If there's a new garage door in your future, you have to tackle framing first. While learning how to frame a garage door isn't a Herculean task, it does require a nearly supernatural level of precision. One slight miscalculation will cause your rough opening to be the wrong size. Here's a guide to framing a garage door yourself.
How to Frame a Garage Door
Here's how to frame a garage door
Photo: Iriana Shiyan / Adobe Stock
Photo: Iriana Shiyan / Adobe Stock
Written by Scott Dylan Westerlund
Contributing Writer
Updated August 22, 2023
Time to complete
5 hours
Plan for an afternoon of measuring, measuring again, and making precise cuts without distractions.
Cost
$150–$300
Local lumber costs dictate this project's price tag.
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Band saw
- Galvanized nails
- 2×6 inch lumber
Measure the Opening
Photo: Ursula Page / Adobe StockYou need to make sure that your rough opening is bigger than the garage door that's about to go in. The purpose of measuring the door's rough opening is to confirm that the distance between the floor and header is 1 1/2 inches longer than the door's height. We're also confirming that the header is 9 inches wider than the door. When measuring from left to right at the edges, the rough opening should be 3 inches longer than the door.
Measure the Height to the Ceiling
Using your tape measure, measure the distance from floor to ceiling. Trace the length of the lumber that will be used as a jamb. Next, cut out two pieces of lumber that will be used for something called a goal post that acts as the jamb that moves from floor to ceiling.
Install the Head Jamb
The head jamb is also known as the header frame. This piece of wood goes at the top of the frame of your door opening. It should be installed before the side jambs because it provides a place for side jambs to rest.
The length of the head jamb is determined by measuring the width of the garage door's rough opening. A rough opening needs to be 9 inches longer than the garage door's width.
First, cut your jamb to the right height. Next, fasten it to the header using framing nails.
Attach the Goal Post
Photo: brizmaker / Adobe StockUse framing nails to secure your goal post in place with the two pieces of the structure installed on the garage door's interior surface. Precision is important here because your goal post marks the spots where your garage door tracks will attach to the interior wall.
If you discover that your measurements were slightly off after installation, you can trim the edge to make sure everything fits perfectly.
Install the Side Jambs
Make sure that your side jambs touch the bottom of the head jamb when you position them in place. The side jams should be the same height as the garage door after you subtract 1/4 inch. The reason for the gap is that you don't want to place your jambs directly against the floor.
Once the jambs are in place, secure them with nails. One pro tip is to install double-sided door jambs to provide holistic support for the frame.
Install the Center Bracket Framing
Finally, cut a piece of lumber to be the length that covers the distance from the top of your header to the garage ceiling. Once perfectly centered, the piece that's placed above the header will be attached to the center bracket of the garage door's spring system.
DIY Garage Door Framing vs. Hiring a Pro
While framing a door's rough opening is something that a motivated person can learn, the truth is that learning how to frame a garage door isn't something most people can do overnight. The risk here is that framing a garage door incorrectly can lead to a poorly installed door that can result in hazards. The most common mistake people make when framing garage doors is creating an opening that's too wide for the doorway.
The good news is that your local garage door installers can take care of framing for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there should not be a gap between the garage door and floor. This gap can allow rodents and insects to infest your home. It also creates an entryway for rain and melted snow that can damage your home's foundation or cause mold issues. Finally, leaving a gap will increase your energy bills by allowing heat to escape more easily. If you're looking for something more airy, consider one of the many garage door alternatives.
There should not be any visible gaps between the garage door and frame. If the gap is big enough that you can either see daylight or feel a draft, this indicates a problem. Bring in a garage door professional to help you discover why the gap exists. A pro may also be able to offer suggestions for how to insulate a garage.
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