Framing Garage Doors for the Dummy Carpenter

Garage door rough opening specs

Wanna build a garage? The fact of the matter is that a garage is a lot easier to build than a house, since you don't have to worry about plumbing, flooring, and nicely finished walls. Heck, you may not even have to worry about insulation or electricity. One thing you will need to consider, however, is framing the garage door. When you start researching "How to figure a garage door rough opening," we sure hope you won't accidentally click on the HomeSteady.com post by Alec Preble.

That's because, like every other time Preble has written about doors (so far) he's made a mess of the task. Let's see what he did wrong this time... Alec opens by attempting to explain what a rough opening is:

"The doors extend beyond the finished trim you see from the front, a fact that must be taken into consideration when framing and preparing the area for installation."

OK, we suppose. Preble then informs us that we

"...need to figure back, head and side room before choosing and installing the new garage door..."

...wording that seemed odd to us, since normally one chooses the door and then lays out the framing to create the proper-sized rough opening. Unlike Preble, though, our staffers have actually done framing carpentry instead of getting a BA in English. Alec dutifully informs his readers that they'll need 18 inches of backroom, "6 to 14 inches" of headroom and 7½ inches of side room.

Ummm, Alec? those aren't specs for the rough opening... those are specs for the recommended minimum clearance. Idiot. The rough opening is determined by the height and width of the door, allowing for trim molding and clearance to let the door move. In other words, he didn't answer the question, mostly because he didn't know what "rough opening" means. People who do know what a rough opening is say to frame it 3" wider and 1½" taller than the door – but what do garage door makers know?
A lot more than our Dumbass of the Day, that's what they know!

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