Are you installing a new garage door opener on a new garage door, or updating an existing one? Don’t be surprised if space ends up being a challenge. The carriage for a garage door opener is going to require a good deal of overhead space. It needs room to move freely, as well as store the door when it’s open. Modern garages are constructed with these automatic garage door opener units in mind. But if you have a manual garage door, the builders may not have thought of the room necessary should an automatic opener be installed in the future.

This is especially true if you are installing a new garage door opener on an older overhead door that has never had an opener before. Garages used to me much smaller and sometimes the overhead space for a standard automatic garage door opener just isn’t there. Fortunately, there are different approaches that allow you to install a garage door opener in nearly any space, no matter how enclosed the overhead area around the garage door is.

Most standard garage door openers will require at least 15 inches of overhead clearance — 3 inches for the garage door opener and 12 inches for the door and torsion spring system. If you don’t have 15 inches to spare, you might have to look at getting a wall-mounted garage door opener and/or a high-lift track kit.

Here are 4 solutions to new overhead door installations in garages where headroom is limited:

Jackshaft or Side-Mount Garage Door Openers

Sometimes there’s a beam in the middle of the garage ceiling that doesn’t allow for an opener. This happens a lot in older garages when openers were not yet common. A jackshaft garage door opener is a great solution. They work just as well as your standard garage door opener, but sit on the side of your overhead garage door rather than the more standardized top. 

Naturally, you’ll need enough room on the side of the door to allow for the opener, but that usually isn’t a problem. This is a great solution if you don’t have a lot of headroom or just prefer a more spacious looking ceiling for your garage.

A Low-Headroom Track System for the Garage Door

They design low headroom track garage door systems specifically for when space is an issue. With this option, you can install a door and a garage door opener in as little as 9 inches of space. The entire garage door opener system as well as all the garage door’s infrastructure is designed to sit as closely to the ceiling as it possibly can. Remember to consider how much headroom you might need if you’re repairing your car and have lifted the hood.

Consider a High-Lift Overhead Garage Door

This type of garage door does exactly what it sounds like: it lifts higher than standard garage doors, allowing for a bigger opening when the door is raised. Most overhead garage doors can only open to the bottom of their header, but high lift doors can get you an extra few inches. Many people pair this solution with the low-headroom track system.

Consider Installing a Rollup Overhead Garage Door

Rolling overhead garage doors are typically used by commercial businesses, but they are a perfectly fine option for residential homes as long as you’re fine with their aesthetic. These doors are constructed with interlocking flat or curved slats of galvanized steel, stainless steel or aluminum. They typically coil around a drum to open and close. 

The beauty of these doors is they can close in a very confined overhead space — typically the size of a long gym duffle bag. Beyond the head unit above the door, there really is no overhead space required. These types of doors may be a preferred option no matter your headroom. By eliminating overhead storage of your garage door, you have more room for other storage like ladders, boxes, or crates. It’s a very versatile choice when it comes to new garage door installation.

There’s a solution for any kind of garage with today’s garage door and access brands; all you need is the right exterior door installation company to give you a hand.