Outdoor Garage Door Operator - weatherproofing?

[Tiptoe]

I have a drive through "Porte-cochère" on the side of my house. To close it off from the street, the previous homeowner installed a standard 8'x8' garage door that is operated by a standard overhead garage door opener. From the street, the assembly looks like a one car garage. Once through the porte cochere, you are in my back yard and can access a detached two car garage.

My question is, the garage door opener in the porte cochere is installed under the roof of the structure. What has happened, over the span of 6 months, is condensation forms on the underside of the corrugated roof deck and drips into the housing of the garage door operator, subsequently causing the motherboard to short out. Does anyone have an idea of how to "weatherproof" the housing of the garage door opener?

Im considering the following options:
A) insulating the underside of the roof deck with insulating spray foam
B) building a shroud around the operator and insulating it with batt insulation, perhaps in conjunction w A.
C) replacing the operator with a "outdoor rated" operator, if possible - cannot seem to find this type of unit

Does anyone have advice or a similar condition?

Photo attached to illustrate the issue.

Thank you for any comments or advice.

 

[JAGMAN]

I’d place a drip guard over the opener. Angle it so any drips from above will drain off the edges. Water management in situations like this is all about grading and redirecting the flow away from sensitive areas/things.

Separately, you may have issues over the long term with the opener due to moisture, but that will take years to manifest. Most garages are not climate controlled, and the electronics last long enough.

And/Or depending on the pitch of the roof, adding a vent may eliminate the dew issues causing this.

 

[Tiptoe]

I’d place a drip guard over the opener. Angle it so any drips from above will drain off the edges. Water management in situations like this is all about grading and redirecting the flow away from sensitive areas/things.

Separately, you may have issues over the long term with the opener due to moisture, but that will take years to manifest. Most garages are not climate controlled, and the electronics last long enough.

Good idea. I removed the original owner installed unit in 2017, and its replacement, a Ryobi, lasted until October 2023, when I replaced that with the Genie that is currently in place. The Genie lasted 4 months...ugh. Law of diminishing returns?? lol

 

[ciaranob]

I have a drive through "Porte-cochère" on the side of my house. To close it off from the street, the previous homeowner installed a standard 8'x8' garage door that is operated by a standard overhead garage door opener. From the street, the assembly looks like a one car garage. Once through the porte cochere, you are in my back yard and can access a detached two car garage.

My question is, the garage door opener in the porte cochere is installed under the roof of the structure. What has happened, over the span of 6 months, is condensation forms on the underside of the corrugated roof deck and drips into the housing of the garage door operator, subsequently causing the motherboard to short out. Does anyone have an idea of how to "weatherproof" the housing of the garage door opener?

Im considering the following options:
A) insulating the underside of the roof deck with insulating spray foam
B) building a shroud around the operator and insulating it with batt insulation, perhaps in conjunction w A.
C) replacing the operator with a "outdoor rated" operator, if possible - cannot seem to find this type of unit

Does anyone have advice or a similar condition?

Photo attached to illustrate the issue.

Thank you for any comments or advice.

Hey Tiptoe - heads-up but your photo of your unit dod no load!

Just messing but actually half seriously, maybe that weatherized Porsche housing for the OEM charger you'll eventually replace ! might cover the garage door controller (with minor mods)?

Might be a fun project - but otherwise, yes as suggested above, deflecting the ingress the best easy solution.

 

[Klepper]

I have seen a few garage door openers enclosed in a tub similar to what's pictured below here in Houston area (after a few cutouts have been made for the track and wires to come out the sides):

 

[Tiptoe]

Hey Tiptoe - heads-up but your photo of your unit dod no load!

Just messing but actually half seriously, maybe that weatherized Porsche housing for the OEM charger you'll eventually replace ! might cover the garage door controller (with minor mods)?

Might be a fun project - but otherwise, yes as suggested above, deflecting the ingress the best easy solution.

Thanks for the heads up, Ciaran! I think I have the photo attached now!

 

[Tiptoe]

I have seen a few garage door openers enclosed in a tub similar to what's pictured below here in Houston area (after a few cutouts have been made for the track and wires to come out the sides):

mmm, another good idea....I think I may use the lid as a condensation deflector. I wonder if I cut holes in the tub for the operator, will that increase the humidity in the tub??

 

[ciaranob]

Hey Tiptoe - heads-up but your photo of your unit dod no load!

Just messing but actually half seriously, maybe that weatherized Porsche housing for the OEM charger you'll eventually replace ! might cover the garage door controller (with minor mods)?

Might be a fun project - but otherwise, yes as suggested above, deflecting the ingress the best easy solution.

Ah - now I see - sorry I was thinking of my Liftmaster Jackshaft wall mounted garage door opener and not a true overhead - so Porsche enclosure case obviously a no go !

 

[Klepper]

I found a picture:

 

[ciaranob]

I found a picture:

Ha - good one - inventive and certainly utilitarian if a bit ‘trashy’ looking for me !

 

[paulsantiago]

I had a similar issue with my garage door a while back, especially during those heavy rains. My solution was a bit of a DIY project. I used a weatherproof sealant around the edges of the door, and it made a huge difference. However, I noticed that the motor and the electronic parts still needed some extra protection. I came across this great article on https://portlanddoorsandlocksguy.com/ about weatherproofing garage doors, which gave me some good ideas.

I ended up installing a small overhang above the door to keep most of the rain off. It wasn’t too hard to set up and really helped keep things dry. I also put a weatherproof cover over the motor unit. It was a bit of an investment but worth it in the long run.

 

[whitex]

Ha - good one - inventive and certainly utilitarian if a bit ‘trashy’ looking for me !

Perhaps you could have it painted to match your car, and then covered in PPF?

If it was my mod, there would be a hoses connecting it to a dehumidifier.