How To Install A Garage Door

If your garage door is old, worn out, failing, or deteriorated it is best to replace it. This guide will explain how to install a garage door before it causes damages or harms someone.

A double garage door is not light, they can weigh anywhere between 250lb to 450lbs. When older garage door hardware is deteriorated and old, it increases the risk of damages to the home and accidental injury. Especially considering most people with garage doors enter and exit their homes more through the garage door, compared to the front door.

Watch this Video Tutorial for step-by-step instructions on how to replace your garage door:

https://youtu.be/zuhbxSpQO_8

Required Tools:

  • Adjustable wrench
  • 4-in-1 screwdriver
  • Level
  • Cordless drill
  • Sawhorses
  • Rags
  • Locking pliers
  • Ratchet set
  • Safety Glasses
  • Stepladder

Required Materials:

  • Garage door kit
  • Easy tensioning system
  • Rope
  • Garage door stop w/ gasket
  • Garage door lubricant
  • Operator bracket
  • Masking tape
  • Shims

How To Between A Safe And Unsafe Garage Door?

Depending on the condition of your garage door you may be wondering how to tell when it is time to replace it. The following are tips on how to tell when it’s time to replace your garage doors and steps on how to remove and install a new garage door.

You can save hundreds by installing garage doors yourself and can be done in about 8 to 12 hours if you’re handy with tools. Help should be used for removing the old door and heavy lifting, but most of the replacement can be done on your own.

Types of Garage Door Springs

Side Springs

There are two types of garage door springs. Torsion springs are mounted above the door on the header, while extension springs float over the top roller track. Extension springs were the safer option in the past but did not come with containment cables in the spring’s center, making them more dangerous, and creating more noise compared to tension springs.

We only recommend extension springs when there is not an adequate (12 inches) of headroom above the garage door.

Torsion springs are used for releasing tension placed on side-mounted springs as it ensures the doors are locked in place when lifted. The extension spring should be tied to roller tracks before using pliers to detach the cable from the bottom brackets.

Three Advantages of Tension Springs

  • Safer: Tends to remain on the bar when breaking
  • Quieter: No spring hitting the roller track.
  • Easily fine-tuned: Allows for perfect balancing.

Tension springs were not recommended in the past due to being dangerous. However, DIY tension spring kits are available that make it much easier and safer. However, if you do not use one of the following DIY-friendly tension systems, hire a professional for releasing tension springs.

  • Wayne-Dalton TorqueMaster
  • Clopay EZ-Set Spring

Installing Roller Tracks

To properly install a vertical roller track you want to wrap the rollers with the curved lip. The top of the tracks needs to be roughly 8 inches below the upper section. Do not install the top tracks until this step is finished. Check to ensure the vertical roller tops are level. Meanwhile, the bottom of the tracks needs to be 1/8-inch above the concrete flooring. Once complete and level, install upper roller tracks (horizontal).

Garage Doors

The standard size of a garage door is 8ft to 9ft in width, and 7ft high, while a double garage door measures an average of 16ft in width and 7th in height. Due to the massive size and weight of garage doors, it is not common for stores to stock them. Instead, be prepared to place an order and wait on delivery. You can choose garage doors in various materials, including wood, steel, or fiberglass. Our steel garage doors are designed to be maintenance-free, lightweight, readily available, affordable and go up to an insulation value of R-19.

There are three basic steel door types:

  • Steel only
  • Single layer internal insulation
  • Double sided insulation

Additional features that can increase the cost of steel garage doors include windows and thicker insulation. Insulated windows will increase the price considerably as well. DIY tensioning systems will increase costs some, so it is a good idea to know what you want.

Garage Door Panel Repair

Hardware

When you install or replace a garage door it is best to switch out the hardware too. Additionally, automatic opener systems without an automatic reversing system with photoelectric eyes should be switched out. There are two additional pieces on garage doors with an opener; an opener bracket and a support strut. Torsion springs positioned above the door should be released by a professional for safety reasons.

Now that you know how to install a garage door, the next step is removing the older stopper material from the door and replacing it with a rubber weatherstrip often stocked at home improvement stores. You will want to install the new rubber stop with the gasket laying against the door while it’s closed. The stop should have a 45-degree angle.

 7 Tips For Safe Door Systems

Light Weight

Event he heaviest insulated double garage door systems only weight up to 200lbs. That’s less than half of a hardboard or wood door system. The heavier the door is, the faster the hardware and springs wear out. If a spring appears to be weakening, check out this how-to repair garage door springs.

Containment Cables

Worn extension springs and cables when breaking become massive whips that can not only damage cars but severely injure anyone in the garage. To avoid this issue, it is recommended that containment cables run down the center of a side-mounted extension spring system. Even if you are not replacing the door and your system uses extension springs, ensure the containment cables are properly positioned or professionally installed.

Pinch Resistance

The most frequent garage door injuries include pinching, smashed fingers, and amputations when skin or limbs are caught when the garage door is moving. It is recommended that you use a door that provides pinch-resistant designs.

Safe Automatic Door Opener

Automatic garage door openers are now required to provide auto-reversing with photoelectric eyes by the floor on either side of the door to detect objects. This prevents the garage door from closing and will open if the invisible beam is broken by a person or object.

Annual Maintenance

By scheduling annual maintenance you can catch issues early and prevent further damages. This includes looking over nuts, bolts, rollers, rails for signs of wear and that they are tightened. Cable condition is important as well, any frayed or worn cables can be dangerous. Springs and rollers should be lubricated to prevent noise and early wear. Finally, the door will be balanced.

Properly Mounted Rails and Hardware

Ensure the torsion spring brackets have been mounted firmly above the garage door. Both the support brackets and opener need to be bolted securely into the rafters.

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