Knowing the measurements of your garage helps you shop for a brand-new one. Here are five easy steps to learn how to measure for a garage door and help you get the cost estimates you need from a local garage door company.
1. Measure the Width of the Door
First, measure the width of the garage door’s opening at its widest point. This should be the distance between the right and left sides of the garage door. The width of the opening is the same as the width of the garage door (the door should be framed by 2″ x 6″ wood jambs).
2. Measure the Height of the Door
Second, measure the height of the door at its highest point. Here is the distance between the top of the garage door opening and the floor. The height of the garage door opening is the same as the height of the garage door.
3. Measure the Sides
Third, measure the width of the sides next to the opening on both the right-hand and the left-hand side. They will need to each measure at least 3-3 ½” wide to fit a vertical track.
4. Measure the Top of the Opening to the Ceiling
Next, measure the height between the top of the opening to the ceiling. This space is called the ‘headroom’ and determines what style of garage door can fit. 15″ of headroom is required for a carriage house door, while all other garage doors require 12″ of headroom. An additional 3″ is needed to install a garage door opener. If your headroom does not meet these requirements, special hardware will be required.
5. Measure the Front of the Opening to the Back of Garage
Finally, measure the space from the opening or front of the garage to the back of the garage. This is called the ‘backroom’. This will be important during installation, especially if installing an automatic opener.
What is the ideal distance between garage doors?
The ideal distance between garage doors depends on a few factors, but here are some general guidelines:
For standard two-car garages
- Minimum: 3 feet. This allows for comfortable entry and exit of vehicles, and enough space to fully open car doors without hitting the adjacent door or wall.
- Recommended: 4-5 feet. This provides more room to maneuver, especially if you have larger vehicles (SUVs, trucks) or need space for bikes, storage shelves, or a workbench.
- Maximum: There’s no strict maximum, but going beyond 5 feet might create an unnecessarily large gap and affect the overall look of your garage.
Factors influencing the ideal distance
- Vehicle size: Wider vehicles need more clearance. Consider the width of your current and future vehicles.
- Garage usage: Do you use your garage for storage, a workshop, or other activities besides parking? If so, you might need more space between the doors.
- Wall thickness: The thickness of the wall separating the garage doors will affect the usable space between them.
- Door swing: How far your garage doors swing out when opening can also impact the required distance.
We hope you liked this post from Doorvana. For more helpful tips and reviews, visit our blog or give us a call at (817) 500-5988 for real-time advice from our in-shop garage door experts!
