All our garage doors can be customized for you, meaning your garage door size will be exactly what you need. Here is the Princeton P-11 design, 9’ x 8', Ice White doors and overlays, 8 lite Panoramic windows.

If you’re a visual person, check out our garage door design centre!

Check out our Design Centre. You can investigate how the many garage door designs and colors work for your home. We even have windows and decorative hardware you can add to your garage door!

The process of creating your garage door will help you focus on what works best for your house! Once you’re finished you will know if your garage door matches your house style. Creating your own garage door gives you so much freedom!

We’re ready to help!

Our overhead door and garage door opener installation team is ready to take you call. Contact us at 705-327-7408!

Our garage door team can help you with whatever you need. They have experience with a variety of garage door services, including garage door installations and repairs.

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