How Much Headroom Does Your New Garage Door Need?

When you are buying a new garage door, it is important to know how much headroom is needed. However, because your garage door is so important to the daily operation of your home, it is imperative to buy the right one. That being said, knowing how much space there is for all the moving parts will make shortlisting a garage door easier.

However, headroom is just one example of having the required space. The headroom is defined as the space between the bottom of the opening of the garage door and the ceiling of the garage. It is important to have more than enough room for the garage door springs, which allow for the door to open and close to move easily.

So, how much headroom is required? That’s an important question that we’ll attempt to answer in the best way today.

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Room for Torsion Springs

We always recommend that homeowners install garage doors with torsion springs. Not only do torsion springs increase the safety of the garage door, but it also assures a smoother operation. However, installing a garage door with torsion springs requires more headroom. You will need around 12 inches, at least for the installation of standard size torsion springs. While it might not sound like much space, but you will need it, and in some garages, this space might not be available. If you don’t have around 12 inches of space, there is always the double track system that’s an option that requires anywhere from 5 inches to 12 inches of headroom.

Headroom for Extension Springs

Many new garage doors come with extension springs, but they are not safe or efficient as compared to torsion springs. However, they might be your only option if there isn’t enough space for torsion springs.

On average, an extension spring will require between 9 and 12 inches of space. However, you can also use a double track low headroom solution, which needs 5-9 inches.

Hire Professionals

When you install a new garage door, it is something that needs to be handled by professionals. So, it stands you reason that you should get a company on board to determine how much headroom you’ll need to install a garage door that you want. Furthermore, a professional company will also recommend a garage door based on your needs and space.

Never buy a garage door or an opener without knowing how much headroom you have. Many have made this mistake and regretted it.