Average Weight of Steel Garage Doors (With Quick Look Chart) (2023)

Garage door weight is determined by size, material, steel gauge, thickness, insulation, and glass. The average modern steel car door weighs about 125pounds, while the car's double doors weigh around 200 pounds. The weight of the door is important when trying to figure out which torsion or tension springs are needed to balance the door. Older wooden doors, veneer doors, and exposed glass doors weigh significantly more than common smooth steel sectional doors.

The above weights are an estimate based on standard raised panel residential doors. The weight of special doors, such as sheet metal, steel, transparent glass and wooden doors, must be determined individually. These ports must be designed by the manufacturer or weighed with an analog scale.

1. Do insulated garage doors weigh more?

1.1 Weight of the door without insulation

Insulation is not required or a garage door is installed in a garage or individual building that does not have heating or air conditioning. In the past, non-insulated doors were also the most popular, but today the importance of energy efficiency is much better understood. Uninsulated doors are the cheapest option and also the lightest.

The average uninsulated steel car door weighs about 90 pounds, while double doors weigh 160 pounds.

1.2 Weight of vinyl-backed insulated door

The simplest type of insulation is polystyrene insulation. If you're in your garage with the door closed and you see white Styrofoam with a vinyl covering, that's the type of insulation you have. Vinyl back insulation can also be installed on an uninsulated door by purchasing a foaminsulation kit. Because the insulation is exposed, it is prone to scratches and punctures. As the door ages, moisture can be absorbed or trapped in the insulation, causing the door to gain weight.

The average vinyl-insulated steel car door weighs around 100 pounds, while double car doors weigh 175 pounds.

1.3 Steel double sandwich doors with polyurethane insulation

If your garage door has steel on both the outside and inside, you'll also have insulation between the layers of steel that you can't see. These types of doors are called "sandwich" doors. The hidden insulation consists of panels of expanded polystyrene or injected polyurethane. It's a 1 7/8″ injected foam that fills all the little spaces and pockets that foam board insulation can't reach. Polyurethane insulation is also more dense, so it weighs a little more than regular insulation.

The average double-sided steel insulated single car door weighs around 130 pounds, while two-car doors weigh 225 pounds.

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2. How much weight can an insulation kit support?

In most cases, it is best to adjust the torsion springs to compensate for the additional weight. You can do this by adding a half turn of tension to your springs. If you add more than 20 pounds, you may need to replace the torsion springs.

3. Building materials for garage doors.

3.1 steel doors

Steel garage doors are the new standard in the industry. With new technology that allows steel to be rolled and stamped, garage doors are now aesthetically pleasing and extremely durable. Steel doors generally come in a variety of gauges called thicknesses. Garage doors are available from 18 gauge for some commercial models to the standard 25 gauge for residential doors.Single automatic steel doors weigh between 85 and 130 pounds, while double doors weigh between 150 and 225 pounds.

• 25 Gauge Steel – This is the industry standard for raised panel garage doors. This is also the measurement that manufacturers have determined to be optimal for durability at a fair price.
• 24-gauge steel – If your garage door is large or in a windy location, such as coastal areas, a thicker steel is needed. Manufacturers have given suppliers a second option for durability.

3.2 wooden doors

Wooden doors are still available, but they are no longer the industry standard like they used to be. Wooden doors simply don't have the durability of steel. They are prone to moisture absorption, dry rot, and are excessively heavy. Wooden doors are the best option for some luxury homes, as their elegance and natural beauty cannot be matched by steel. Many luxury car entry doors are still made of wood.All wooden doors are very heavy, with a single car door weighing around 300 pounds and a double door weighing nearly 500 pounds.

3.3 Overlapping ports

Overlay doors are the latest trend in the garage door industry: a mix of wood and steel. This allows homeowners to capture the durability of steel and the natural beauty of wood. These overlay doors have a 1 1/4" steel base with a 3/4" wood veneer. An industrial grade adhesive bonds steel and wood materials.Single car top doors weigh around 250 pounds, while double doors weigh between 300 and 400 pounds.

3.4 Full view glass

Full-view glass doors are a great option for high-end, ultra-modern homes, as they have the option of glass in all areas. They are also popular for auto shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, insulated glass tends to be heavy compared to normal solid steel doors.A single full-view glass automatic door can weigh between 300 and 400 pounds, while a double door can weigh more than 500 pounds.

4. Panel size and configuration

The panel configuration is directly related to the weight of the door. A typical 7 foot tall garage door has (4) 21″ sections, while an 8 foot garage door typically has (5) sections (2-21″, 3-18″). Our benchmark chart only shows a 5-pound difference between the 8×7 and 9×7 port sizes. However, the weight change from 9×7 to 10×7 is about 13 pounds. This has to do with changing the door from a single center pillar configuration to a double center pillar configuration.

The surface area is also strongly correlated with the weight of the door. You can estimate the weight of the garage door by finding the surface area (length x width) and using the multipliers below

• Uninsulated Ratio - 1.40 pounds per square foot
• Vinyl-backed insulation rate - 1.50 pounds per square foot
• 1 3/8″ Insulated Steel Rear Ratio – 1.63 Pfund pro Quadratfuß
• 2″ Steel Rear Insulation Ratio: 1.97 Pfund pro Quadratfuß

5. How thick is my garage door?

You can easily measure the thickness of your garage door with a tape measure. You can measure the end track of the door to determine the thickness. Most manufacturers make garage doors from 1 3/8" to 3" thick, although the most common door thickness is 2 inches.

• 1 3/8″ thick – Double sided steel insulation. This door offers all the benefits of a 2″ thick insulated sandwich door at a lower price. It is usually 25% smaller than its 2″ thick rival.
• 2″ thickness – This is the standard in the garage door industry. 90% of garage doors are 2" thick due to the exceptional combination of strength, durability and price.
• 3″ Thickness – Commercial doors for special applications, such as air-conditioned buildings, may require a 3″ door thickness. These doors are found in buildings that need to maintain cool temperatures. These doors offer a higher R-Value due to the additional 1 inch of thickness.

The thickness of the door is an important factor in determining the weight of the door. A 1 3/8" thick door is on average 15% lighter than a comparable 2" thick door, while a 3" thick door is 30% heavier than its 2" thick alternative. thickness. Again, the increase in door resistance is directly related to the weight of the garage door.

6. Windows (Glas Lites)

DSB 6.1 glass (double resistance)

Double strength glass is between 0.115 and 0.133 inches thick. It is 1/8″ thicker than plain glass (SSB). Neither DSB nor SSB significantly increases the weight of the port. The cutouts in the garage door roughly correspond to the glazing that goes into the door.

6.2 insulating glass

Doors with built-in insulated glass are significantly heavier than solid doors without windows. Short pane glazing adds 6 pounds to the weight per window, while long pane (rectangular) glazing adds 10 to 12 pounds per window.

6.3 Glass Designer

Glass with metallic designs embedded into the glass also adds weight, as does glass with patterns like glue granules, opaques, and seeds. These window options can be very heavy, 15 to 20 pounds per gallon.

6.4 Full View Glass

As mentioned above, doors with glass in each section are called full view. These doors are extremely heavy and must be weighed by aPersonalizationor designed with the door manufacturer. Having glass in all the door panels makes the door extremely heavy.

DSB and SSB Lites do not add significant weight to the door, but insulated glass does. Insulated glass options add an average of 6 pounds of weight per window, while a long-pane rectangular design option adds about 10 pounds per window. Adding a double glazing kit to an existing door increases the overall weight of the door to the point where the springs need to be adjusted or replaced.

7. Add accessory weight

7.1 Reinforcing braces

If you plan to reinforce the garage door with additional steel supports, you must allow for additional weight for the door. Braces add an average of 1 pound per linear foot to the weight of the door, so aMediumFor a 16 foot wide double door, about 16 pounds will be added to the total weight of the door.

7.2 Perforated angle

Perforated brackets also add weight to the door at about the same rate as brackets: 1 pound per linear foot.impact angleIt is best used on the bottom of the garage door as it is "L" shaped which allows for better leverage when closing the door manually.

7.3 External decorative hardware

Door handles and decorative external hinges can be installed on some models of garages and overlay doors. Simple wrought iron and fluer de lis hardware adds a negligible weight of about 5 pounds to the gate. However, certain designer real iron exterior hardware can add 15 to 20 pounds.

8. Partial weight vs. total weight of the door

Many people confuse the weight of the sectional door with the total weight of the door.The sectional door weight is simply the weight of the garage door sections, which means that none of the hinges, brackets, or brackets are included in that weight. The total weight of the door is the weight of the door after all hardware and hinges are installed.

The total weight of the door is the most important weight required, since the correct calibration of the spring depends on it. Torsion and tension springs balance the total weight of the garage door.If the total weight of the door is more than 15 pounds heavier than the weight of the sectional door, the torsion springs need to be adjusted or replaced.. Adding reinforcing braces, insulation kits, insulating glass, and decorative exterior hardware are some of the ways the overall weight of the door can be increased.

Failure to account for the total weight of the door will leave the door unbalanced and unsafe, not to mention adding stress to your automatic garage door opener.

9. Table of weights of garage doors

These are the door weights for the most common apartment sizes and models:

Door weights above are for solid residential doors (without windows) with 25-gauge steel, 14-gauge hardware, and (1)Mediumby door

If you can't weigh a heavy garage door with an analog scale or measure existing springs, you have a few options. You can contact the manufacturer or distributor of the door to request a technical report. Port specifications are required for this. A manufacturer's or dealer's label is located on the end cap of the door near the vertical rails when the door is in the closed position. You should be able to see the following information on this label:

10.1 Door Label Information

• Model: Manufacturers label all garage doors with a specific model.
• Size: Width and height of the door in feet. Width and height of the door section as well. The doors can have a combination of sections of different sizes.
• Marke: CHI, Clopay, Amarr, Wayne Dalton, Raynor, Overhead, Crawford
• Number of supports: how many reinforcement supports are there on the inside of the door?
• Track type: Most doors are standard lifts, but high lifts, vertical lifts, and adjustments for roof pitch are also common.
• Manufacturer Date – This date is important in case model standards or color codes have changed.
• Serial Number/Order Number (P.O.#): Manufacturers ship parts nationwide, but can identify specific information with a serial number and order number.

Your local door dealer should have a computer record of when the door was purchased and installed. This is useful if your garage door is damaged and a section needs to be replaced or repaired. Door manufacturers also keep records and can track where their doors are shipped and installed by serial number, order number, and date. This information is important if you have lost your documentation and are trying to make a warranty claim.

11. Hurricane Door Weights - Wind Code

Many coastal areas experience high winds, especially during hurricanes. Many state and local regulations require garage doors to be wind code rated for this reason. These garage doors are designed to support certain km/h. Windy for safety reasons necessarily. Zones are created based on proximity to the sea. Additional reinforcement is needed to make a door windproof.

• Additional Reinforcements – Additional reinforcements are installed on the back of the garage door. Instead of just one support on the top section, a reinforcement support can be attached to each section. This adds a lot of weight to the door, sometimes 50 pounds or more!
• HEAVY DUTY STEEL – 25 gauge steel is the industry standard in normal climates, but Wind Code rated doors are typically 24 gauge or thicker.
• Additional Stringer Placement: Stringer placement varies by make and model, but more steel stringers on the inside of the door always make for a stronger door.

Wind code certified doors and doors with additional bracing brackets weigh significantly more than standard doors in non-coastal areas due to the heavier gauge steel, brackets, and number of steps.

12. Calculate the weight of the door

Trying to guess the weight of the door is generally a bad idea for a number of reasons. This is especially true of larger apartment doors and all commercial size doors. It is always recommended to weigh the door with a scale, mark it with a sticker or contact the dealer or manufacturer. The estimated weight of the door is uncertain and could damage the door or the opener. If you need to estimate the weight of the door, here are some suggestions.

• Quick Reference Table -Identify the height, width and type of your door and consult our quick guide. Weight varies by door manufacturer, but these three criteria should be pretty close.
• Account for Plugins –Added reinforcement clamps,impact angle, external decorative accessories, insulation kits or insulating glass on an existing door?You must add anything added to the door after installation to the total weight of the door.
• Weigh One Section – For a heavy door, you can remove the top section and weigh it separately, then multiply by the total number of sections and add 15 pounds for hardware.Example. The 16 ft x 21″ section weighs 40 pounds and the door has 4 sections total. (40 lbs x 4 = 160 lbs + 15 lbs of hardware = 175 lbs total weight.