Guide · Pre-war garages
Garage Doors for Pre-War Detached Garages
Rockville Centre and its neighbors have hundreds of garages from the 1920s and '30s, set at the back of the lot behind Tudors and colonials. They need a different approach from a modern attached garage. Here is what we have learned working on them.
- Low headers
- Heavy wood doors
- Out-of-square openings
Guide
By the Rockville Centre Garage Door team · over 20 years of garage door work · Updated October 2026
What Makes These Garages Different
They were built for smaller cars and, often, for doors that swung or slid. Many were converted to overhead doors decades later, and the framing was never designed to carry track. Ninety years of settling, re-roofing and damp winters leave headers that sag a little, jambs that have dried and split around old screw holes, and slabs that have tilted.
Weigh the Door, Then Choose the Springs
The most common problem we find is a door far heavier than its springs. Old wood absorbs water; layers of paint add pounds; someone may have screwed plywood or foam to the back. A door like that strains any opener and wears the hinges. We weigh it and size springs to the real number — and if the door uses old extension springs, check that safety cables run through them, or convert to torsion (from $585).
Square the Track to the Opening You Have
An opening that is out of square makes a door bind in one corner. Rather than forcing the door to match a crooked frame, we set the tracks plumb, add solid backing where screws will not hold in dried-out jambs, and adjust the bottom seal to follow a sloping slab.
Low Headroom and No Power
Low headers leave little room for track or a ceiling opener. A wall-mount opener on the spring shaft needs almost no headroom, and low-headroom track lets the top section clear. Many detached garages also have no outlet; that is an electrician's job before any opener goes in.
Keep It or Replace It?
A sound wood door can be kept running for years with the right springs, hardware and finish. When several sections are soft or the door has been patched repeatedly, a carriage-house door keeps the period look with steel or composite construction and insulation if you want it.
Prices for Common Pre-War Garage Jobs
| Work | Starting at |
|---|---|
| Pair of torsion springs | $485 |
| Extension to torsion conversion | $585 |
| Track straightening and re-anchoring | $129 |
| LiftMaster 8500W wall-mount, installed | $885 |
| Carriage-house style door, installed | $2,525 |
Pre-War Garage Questions
Answers as of October 2026. Still unsure? Call (516) 442-8171 and describe what the door is doing.
Can a 1920s garage take a modern overhead door?
Usually, yes, once the opening is measured and the framing is checked. Out-of-square openings are shimmed, weak jambs get new backing for the track, and low headers are handled with low-headroom track.
Is it worth keeping an original wood garage door?
If the wood is sound and you love the look, it can be kept running with correctly sized springs, new hardware and a good seal. If several sections are soft, a carriage-house replacement keeps the look with far less upkeep.
Why is my old garage door so heavy?
Old wood doors absorb moisture and gain weight with every coat of paint, while their springs were sized decades ago — or replaced with whatever was on hand. Springs matched to today's weight make it light again.