How to Measure for a Side Hinged Garage Door

What you will need

• A 5 metre or longer steel tape measure (not a fabric tape)
• A spirit level for checking the floor and lintel
• A pen, paper and ideally a phone camera for reference photos
• A second person if the opening is more than ~2 metres wide

1. Measure the structural opening

The structural opening is the bare brick or block opening before any timber sub-frame is fitted. This is the dimension we work back from.

1. Width: measure across the opening at the top, middle and bottom. Record the smallest of the three.
2. Height: measure from the finished floor up to the underside of the lintel at the left edge, the centre and the right edge. Record the smallest of the three.
3. Depth of reveal: measure how far back the brickwork runs into the garage. You need at least 75mm of rebate for the steel sub-frame on a Garador door.

If the opening is out of square (top wider than the bottom, or one side taller than the other), record both readings. We will work to the smaller of each pair.

2. Allow for clearances

The door leaf is always smaller than the structural opening because the steel sub-frame sits inside it. Clearances differ slightly by manufacturer and leaf count.

Garador (steel, timber, GRP)

• Single leaf: order width = structural opening width minus 74mm
• Double leaf: order width = structural opening width minus 30mm
• Order height = structural opening height minus 125mm

Wisniowski (steel)

• Single leaf: 900mm to 1300mm wide, 2000mm to 2660mm tall
• Double leaf: up to 2880mm wide, 2660mm tall
• Frame fits inside the opening with a 25-30mm sub-frame return on each side

3. Single leaf or double leaf?

This is the most common question. The rule of thumb:

• Up to ~1300mm wide: single leaf only. A double leaf this narrow has no real-world benefit and looks pinched.
• 1700mm to 2400mm wide: personal preference. Single leaf is cheaper and lets you walk through without unlocking the second leaf. Double leaf gives a wider clear opening when fully open, which matters if you ever need to wheel a motorbike, a wheelchair or garden equipment through.
• Over 2400mm wide: double leaf is usually the only sensible option. Single leaves over 1300mm wide bow under their own weight and stress the hinges.

4. Check the floor and threshold

Side hinged doors swing outward. The floor in front of the opening must be flat enough that the leaves clear it through their full arc. A 20mm aluminium threshold is supplied with most Garador doors. If your existing floor falls away from the garage by more than ~15mm across the door arc, mention it on your enquiry. We can advise on a sloped threshold or a recessed sill.

5. Confirm and order

Send us the structural opening width and height, the depth of the reveal, and a couple of photos straight on and at an angle. We come back with the order width, the order height and a fixed price within one working day.

If you would prefer us to come and measure for you, we offer a free measurement survey across most of the UK. Use the quote form and tick "request a survey" in the message.