Garage door size? Why do I need at least 12 foot tall doors?

[55 INDIANA 56]

I'm trying to save money on my design.

So convince me why I need 12' tall doors on my new garage - without using the RV example.

Can I get away with 10 foot tall doors?

I've got 50 feet of wall space, so I was even thinking about going with two doors, each about 16 feet wide. I think it would look alright with 14 foot eaves, and perhaps I could get a good deal on a residential door since they are so much more common.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Tim

[100%Chevy]

You don't have to have 12' high doors.I think another poster said to get 12' wide if you can because it's easier to back a trailer in.And I agree.
I have an RV in my shop(storage)and had to take out a 10'x10' commercial door and raise the header up and install barn style doors to make it fit.
I personally don't like residential doors because they are not very strongly made,take up ceiling space when up and especially 16' wide doors.Plus,I have to worry about hurricane wind around here.
I have 10'x10' roll-up doors and like them except I need to insulate them.
Just decide what you will need to get in there and size your doors accordingly.
Mike.:)

[nhramike57]

I'm trying to save money on my design.

So convince me why I need 12' tall doors on my new garage - without using the RV example.

Can I get away with 10 foot tall doors?

I've got 50 feet of wall space, so I was even thinking about going with two doors, each about 16 feet wide. I think it would look alright with 14 foot eaves, and perhaps I could get a good deal on a residential door since they are so much more common.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Tim

Hi Tim, i used 3-9' x 10' tall doors on my shop ..less heat loss in the winter when i have to open one:) if you never plan on having anything tall enough for 10 or 12 ft doors then why pay the extra..

[auggie56]

I like the ten foot doors, but you need a twelve foot ceiling for that. Plus I like the sixteen foot wide (?) two car doors, because that support can, at times get in the way.

[55 INDIANA 56]

You don't have to have 12' high doors.I think another poster said to get 12' wide if you can because it's easier to back a trailer in.And I agree.
I have an RV in my shop(storage)and had to take out a 10'x10' commercial door and raise the header up and install barn style doors to make it fit.
I personally don't like residential doors because they are not very strongly made,take up ceiling space when up and especially 16' wide doors.Plus,I have to worry about hurricane wind around here.
I have 10'x10' roll-up doors and like them except I need to insulate them.
Just decide what you will need to get in there and size your doors accordingly.
Mike.:)

Please tell me about those barn-style doors. Are they easy to insulate? How expensive are they? I like the idea of 10x16 barn style doors. What do you think?

Thanks.

[hotrodg726]

I have an 18' wide by 8' high door and I love it I can get a lifted truck in and back my car trailer in next to it .

[NickP]

I'm trying to save money on my design.

So convince me why I need 12' tall doors on my new garage - without using the RV example.

Can I get away with 10 foot tall doors?

I've got 50 feet of wall space, so I was even thinking about going with two doors, each about 16 feet wide. I think it would look alright with 14 foot eaves, and perhaps I could get a good deal on a residential door since they are so much more common.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Tim

Motorhome

[100%Chevy]

Please tell me about those barn-style doors. Are they easy to insulate? How expensive are they? I like the idea of 10x16 barn style doors. What do you think?

Thanks.

I needed more height,so I built them myself from 2"x2" angle and covered them with the same steel siding that's on the rest of my shop.
It's actually 2 doors that close together in the center.
They are really 10'6"high x 5' wide each.I only have a few inches on each side of the motorhome to go thru to get it in.Wide mirrors.The roof a/c units are the highest part of it.
These doors were pretty cheap to build since I already had the materials.I'll probably glue sheets of styrofoam to them before winter to insulate.
Mike.:)

[chevman57]

I can`t see where you would need 12` tall doors unless you do have or plan to have a motorhome. The doors on both of my shops are 10` tall and are plenty tall. The width is where i`d be concerned. 10`minimum on the width, 12 is better, 14 is even better than that.
Terry

[Old Buzzard]

"I'll probably glue sheets of styrofoam to them before winter to insulate."

I bought 1" insulation at Lowes. It has alum foil on 1 side. I cut to fit, and used adhesive designed for that material. I put the alum side toward the inside, so it would look better, and dirt, etc would not stain the foam.
I checked the outside surface temp, [metal doors], w/ my IFR gun=105*. Checked the inside=103*. Put the insul in place... Same exterior, but the interior dropped to 84*... Works for me!

[petes83usa]

3- 10X10 doors work fine for me.....:tu

[SS502MC]

As long as it is tall enough for your vehicles, go for a smaller door. If you putting in a lift you 12 foot ceiling. Even then I get nervous when I lift a car up. :anim_25:

[joeelutz]

Just keep in mind overhead clearance if you plan on having a lift and using it with the garage door up.

[cffisher]

I have a 16x8 door and a 7x8 door. I can get any vehicle I own in with no problem I had to raise my roof in one area when I got my hoist but it was no big deal. The bigger the door the more heat you loose or A/C you loose opening them.

[dnsdoor]

indy 10 x 10 doors are fine and might i suggest high lift on the doors so they hug the ceiling and don,t go as far back into the garage [hoist etc]and you can get pre made carriage house doors all ready foam injected but you need to ask the r value from the supplier amar makes really nice carriage house doors but their r value is not good [6]richards wilcox makes r 12 to 18 carriage but not as pretty and you can get 10 x 10 resis but you may have to check different suppliers if you put high lift on them a jackshaft [mounted on the wall with a chain to the drive shaft]operator will work fine if you put a standard lift door on stay away from the wall mounts ,or the ones directly on the shaft [they will work fine for awhile but its just a matter of time before they start throwing cables]you will get different opinions on what i have stated but trust me brother i know garage doors [40 years]i have had some success with dc motors on standard lift doors and that is another option they actually have sensors telling them when there is an obstruction and they will stop and they even have a memory of where they hit something and the next time around that same area they will slow down any questions feel free good luck

[rwlane]

i also have 50 foot of wall, and have 3 10x10's. i used 1 inch square tubing made a full 10x10 frame with kicker braces, installed it then cut it in half so doors mate perfectly together (2 5x10's) used 1 inch styrofoam and covered the inside with 1/4 inch plywood. chain pull latch on the top of one door the plywood from one door overlaps the frame on the other so no center crack between them when closed

[jwmbishop]

I am not just a hot rodder - but a rock crawler as well. 10x10 worked great until the time we wadded the jeep suspension up and had to put it on the trailer using two tow trucks. Getting the trailer\jeep combo into the garage 11'9.5" combined) was NOT going to happen. We attempted letting air out of the tires to lower it (both jeep and trailer) - but that made the trailer too squirrely to back (even with a straight shot) so we had to untrailer in the driveway - and were then left with non rolling jeep to get inside. I now have a 12x12 and we can back the whole trailer\jeep unit in (makes loading for the trip and staying secure until departure easier as well) - we can even load and unload in the rain staying nice and dry!

[davepnw]

I have an 18' wide by 8' high door and I love it I can get a lifted truck in and back my car trailer in next to it .

Me too (18X8) and I haven't had any height problems in 8 years. Insulated 5 panel doors. The garage is never big enough though is it? Dave

[56 shoebox]

WELL ALL I CAN SAY IS SHOP AROUND FOR PRICES IF YOUR GOING TO BUY YOUR DOORS, WHEN I WAS BUILDING MY SHOP THE DOORS WERE ONE OF THE LAST ON THE LIST AND MAN I WAS IN SHOCK TO THE COST AT FIRST, I PUT IN 2- 15' WIDE x10' TALL AND1- 16' WIDE x 10' TALL,(3 DOORS) ALL ROLL UPS WITH AUTOMATIC OPENERS THE FIRST PRICE WAS 10,000.00THE NEXT WAS 12,000.00 I DIDNT HAVE THAT IN THE BUGET GOT ALL THREE INSTALLED WITH AUTO OPENERS FOR 5600.00, THAT WAS THE SAME PRICE I COULD GET THEM THREW MY BUDDY GENERAL CONTACTOR GIVING TO ME AT HIS COST AND WE WOULD HAD TO PICK UP AND INSTALL SO THE 5600.00 BID GOT THE JOB AND I JUST SUPERVISED THE INSTALL PS I LOVE THE ROLL UPS TO THEY DO NOT GET IN THE WAY OF THE LIFT OR BLOCK THE LITES

[Rick_L]

As the others have said, I think there are two important points here, aside from the OT stuff like the RV or enclosed trailers. Or any door width needs, which are not as big a problem.

#1 is that I've compromised slightly on how high my car sits on the rotisserie because of the typical short height residential doors I have. With the setup I have right now I have it too low to rotate the body a full 90 degrees (or past) - that's both from being able to raise the door and to be able to roll it outside. Ceiling height is low enough that I'm close to the lights too. On the other hand the height I chose for the body on rotisserie makes it a bit easier to do some tasks. Ideal would be a jack setup on each end of the rotisserie, which I could add, but I can't really take advantage of that presently.

#2 would be having the 12' ceiling so that I could use a lift effectively, and be able to raise the door with the lift up.