What Type Of Garage Door Opener
Since high lift garage door track makes the door move up the header further before curving a standard garage door opener will not work. The rail or beam of the operator would bolt into the header and block the door from raising. Jackshaft motors avoid all of this trouble by mounting on the side of the door. High lift track applications require manual operation or jackshaft side mount operators.
The minimum recommended space to install highlift track is 24-inches. If you have less than 24 inches of space use 15-inch or 18-inch radius track instead of highlift. Installing less than 12 inches of high lift track is a waste of time and money. High lift kits range in price by the size of the door and amount of highlift that must be installed. Call your local garage door dealer for a custom quote on this type of conversion. Most dealers offer free site evaluations and quotes for high lift installation.
High Lift Garage Door Conversions
Home | Blog | High Lift Garage Door Conversions
Do you have a high garage ceiling but a garage door thats much lower? Does this limit how many or what type of vehicles you can park in your garage?
If youve answered, Yes! to either of these questions, then you might be frustrated by your inability to use all of that extra clearance in your garage. The good news is that using a high lift garage door conversion, you can start taking advantage of that extra head clearance!
Lets say you have a medium or high-clearance van, and you want to park it inside your garage but your regular seven-foot door doesnt give you enough clearance. Or perhaps you have a one-car garage with a high ceiling, and you want to install a four-post car lift so that you can add an extra layer of parking space but your garage door doesnt give you sufficient clearance for the top car. Or maybe youve bought a property for commercial purposes and need more clearance so that you can park large, commercial vehicles inside the garage.
In instances like these, a high lift garage door conversion can remove the limitations of a low garage door, leaving you free to use your garage to its full capacity.
Installation Of The High Lift Hardware
Now we need to do a little prep. With a pen, make a mark on the inside of the flag bracket at the bottom, continue this line up the brackets length, and up to the ceiling using a level to ensure that its plumb. Repeat on the other side and remove the flag brackets.
If you didnt purchase a pre-assembled high lift garage door conversion kit, youd need to assemble the tracks. Position the high lift track extension over the roller and use the line you drew before to line it up. Ensure that there are studs behind the drywall of your garage if not, you might need to add some to secure the hardware: Mark and pre-drill the areas where the new section of the high lift track will be secured.
Secure the lower section of the high lift track to the vertical track, the high lift angle iron to the garage wall, and the bottom bracket to the jamb. Secure the conversion kit to the vertical track, adjust and tighten the bolts on the top roller carrier, so its secured to the top fixture. Then repeat on the other side.
You May Like: Genie Garage Door Openers Home Depot
Installing The Spring Anchor Bracket
This step is fairly brief the shaft needs to be slid into the end bearing plates, line up the spring anchor bracket, so it is in the shafts center and pre-drill the holes where you will secure it. In the top hole, install one lag screw and secure the bracket to the header, remove the shaft and place it on the garage floor.
Professional Garage Door Services Throughout Markham
If youve ever been trapped inside your garage or stranded outside of it, then you understand how inconvenient garage door breakdowns can be. At Markham Garage Doors, we understand the importance of having a properly working and dependable garage door system, and thats why we respond to all commercial and residential garage door repair needs quickly and professionally.
Our highly trained and experienced team can help with any type of garage door repair need, including broken spring and cable replacements, off-track doors or malfunctioning garage door openers. We provide same-day repair services using only the highest-quality tools and equipment available to ensure lasting repairs.
Recommended Reading: Veteran Garage Door Repair Las Vegas
What Do I Need For Conversion
Some components need to be added and some replaced to convert a regular-lift door to a high-lift one. The components are:
Most of the items are available as high-lift conversion kits.
The jackshaft opener is needed if you want an opener and have several feet of high-lift. Some high-lift can be accommodated by a rail-type opener.
Richmond Hill Garage Doors Trusted Efficient And Affordable
Garage Door Repair Richmond Hill provide full range of overhead door installation, maintenance and repair services. Our affordable services never compromise on quality. We work with high professionalism, high ethical standards and transparent pricing. From broken spring replacement to electrical garage door opener repair, we do everything. Our staff is dedicated to providing excellent service whether it is swing-out garage door, up-and-over door or slide-out model.
Richmond Hill is a town situated in the southern portion of York region, Ontario. It is worldwide famous for David Dunlap Observatory that is the largest telescope in Canada. In recent years, the town has witnessed population upsurge and is growing at a faster pace. Due to modernization, all homes in Richmond Hill are well designed. Almost every household has a garage door installation that improves the home beauty. We are one of the leading garage door service providers in Richmond hill who have earned a reputation in providing all types of garage door services.
You May Like: Garage Door Weather Stripping Side
What Is Included In A High Lift Garage Door Kit
A high lift garage door changes how your garage door travels along the track. If you think about it, youre making the door travel up farther before it travels back.
That puts a different kind of stress on the components, which means a few parts need to change.
The garage track: Each installation will be different, depending on your garage. In my case, Ive got 10-foot ceilings in my garage, but my garage door track is right around 7 1/2 feet high. Im hoping to get another 24 in headroom by installing the high-lift kit.
That means that I will need an additional two feet of track more than I have now.
If you look at the pictures, youll notice that part of that will be a straight track, and part will usually be angled slightly away from the wall.
The less straight-up-and-down the track is, the less strain it puts on the garage door opener and the torsion spring.
As a general rule, if youre adding more than 12-15 inches of additional vertical track, you will need a new garage door opener.
Torsion spring: Unless your builder seriously over-estimated the weight of your garage door, the torsion spring has to be swapped out for a heavier duty spring.
The torsion spring is what does the heavy lifting . It has to be balanced correctly so that your garage door opens smoothly.
Drums: The drums are the part of the garage door that the cable winds around as the door opens and closes.
Installing The Torsion Spring
Insert bolts in the stationery cones and in the slots on the spring anchor brackets and secure them. Remove the existing cable from the base fixture and install the new on both sides of the garage door. Slide the cable drum to the bearing race and tighten the set screws. Once the cable is inserted into the drum, twist the shaft so the cable wraps around the drum. Repeat with the other cable drum.
The final step is to wind the torsion spring, which is the reverse of the process for the first step. When you order a high door garage kit, it should provide you with how many times you need to wind the spring.
Don’t Miss: Above Garage Door Storage Diy
Remove The Torsion Hardware
If you have an existing garage door opener, begin by removing it.Using winding bars unwind the existing spring, take your time, and have safety in mind when carrying out this step. Then remove the spring anchor bracket any carriage bolts, remove the end bearing plate, and the lag that protects it and the cable from both the cable drums.
Next, detach the shaft from the door and set it on the floor. Remove the bolts that fix the cone to the spring anchor bracket. The spring anchor bracket can be kept for reuse later. Loosen the set-screws, slide the end bearing plate, cable drum, and torsion spring from the shaft. You can also reuse the end bearing plate if it isnt showing signs of wear. If it hasnt come out already, remove the bushing inside the stationary cone for reuse. After loosening the set screws, remove the other cable drum and the end bearing plate.
Hammer a nail in the head slightly above the garage door and using a vise grip, bend it over the garage doors top. This will prevent the top section of the door from falling when the horizontal track is removed.
Loosen the bolts on either side of the garage door that fixes the horizontal track to the angle iron. Remove the bolts that connect it to the flag bracket and keep hold of the track, so it doesnt fall when the bolt is removed. Remove the bolt that secures it to the angle iron and then lower the track to the floor, repeat the same process on the other side of the garage door and remove the track hangs.
High Lift Garage Door Conversion For Commercial Spaces
In commercial applications, high lift garage door conversions can allow better clearance for work vehicles. But the benefits of a high lift conversion go beyond simple storage. Many restaurants, retail spaces, and other businesses utilize high lift garage door systems to create indoor/outdoor flex spaces and create an open feeling with a high ceiling unimpeded by garage door hardware. Homeowners have also started converting to high lift systems for several different reasons, both practical and aesthetic. Typical garage doors are seven feet, and most garages have ten-foot ceilings, which creates the possibility to utilize this space with a high lift garage door conversion.
Recommended Reading: 164th Street Garage Yankee Stadium
High Lift Garage Door Maintenance
In order for your high lift garage door to securely function in your garage, it needs to have routine maintenance. The most important part of this maintenance routine is to lubricate all your high lift tracks and the other interior hardware including springs and cables. Lubricating your high lift door will ensure that it continues to smoothly lower and rise when you need it to. When you notice your high lift door is moving slower or is making loud grinding or squeaking noise, you will need to lubricate your high lift garage door to avoid damage to your cars.
Do You Need A New Garage Door Or Door Opener
Good news\bad news.
The good news is that any garage door can be converted into a high-lift garage door.
Youre changing the track and some mechanics and not the door itself. Some doors will be easier to convert than others, of course.
Usually, the lighter the door, the better, so aluminum, fiberglass, and steel doors will be fine. If youve got an all-wood carriage door that weighs several hundred pounds, that could cause some problems.
The bad news is that youll probably need a new garage door opener.
At the very least, youll want a new garage door opener.
Because garage door openers have a track running down the center of the ceiling, most garage door openers have low horsepower motors because they pull the door horizontally more than vertically.
Were changing that, remember?
Depending on the weight of the door and the opener itself, you may be able to use your existing garage door opener.
In my case, Im looking for more headroom for overhead storage, and I want to get rid of that center rail entirely.
So Im looking at a jackshaft garage door opener, which is common in commercial applications.
The great part is that the opener mounts on the wall, next to the door itself, completely eliminating the center track.
Specifically, Im looking at the LiftMaster 8500 Elite. Its quieter than a regular chain-drive system, has an automatic locking mechanism for extra security, and has enough horsepower for high-lift and vertical door applications.
Also Check: Garage Door Repair Plymouth Mn
Commercial Garage Door Experts
No matter what type of industry you work with, you can understand the importance of maintaining efficiency, security and lasting value. And with a sturdy commercial garage door, business owners can address these operating needs and improve their overall daily performance. At Markham Garage Doors, we have a large stock of Clopay commercial garage door products and accessories, including steel overhead doors, roll-up sheet doors and security doors.
What Is A High Lift Garage Door Conversion
A high lift garage door conversion is a modification to an existing garage doors operating components to open at a higher level within the garage space. This conversion is accomplished by adding new tracks, new springs, new drums, and new cables, all while utilizing your existing garage door. A side-mounted LiftMaster garage door opener keeps operations off the ceiling and onto the wall to free up the space. The conversion essentially means that the garage door opens up arching at a higher level closer to the ceiling.
Read Also: How Do I Reset My Genie Garage Door Opener
What A Garage Door Pro Can Do For You
When youre thinking of converting your existing garage door to a high lift one or having a high lift garage door installed, then youre best advised to call a garage door pro. While there are DIY kits available, neither a conversion nor an installation is a simple job.
Moreover, since garage door mechanisms contain either extension springs or torque springs, the risk of injury is relatively high if youre not an experienced garage door mechanic. Thats why its always best to call a pro to ensure that your high lift garage door is properly and safely installed.
A garage door pro will first ask questions to determine whether theres sufficient clearance to install a high lift garage door, so make sure that you have the dimensions of your garage and the measurements of your current garage door on hand. Next, the pro will ask how high you need the high lift door to be in order to check whether a conversion or installation is feasible.
If its feasible, then the pro will go on to explain what parts will need to be replaced. In the event of a high lift garage door conversion, you can usually keep the same garage door. For a new installation, youll need to purchase both the garage door and the lift mechanism. Note that your garage door pro should not only give you an estimate for all materials, parts and labor but also explain what type of warranty youll receive.
Why Might You Need A High Lift Garage Door
The ceiling space in your garage is a valuable real estate and can be put to good use.The primary reason for converting a standard garage door to a high lift is installing a two or four-post car lift. Youve probably seen these at the repair shop, the car is driven onto a platform and is lifted into the air.
Installing a car lift allows you to perform maintenance tasks on your vehicle with ease. But more importantly, it will hold two cars on top of each other, getting a car off the driveway and better protecting it in the winter months. One car is elevated on the platform while the other one is parked underneath.
You might not necessarily need the extra vertical space in your garage for additional cars but instead want to make use of it for storage purposes.
You May Like: Genie Pro Garage Door Opener
Wind The Torsion Spring
| 11.1 Paint a white or light-colored line across the torsion spring. If you lose count of how many turns your have on the torsion spring as you wind it, you can count the number of times the white paint strip wraps around the spring. |
| 11.2 Wind the torsion spring. When you ordered your kit you should have received an email providing the number of turns to wind your spring or springs. For instructions on winding a single torsion spring, go to step 65 of our Single Torsion Spring Replacement tutorial. If you are installing two springs, see section 10 of our Torsion Spring Replacement tutorial. |
| 11.3 Remove the vise grip from the shaft. |
Safety Considerations For Your High Lift Garage Door Conversion
Before you get to work on your high lift door conversion, we need to discuss the subject of safety.
Converting a door to a high lift involves replacing the torsion springs. These springs are under extreme tension if you dont follow the proper safety procedures or use the right tools to replace them, you are putting yourself at significant risk. People have been known to damage property and, even worse, break or lose fingers and limbs and even their lives by disregarding safety precautions. If you arent confident regarding your ability to perform this task, pay a little more, be safe, and hire a garage door professional.
A sturdy ladder is an essential tool for this task dont balance on a chair or something likely to slip or give way. Ideally, if you have a family member or colleague to help you, they can also hold the ladder and pass you tools, and god forbid, if you do have an accident, someone is there to help you. You both should be wearing safety glasses or goggles.
Don’t Miss: Garage Door Installation Los Angeles