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How-to-Measure for your New Residential Garage Door
Are you looking to get a new replacement garage door installed at your home? One of the most important steps in purchasing a new garage door is to figure out what size door you need. It’s not enough to just measure your garage door or opening’s height and width. If you’re looking to purchase multiple garage doors, it is important to make sure that you get accurate measurements for each one. Even if you think they are the same size, they can be small differences which could cause installation issues. Use the drawing and measurement tips/instructions in this garage door measuring guide to learn how to properly measure your garage door and get accurate garage door measurements for your existing garage door.
Step #1
With a tape measure, measure the width and height (1 and 2) of your door opening in feet and inches to determine the garage door size you need. The rough opening should be the same size as the door.
Step #2
Measure area labeled sideroom left and right (3 and 4) in feet and inches – a minimum 3-3/4″ is required on each side for installation of the vertical track for standard extension springs or standard torsion spring
Step #3
Measure area labeled headroom (5), which is the distance between the top of the door opening (the door jamb) and the ceiling (or floor joist). 10″ is required for the standard extension spring while 12″ is required for a standard torsion spring. If you have restricted headroom, special hardware is available. Additional headroom is required for installation of an automatic garage door opener. NOTE: If garage door height extends above the opening, the headroom measurement should be adjusted proportionately.
Step #4
Measure area labeled backroom (6) – distance is measured from the garage door opening toward the back wall of the garage. Door height plus 18″ is required. Additional back room may be required for automatic garage door opener installation.
Download the How-to-Measure Garage Door Guide
