Choosing The Best Garage Door Opener for A Low Ceiling — Mike Garage Door Repair

Having a garage with restricted ceiling height doesn’t mean you have to go without the convenience of an automatic garage door opener. While a standard overhead track opener may be too bulky, there are other opener styles made specifically for low clearance situations. Choosing the right low-profile garage door opener will provide safety, security, and ease of access for your garage.

Measuring Your Garage to Assess Clearance

The first step is to accurately measure the height inside your garage from the floor to ceiling beams. This will determine how much space you have to work with. The required clearance for different garage door opener models can range from 10 to 18 inches. If your ceiling height is under 7 feet, a standard track opener likely won’t fit.

Opener Options for Low Ceilings

Here are a few of the top low- ceiling garage door opener models on the market:

• Side-mount openers: These compact openers mount on the wall alongside the garage door, not overhead. Clearance needed is only 10–12 inches.
• Low- ceiling track openers: Instead of mounting overhead, these openers have a curved track that hugs the ceiling. They need about 13–15 inches of space.
• Jackshaft openers: These mount on the wall and connect to a torsion spring shaft above the door. They require only 8–10 inches of clearance.

Tips for Making a Track Opener Fit

If you have at least 12–15 inches to work with, you may be able to install a low-profile track garage door opener with some modifications:

• Use a low-hanging ceiling mount bracket to lower the motor unit.
• Get an opener with the shortest possible track radius.
• Flush mount the ceiling bracket instead of hanging.

Your local garage door professional can help make the necessary adjustments during installation.

For low-clearance garage door opener installation and service in the Fort Collins, CO area, trust the experts at Mike Garage Door Repair . We carry several opener models to fit garages with limited space, including side-mount openers. Call us (+1) 970 682–3353 today for a free estimate!

Originally published at https://mikegaragedoorrepair.com on January 29, 2024.