how to install a garage door

How to install a garage door

Installing a garage door keeps your car and property safe and tidy while also enhancing home security. Struggling to assemble your brand-new garage door? Don’t lose patience. At first, installing a garage door could appear daunting, but with time, patience, and the assistance of a buddy, it won’t be too challenging.

Well, in this article we’ll be discussing how to successfully install a garage door. We’ll also be looking at how to regularly maintain your garage doors. and why you should regularly maintain it.

how to install a garage door

But first, before we begin here are some essential tools that are needed for smooth operation;

  • Cordless screwdriver
  • Ratchet wrench
  • Cordless drill
  • Level
  • Locking pliers
  • Lag screws
  • Tape measure
  • Stepladders
  • Tension system kit
  • Weathering strip
  • Door panels
  • Shims
  • Stop end bolts
  • Brackets
  • Hinges
  • Rollers
  • Roller tracks
  • Perforated angle irons

So, let’s dive in,

Contents

How to install garage door

below shows the steps on how to install a garage door;

Inspect and Prepare Opening

  • Ensure that the rough opening fits the door properly. The rough opening must be 8 feet by 7 feet in order to accommodate a garage door that is 8 feet wide by 7 feet high, without counting the stop molding on the frame. Make sure the sides are plumb and the header of the garage door is level by using the level (vertical).
  • Two-by-six lumber should be used for the framing, and it shouldn’t be rotting or broken. Moreover, the door stop molding needs to be in good shape. Before mounting the garage door, stop molding must be installed, with its edges flush with the interior framing.

Read more: Front Doors: Everything you need to Know

Prepare Bottom Door Section

  • Find the lowest section of this garage door’s four sections. The area with the rubber weatherstripping around one edge will be the one that needs repair.
  • To avoid scratching it, remove the bottom section and set it down on cardboard or blankets with the outer side facing the ground.
  • Find the two metal brackets that will be attached to the bottom of the left and right sides, next to the weather stripping.
  • Using the supplied screws, fasten the metal brackets.
  • Find two of the hinges, and then fasten them to the bottom door section’s other long edge.

Read more: Everything To Know About Glass Doors

Install Door Sections

  • In the door opening, place the bottom door section. The door stop molding should be pressed up against the portion.
  • Use a shim on one end of the garage door to level it out if the driveway or garage floor is not level.
  • Drive a 3-inch nail at an angle into either side of the door frame to temporarily secure the bottom part.
  • Hinge the long top edge of the second segment while it is still on the ground.
  • In the rough door opening, stack the second section on top of the first section.
  • Use nails to tack the second portion into place.
  • From the first section’s top to the second section’s bottom, attach hinges.
  • Proceed in the same manner with the final two portions.

Read more: repair for garage doors: problems, tips and guides for repair

Add Door Opener Bracket Kit to Top of Door

  • The top door part of steel, aluminum, and fiberglass garage doors needs to be reinforced in order for the automatic garage door opener to attach to the door firmly.
  • Usually, two or three pieces of L-angle steel with pre-drilled holes make up the bracket kit, which is included with the door. Typically, the top of the door will have a long steel component up to 4 feet long, with one or two lesser portions continuing downward.
  • At the top of the top door part, attach the bracket kit. Utilize the nuts, washers, lock nuts, and screws that are provided.

Read more; What Is a Door? – types of doors commonly used in buildings

Attach Garage Door Opener Operator Reinforcement Bracket

  • Most garage doors feature an operator reinforcing bracket that attaches to the top door portion for use when installing an automatic garage door opener.
  • With the included screws, lock nuts, washers, and nuts, secure the operator reinforcement bracket to the garage door.

Add Rollers

  • Put the rollers into the bottom brackets and hinges of the garage door.
  • The tires ought to be pointed outward. There will be 10 rollers for a garage door with four sections.

Assemble Vertical Track

  • On the ground, assemble the two pieces of the vertical track.

Install Vertical Tracks

  • Remove the nails from the garage door frame’s one side using the hammer’s claw end.
  • Lag screws should be used to fasten vertical tracks to the garage door frame. Place the track only on one side.
  • Take out the nails from the doors on opposite sides.
  • Put the second vertical track in place.

Attach Horizontal Tracks

  • The garage door is raised into the open position by two horizontal tracks. The ends of each track have 90-degree metal bends.
  • Attach an angle bracket to the underside of each horizontal track using the wrench set (near the curve). The vertical track and the horizontal track will be joined by the angle bracket.

Support Ends of Horizontal Tracks

  • The long horizontal tracks’ rear ends will momentarily hang freely. Support them by putting step ladders underneath or suspending them with cables or string from the ceiling.
  • To level, each horizontal track, place the bubble level on top of it.

Attach Rear Track Hangers to Garage Ceiling

  • Per horizontal track, the rear track hanger package typically consists of two or three angled steel brackets that fasten to the ceiling at the track’s conclusion.
  • It is important to position the rear track hanger so that its bracing limits side-to-side movement.

Install Springs: Pulleys and Safety Cable

  • Put a pulley wheel, also known as a sheave, on the spring’s end. The pulley may need to be assembled first.
  • Near the curved section of the horizontal track, fasten a second pulley wheel. The direction of the pulley wheel should be inward.
  • The rear track hanger needs an eye bolt. Put the hook in such a way that it faces the garage door.
  • With the pulley end facing the garage door, attach the extension spring’s free end to the eye bolt’s hook.
  • The extension spring through which the safety containment cable is threaded.
  • One end of the safety cable should be connected to the eye bolt’s hook.
  • The safety cable should be threaded through the pulley wheel on the extension spring’s end.

Read more: Lists of best garage heater

Install Springs: Lifting Cable

  • To the opposite end of the horizontal track, pull the safety cable taut. On the top of the vertical track, fasten it.
  • The pulley at the end of the extension spring should receive the looped end of the door lifting cable.
  • Continue feeding the lifting cable over the fixed pulley wheel as you move closer to the garage door.
  • Besides the garage door, continue running the cable downward.
  • At the bottom of the door track, fasten the lifting cable’s end to a peg.
  • Lift the door halfway with the help of an aid.
  • Connect the lifting cable’s opposite end to the door’s attachment point.
  • Repeat this method for the other side.
  • Read more: Understanding building construction

Test Door

  • Adjust the vertical tracks, if necessary, then tighten the lag screws. Also, tighten the roller wheels’ sliding bolts.
  • By hand, raise and lower the door to make sure it’s balanced. In the event that the garage door is heavy and difficult to lift, place the back of the extension spring higher up on the rear track hanger.

Install Pull Rope

  • Attach the pull rope to the garage door’s bottom part with a tie.

Install Lift Handle

  • Install the lift handle on the garage door’s exterior.

Install Lock

  • By fastening it to the garage wall, the internal slide lock can be added to the garage door. The lock must be positioned levelly to allow the sliding bolt to enter the garage doors and open receiving end.

How to regularly maintain your garage?

The biggest moving object in your house, your garage door is utilized frequently throughout the day, at all hours, and in all weather conditions. Take the time to perform routine preventative care and maintenance on your garage door if you want to ensure that it runs properly for many years to come. Here are some suggestions for all homeowners:

Look and Listen

  • Seeing your garage door operate every time you use it is the most crucial preventive measure you can take. Is it jerky at times or is it flowing smoothly? Does it produce noises when it operates, such as grinding or scraping? Do the springs, pulleys, and cables on either side of the system appear to be symmetrical?

Tighten up the Hardware

  • In a typical year, a garage door opens and closes over a thousand times. That much movement and vibration have the potential to dislodge the hardware. With a socket wrench, check and tighten each roller bracket’s bolt.

Test the Garage Door Balance

  • The garage door opener will work harder and last less time if your garage door is not properly balanced.
  • Manually raise the door about halfway up after disconnecting the opener by pushing the release handle (often a red wire). The counterweight system (springs) is out of balance if it moves despite being counterbalanced. It’s best to leave the garage door spring adjustment to the experts.

Inspect and Replace the Rollers

  • Whether made of steel or nylon, the rollers need to be checked twice a year and replaced approximately every seven years, or even more frequently if your garage door is used frequently.
  • Rollers that are worn, chipped, or broken need to be replaced right away. Any roller brackets that are not directly connected to the cable system must be taken out and put back in place to do this.

Replace the Weatherstripping

  • To keep the elements out of your home, replace your door’s bottom rubber weather seal strip as soon as it becomes brittle or broken. In hardware and home improvement stores, weather stripping is offered by the foot. With the wide angle of the flange within the door, just cut to size and fit into the grooves.

Lubricate the Moving Parts

  • Maintaining the oil on your garage door parts will provide your system with years of trouble-free operation, and it only takes 10 minutes a year! Apply white lithium grease to the chain or screw of the opener, and coat the overhead springs with a spray lubricant that can be purchased from your garage door professional.

Check the Cables

  • The high-tension cables that raise your door should never be tampered with since they have enough force to murder and maim people. Nonetheless, you can inspect them to determine when to call in a professional. Examine the area close to the bottom roller bracket for damage and broken strands.

Test the Auto-Reverse Safety Features

  • Mechanical and photocell mechanisms are both present. Place a piece of wood or a block on the ground in the door’s path to test the mechanical feature. The door should turn around and go back up again if it strikes the thing as it is coming down. Close your door and simply put your leg through the opening to test the second system, a photoelectric one with beams on either side. You should invert the door.
  • It’s time to get a new garage door opener if your opener is older than 20 years since it might not have these fundamental safety features.

Clear the Tracks

  • Verify that the tracks on either side of the door are clear of obstructions, and if you feel inclined, verify the plumb with a level. A qualified garage door technician must do any significant track changes.

Groom Your Garage Door

  • Don’t forget to look at the actual door. Checking for warping and water damage in addition to chipped and peeling paint is necessary for wooden doors. There may be rust stains on steel doors that require sanding, priming, and painting. Regularly wash your garage door with a gentle all-purpose cleaner while you wash your automobile.

Keep in mind that your garage door makes up around one-third of the outside of your home. If you don’t have the time to perform this type of check-up, get in touch with a garage door expert to arrange a tune-up service call. He will cure everything… flawlessly!

Read more: Construction site workers: Roles, Qualifications, and Safety Tips

why you should regularly maintain your garage door?

Due to their frequent use and exposure to the elements, garage doors frequently develop a number of problems. Here are some explanations for why maintaining garage doors is crucial.

Noisy Doors

  • Smooth opening and closing of a garage door will lessen noise pollution in your home. A neglected door, on the other hand, could be noisy when opened or shut.

Deteriorating Door Springs

  • Your springs risk becoming brittle and breaking if they aren’t routinely greased. Safety and mechanical problems may result from this.

 Rusty Tracks

  • If you neglect track lubrication over time, your tracks may corrode and rust. This may lead to damaged rails that require costly repair or replacement.

Safety Issue

  • Also, a neglected garage door could provide a danger to kids and pets.

Dirt Build up

  • The majority of garages have a lot of dirt and filth that has gathered throughout the year. One obvious indicator that maintenance is required is dirt accumulation close to the bottom of the garage door.

Garage doors installation FAQs

How much does it cost to set up a garage door?

Installing a garage door opener professionally might cost between $220 and $550. The cost of the opener will normally be between $150 and $500 plus labor, which can take two to six hours and will cost an additional $65 to $85 per hour.

Can you install the garage door yourself?

Even though many DIY projects are enjoyable and cost-effective, you might want to reconsider installing your new garage door yourself. Although it is possible, DIY garage door installation might be risky and expensive compared to hiring a professional to complete the same task.

What is the easiest garage door to install?

The Hormann or Garador Canopy Framed door is without a doubt the most straightforward one-piece-up-and-over garage door to install.

How long does a garage door last?

Lifespan. Although a number of factors will affect a garage door’s actual lifespan, on average, it will last for 15 to 30 years. The garage may be susceptible to floods, storms, bad weather, and environmental variables depending on where it is installed.

What is the labor cost to install a single garage door?

Fortunately, the national average for labor costs to install a new garage door is $300.

How long does it take to install a garage door?

Type of installation – Replacing a garage door takes about 4-6 hours, however, it’s usually easier to install a garage door that works with the existing structure.

How much should I budget for a new garage door?

A brand-new garage door typically costs between $550 and $1,650. The price of installing a new door and a replacement door is often the same. However, some components, like the tracks, can be reused, which can help you save some money.

How much room do I need to install a garage door?

A garage door just won’t function properly with improper spacing. The majority of common automatic openers need at least 12 inches of overhead clearance, and some need up to 18 inches. This includes three inches for the garage door opener and around 12 inches for the door and torsion springs. 18′′ of headroom may be necessary for some wood garage doors.

What makes a garage door more expensive?

The quality of the door’s construction significantly affects the price of doors of the same size. Simple, single-faced steel garage doors, which cost roughly $400, are at the low end. Adding more features like insulation, thicker steel, or windows will inevitably increase your costs.

What are the different sizes of garage doors?

  • A single garage door should be 7-8 feet high and 8-10 feet wide.
  • A double garage door measures 7-8 feet tall by 16–18 feet wide.
  • A typical RV garage door is 10–14 feet high and 10–14 feet wide.

That is all for this article where we discussed how to;

  • Install a garage door
  • How to maintain a garage door, and why you should maintain it.

I hope it was helpful, if so kindly share. Thanks for reading.