Dearborn's neighborhoods are full of solid brick homes from the first half of the twentieth century, many with a detached garage behind the house. Those garages were built for smaller cars and simpler doors, and putting a new door on one takes more planning than swapping the door on a newer attached garage. The same holds in neighboring Dearborn Heights and Allen Park.
This page focuses on installation and replacement, along with residential opener choices and what to do after a garage takes on water in a heavy storm.
Measuring an older detached garage for a new door
Older garages often have openings that are not quite square, headers that have sagged slightly and side jambs softened by age. A new door needs solid wood to mount to and enough room beside and above the opening for its track and springs. A proper estimate starts with a tape measure, not a catalog.
- Opening width and height, measured in several places to catch an out-of-square frame
- Headroom above the opening for the torsion spring and the curve of the track
- Side room for the vertical track brackets
- Backroom, the depth needed for the horizontal track and opener
- Condition of the jambs and header, which may need replacing before installation
Single-car openings and widening
Many detached garages here have single-car openings around eight or nine feet wide and seven feet tall. If a modern SUV barely clears, a taller door may be possible when there is enough headroom, but the framing has to allow it.
Widening an opening for a double door means installing a new header, which is structural work that normally requires a building permit. Replacing a door within the existing opening usually involves nothing of the kind, so most homeowners keep the opening and focus on a better door.
Choosing a residential door for a brick home
Brick colonials and bungalows suit traditional raised-panel or carriage-house designs. Steel doors are durable and need little maintenance, and insulated versions are stiffer and quieter. If the garage is detached and unheated, insulation is optional, though it still helps with dents and noise.
Windows across the top section bring light into a dark garage. On an alley-facing door, frosted or obscured glass keeps the interior private while still letting daylight in.
Openers for detached and attached garages
Detached garages sometimes have limited power, an outlet far from the ceiling, or wiring that predates any opener. A new unit needs a properly grounded outlet near the motor. Chain-drive openers are durable for detached garages, while belt drives are the better pick when the garage is attached and noise travels into the house.
Modern openers include photo-eye safety sensors and rolling-code remotes, with options like battery backup and smartphone control. A keypad is handy on a detached garage, especially when you are walking in from the alley without keys.
After heavy rain or flooding
Dearborn has seen serious flooding during intense summer storms in recent years, with water filling streets, basements and low-lying garages. Floodwater can soak the bottom panel, rust the bottom brackets and cables, and damage an opener's wiring if the outlet sits low.
After a flood, do not run the opener until the outlet and wiring have been checked. Have a technician inspect the bottom of the door, the cables and the bottom brackets, since corroded hardware under spring tension can fail without warning.
Last updated by the American Garage Door Team.