The Super Structure MUST GO !

[Angus Hines]

OK who know something about Garage doors. I'm looking for something that doesn't have all the track and motors hanging form the ceiling. But, also doesn't look like a warehouse door from the outside.

Thanx

[David G Baker]

I have a roll up door on my pole building that may look like a warehouse door to some folks but it has served me well.
The only way you are going to get away from the type of door you have now is to go to a roll up or hinged door. From your posted photo it looks like you have two standard garage doors. There are some different custom doors that may do what you want and look the way you want but you will be paying big bucks for them. Start some Google searches to get some ideas.

[Brian Effinger]

You don't have a lot of overhead room to work with. The only things I can think of are coiling doors (similar to what you might see in a mall) or sliders (like Norm's).

[Geoff Potter]

You have two doors, right? Remove the track and motor from one leaving the side rails in place. Put a couple of locks through holes in the top of the track to keep it from being used and, voila, headroom issue gone!!

[Randal Stevenson]

How about thinking about carriage or bifold doors?

Just another option.

[Joe Petersen]

Ditto on carriage doors. That's all people used to have before modern day conveniences.

[Chris Padilla]

It won't buy you too much but going with a Wayne-Dalton I-drive (http://www.wayne-dalton.com/idrive_TorqueMaster.asp) will eliminate the garage door opener being in the middle of your ceiling space. You'll still have the garage tracks or large springs to deal with.

I, too, wanted something like this but LOML rules on all aesthetics for the house and naturally I was wrong about this style of garage door working.... ;)

[Ed Hazel]

If I remember right you can get longer/taller side rails that would put the tracks much closer to the ceiling not sure if this will fit the bill but it would not cost much.

[Robert Andrew]

You can do what Ed suggested but you have to make sure you get the special rollers for top set of wheels on the door that allow for the lack of overhead. IIRC they may be called quick turn or something like that.

I had a set of garage doors that whose rails were just a couple of inches down from the ceiling and everything worked perfectly well.

Rob

[Angus Hines]

Well with out the rails and openers I have 10 foot ceilings. I guess I'm stuck with a roll-up type door.


Unless someone can point me in the direction of lightweight carriage style door designs.

[Chris Damm]

I used a hi-riser kit to put my rails right up near the ceiling. It gained me almost 2' of headroom.

[Chris Padilla]

I used a hi-riser kit to put my rails right up near the ceiling. It gained me almost 2' of headroom.

Chris,

Do you have any details/links about this kit? I'd like to learn more about it and see if it could apply to my garage door, which is a sectional.

[Larry Edgerton]

Chris,

Do you have any details/links about this kit? I'd like to learn more about it and see if it could apply to my garage door, which is a sectional.

Chris

Every garage door company has this option, you just need to check the net for your particular door, or go to a local lumberyard that still has old time service and ask the help. You will want a track that matches.

[Lee Schierer]

If you still want the doors and the opener, get a low clearance door kit and the tracks will install much closer to the ceiling. I had to get one for my garage doors as the ceiling is infact too low for a nor ml installation. My one door actually travels with abpout 3/4" clearance under the joists and the opener is mounted further back in the garage with an extension arm.

[Chris Damm]

Chris,

Do you have any details/links about this kit? I'd like to learn more about it and see if it could apply to my garage door, which is a sectional.

Larry said what I would have!

[Peter Scoma]

My shop will be in a 10x10 space with 7.5ft ceilings which are dropped below 7ft when the overhead door is up. I also cannot hang any lighting with this current arrangement. I plan to build swing out style carraige doors as what I have priced out thus far is simply too expensive. A google search reveals alot of good photos to get some ideas from. I'm not happy about dropping 200$ on an entry door rail and stile router bit set but its still cheaper than any quotes I have gotten thus far.

Peter

[Bruce Brurud]

Do you have any room above the ceiling? I too did not want door rails killing my limited headroom so put the door through a slot in my ceiling between joists. I also didn't want the door to take up all the floor space of the storage above so ran the rails along the rafters.