4 post lifts & roll up garage doors

[miamivice]

Hi Guys,

So I have run out of space in my 2 car detached shop/garage out back for my cars.   I have ceilings that are almost 10 ft high and was thinking about getting a drive on 4 post lift (for my two 3rd gen Trans Ams toy/projects...then use the other side to work on my charger and cuda.  I have an attached garage where my Charger lives right now).

The problem right now is I would have clearnace problems with the garage door.   Does anyone have any experience and recomendations of the roll up style garage door.  I see the mainly used for industrial purposes...but thought it might do trick as it would give me enough overhead room.

Also, any recomendations on lifts?

Thanks!

[gschmidt211]

Don't most of the storage places use the roll up style door?  Those have exterior faces and seem cosmetically decent.  I can't say I have ever seen one in a residential setting so I wouldn't be sure where to get one. 

One of our customers at my previous employer was called Rytec.  They are in Wisconsin near my house.  They make those kind of doors.  I just went to there website and they have a door called the Spiral LH (Low Overhead).  That seems to be a decent application for your problem.

http://www.rytecdoors.com/products/index.php?id=27

I didn't do any other checking on the site.  Maybe they have some other solutions.

Good luck with your query.

[Highbanked Hauler]

 I am in the exact same situation and what I figured on doing is set the door tracks up to the ceiling, add in extensions  to the track and remove the automatic door opener. That way I don't have to change the door itself.

[miamivice]

I am in the exact same situation and what I figured on doing is set the door tracks up to the ceiling, add in extensions  to the track and remove the automatic door opener. That way I don't have to change the door itself.

Yea, I need to see if I can get enough clearance to do this vs just getting a "roll up" type door (which I have not really been able to find a good place to buy from)

[Nwcharger]

I just bought 2 8x8 roll up metal shop doors on craigslist for 350. Installed them last Sunday. Best 350 ever spent. Now I can have a car on the rack and don't need to worry about hitting the garage door.

[miamivice]

I just bought 2 8x8 roll up metal shop doors on craigslist for 350. Installed them last Sunday. Best 350 ever spent. Now I can have a car on the rack and don't need to worry about hitting the garage door.

Any idea what brand they were?

[OldGuy]

Save yourself some money – just extend the railings up to within about 6" of the ceiling – just enough for the door to roll up between the track and the ceiling.  Take out the overhead opener and install a side mount opener that attaches directly to the spring roller bar.  I have Lift Master side mount lifters that work great.  If your door is 8'x8', you won't have to worry about it hitting the top of the car, because it will only come about 3'-4' over the rear of the car.
The problem you will have is being able to stand upright under the car when it is on the lift due to the ceiling height.  My ceilings are 11'6" and I can stand upright (I am 6') because I can raise the car higher due to ceiling height.  Unless you are 5'6" or shorter, you will have that problem no matter what kind of lift or door setup you use.

[OldGuy]

Another problem your ceiling height is going to cause is, even if you just want to use the lift to store one of the cars on top and not get under it, you won't be able to get the lift high enough to get the other car under it.

[polywideblock]

a roller door would give you that 6" extra room ,here in oz nearly every shed has a roller door. i know its an Ozzy comp. but here's one manufacturer   http://www.bnd.com.au/  . on a side note how wheather proof are the sectional doors?

[miamivice]

Another problem your ceiling height is going to cause is, even if you just want to use the lift to store one of the cars on top and not get under it, you won't be able to get the lift high enough to get the other car under it.

I know I am not going to be able to stand under the car to work on it, I am more looking for storage.  I dont have 2 Chargers, I have several 'rare' 3rd gen GM fbody cars that are a lot lower to the ground.  When I measured them, it seems they will fit stacked on top of each other w/ the lift.   What is the gap that your lift takes up between the two cars? (if that makes sense).   

I do have Mopars, but I have other spots for them in my garages so not too worried.  Just trying to maximize the space in this space for vehicle storage...  I am in Seattle so want to keep them inside and rather not build/expand the garage as that will for sure cost more $$...

[OldGuy]

It sounds like you have made the measurements - if it is just for storage, then the thing that will make or break the deal is the height of your cars.  So, the measurement should be from the floor + the height of the car on the floor + the clearance from the roof of the bottom car to the bottom of the lift railings + the thickness of the lift railings + the height of the car on top.  If that is under 10', you should be okay.  I would give yourself about 6" clearance between the top of the bottom car and the bottom of the lift railing and another 6" between the top of the top car and the ceiling because the lift has to go up about 2" - 3" inches above the latch pieces on the pole so the lock levers will clear before you drop it down into place (depending up the type of lift you get).
Like I said, even though you have to drop the door track down about 6" from the ceiling to allow the door to roll up without hitting the ceiling, it doesn't matter that much because the door doesn't extend all the way to the center of the garage ceiling where it would be over the top of the car because you only have to bring the bottom of the door up to the top of the door opening.
As far as weatherproof of a sectional door, the sections overlap so there is no exposed gaps.  I live in Utah in an area that has some pretty horrific winds, rain and snow in the winter and have had no problems.
I did a lot of research on the lift I got.  Stay away from anything made outside the U.S.  Go with something made in the U.S. - because to foreign stuff uses thinner metals and isn't as sturdy.  I found a good deal on my lift - a Double Park brand.  I think they are out of business now, but I have been happy with it.  It seem like these lift companies come and go like the spring snow.  If I hadn't got such a good deal on the lift (retailed for $4,000 but got it for $1,900 from a guy that couldn't use it because his garage ceiling was too low), I would have gone with a Backyard Buddy brand.
Even though some of the lifts are advertised as free standing or movable, I would bolt it to the floor.
Hope that answers your questions.

[Fred]

a roller door would give you that 6" extra room ,here in oz nearly every shed has a roller door. i know its an Ozzy comp. but here's one manufacturer   http://www.bnd.com.au/  . on a side note how wheather proof are the sectional doors?

I was thinking the same. You'd be hard pressed to find a garage without a roller door here.

[Nwcharger]

I just bought 2 8x8 roll up metal shop doors on craigslist for 350. Installed them last Sunday. Best 350 ever spent. Now I can have a car on the rack and don't need to worry about hitting the garage door.

Any idea what brand they were?

They are made by a company called overhead door. I'm amazed on the room I gained.