Garage door opener mount loose in ceiling

bigbearbear

I've noticed that one of the lag screws holding the metal mount support that allows the garage door opener to be mounted on the ceiling is becoming loose.

I tried tightening it back but it continues to loosen and today even dropped on the floor.

Thankfully the mount has another lag screw holding it up.

I managed to tighten the lag screw back again but I think it'll continue to loosen/drop with constant use of the garage door.

How do I fix this? Perhaps the hole in which the screw is screwed into has now been enlarged and hence the lag screw don't hold on securely to it anymore? What can I do? Thanks.

bigbearbear

Need to add: My garage ceiling is a finished one with no expose joist or beams etc. Thanks.

joecaption

Post a picture.
Why not just use a longer lag, or a larger one?

hammerlane

If it is finished with drywall then the drywall is most likely attched to the joists. Locate the joists and secure your angle bracket.

My opener was wobbly because it only had vertical angle bracket supporting it. I located the joists. Attached a small piece of angle bracket on the ceiling on each side on the opener and then ran pieces of angle bracket from the new pieces on the ceiling to the existing vertical supports to tighten everything up.

Now there is no movemant at all when the opener is in operation.

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notmrjohn

Longer and/ or larger lag screw with lock washer. 2nd less favored option;Make hole smaller by pushing glue coated wooden skewer in it. Insert old screw with lock washer. Put lock washers on all lag screws.

hammer, you didn't mention turning the leaf blower other direction. Constant wind on opener was making it sway in breeze. And how do you stay on that bike? Ropes or belts?

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joecaption

That's a special bike made for astronauts to ride in zero gravity, silly.

bigbearbear

My thanks, hammer, john.

Here's what the opener and the mount looks like now, notice the lag screw on the left is coming out slightly. It'll come up a little each time I open or close the door, due to the vibration I think.

epson

use this type of anchor and you should have no problems.

bigbearbear

Will these work if the existing screw is threading through the joist and not hollow dry wall?

hammerlane

If a joist is there use LARGER lag screws

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gregzoll

Even easier, if you can get up there and place a 2x6 to attach the opener, it would be the better route. If there is a floor above, that would mean cutting out the gypsum, installing the 2x6, then put back the gypsum, finish, and reattach the opener.

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hammerlane

How is that easier than USING A LARGER LAG SCREW??????

gregzoll

HOW ABOUT DOING IT RIGHT!!! See, I can yell also.

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hammerlane

With a finished ceiling in the garage, I have never seen the angle bracket of an opener attached to a "2 by" where the "2 by" is cut into the ceiling. I may have lived a sheltered life in what I see but have never seen that.

To say that is the right way of doing it as opposed to securing the angle bracket to a located joist I just don't know.

hammerlane

Unless Im interpreting incorrectly what someone has said to do with a "2 By", I have not been able to find such an installation on a finished garage ceiling

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