If you’re working on a home renovation project that involves replacing your garage door, you’ll want to take accurate measurements before shopping for doors. The last thing you want is a replacement door that’s too big or too small for the opening. Correct measurements will help you order the right door size and door type for the unique dimensions of your garage space. It will also help your technician place a quote and ensure seamless installation.
Unless you opt for expert services that include assessment, measuring and installing the door, knowing how to measure a garage door is invaluable. This guide offers a quick overview of taking measurements for a new door.
Different Types of Garage Doors
While you’re not measuring the garage door itself but rather the opening, understanding the various types of garage doors available is useful when measuring garage room depth. Considering how the doors open makes a difference, you want to ensure the space available fits your door of choice.
Here are the common garage door systems to consider before taking measurements:
- Sectional doors: Sectional garage doors lift smoothly along the tracks and roll back into the rear of the garage. They feature small horizontal panels connected to make up the larger panel. The design allows the smaller panels to move and stack vertically. A sectional door best fits a garage with ample backroom space.
- Up-and-over doors: Up-and-over doors are similar to sectionals in that they slot back into the garage when fully open, except for the canopy variety. The options are retractable, which lifts and slides back, and canopy, which lifts and forms a canopy.
- Roll-up doors: Roll-ups or rolling steel doors are made from steel slats that allow them to roll and coil inside a box above the door opening. They are different from traditional panel garage doors and resemble commercial overhead doors. If you find limited ceiling clearance when measuring, a roll-up door would be ideal, as its design maximizes compact space.
- Sliding doors: Also known as side-sliding, sliding garage doors are among the most versatile. The double-door options slide inside the garage to the opposite sides, while single-door options slide horizontally along overhead tracks. Modern styles are similar to sectional doors, except with vertical panels that slide to the side. These doors are excellent when there’s limited backroom space or headroom to install a door opener.
- Side-hinged: Side-hinged garage doors operate like other doors in your home. They are attached to the frame with hinges and swing outside to open. These types feature a traditional door design that’s lightweight and easy to use without the need for an automatic operation assembly. A side-hinged door would be ideal if you lack overhead space or prefer manual operation.
How to Prepare for Measuring
You will need the right tools to measure a garage door and know how to use them correctly. These are:
- Tape measure: A proper tape measure should be 25 feet long as it allows you enough tape room to cover the entire width and height. It should be a retractable tape measure because the stoutness makes it easy to keep the tape tight and straight without skewing readings. When measuring, pay attention to the different units. You could take a moment to refresh on tape measures to ensure accurate readings.
- Paper and pencil: You’ll need somewhere to write everything down to help you remember the readings. Remember, you’ll need to label the differences in location, such as the widths and heights, and determine whether they are on the left or right side of the door.
- Ladder: You may need a ladder to reach higher areas like the headroom.
Steps to Measure for a New Door
Here’s a step-by-step process for measuring a garage door opening replacement:
1. Measure the Full Width and Height
Your new garage door needs to fit inside the full width and height of the opening. Measure the distance from the top of the opening to the floor and from one side of the frame to the next. Since the width and height of the opening determine the size of the door you get, use a level to identify or rule out possible unevenness on the floor.
2. Measure the Headroom
This is the distance between the ceiling and the top part of the door. You can use a ladder to obtain the measurements. Alternatively, extend the tape from the ceiling to the floor and deduct the full height of the door from the measurements to get the headroom readings.
Remember, you need ample space in this area if you want to install a garage door opener — at least 12 inches for mounting the header bracket. Take note of obstructions limiting clearance, such as piping or a drop ceiling.
3. Measure the Sideroom
The sideroom is similar to the headroom but is located on each side of the garage door opening. If you have multiple openings for multiple doors, measure the distance between each opening. For multiple door openings separated by a column or a wall, the sideroom is the distance between the opening and the wall or column.
4. Measure the Depth/Backroom
The backroom is the area from the door opening all the way back. To measure unobstructed depth, measure back all the way or up to the point of obstruction. The available space in this area will determine the type of garage door you get and is also for track installation. If the space is limited, you may have to consider a wall-mounted operator.
What Are the Standard Door Sizes?
Have you ever wondered what size is a garage door? Much like entry and interior doors, residential garage doors have varying sizes due to considerations for custom home builders. Knowing where your door falls helps with taking accurate measurements. Let’s look at standard garage door sizes and common custom-build options on the market.
Standard garage door sizes can vary from place to place. However, the common dimensions for single garage doors are 8 or 9 feet wide by 7 feet tall, and double garage doors measure 16 feet wide by 7 feet tall.
However, every home’s needs vary, so standard custom-build sizes like 9 feet wide by 8 feet tall for single doors are common. Custom double doors can range from 16 feet by 8 feet to 18 feet by 12 feet. While these are the standards, some manufacturers often make customized exceptions to match your unique dimensions and preferences.
Get the Right Garage Door at Quality Door Company
Measuring a garage door is straightforward once you know what to measure and how to ensure accuracy. If you’re uncertain about choosing the right door for your space or navigating your unique garage space design, seek expert assistance. As a homeowner in Western Michigan, you can rest easy by working with Quality Door Company.
We are an award-winning company with over 40 years of experience installing and maintaining various garage door brands. Browse our high-quality garage doors and openers from top brands or request an estimate to work on your garage door with industry experts.
