Garage Door Installation Tips
Whether you’re installing a new garage door in your home to boost its visual appeal, to replace a broken garage door, or simply upgrade to a newer model, there are some important installation tips you need to know for pre-installation.
Check out some of our helpful advice below!
Things to Do Before You Install
Installing a new garage door is a pretty big job, whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring professional help. It requires heavy lifting and electrical work and can be dangerous if not done properly, so it’s our recommendation that you hire a professional installer rather than making the DIY attempt. However if you’re a DIY pro and have the experience and confidence to handle the job, figure that your installation will take about 12 hours total.
-
Hire a Professional
Because of the safety hazards that are involved in the installation of a garage door, the best thing you can do is hire a professional garage installer to get the job done. You may think it’s an expensive investment, but when you consider the danger that’s involved, you’ll realize that the price is well worth it.
An incorrectly installed garage door can malfunction or detach and cause serious injuries while in use. Not only that, but it can also make your home significantly more vulnerable to a potential break-in due to the insecurity.
-
Avoid Using Old Parts
As tempting as it may be to try and save money by using old parts if they seem to be in good condition, don’t do this for your garage door. If you have it installed professional, ensure that your garage door is installed with new tracks at the same time. Most kits for garage door installation will come with rails and installation instructions for that particular model.
All garage doors have individual offsets–the distance the door is set from the wall of the garage before it closes–and most come pre-set by the manufacturer. They also have gussets, which are used to keep the rails of the garage door a certain distance away from the trim around the opening of your garage door.
Some models with adjustable rails are available for purchase, but if you don’t have the correct amount of space needed for all of these individual parts, and not only can your new garage door potentially get stuck, but you could have some seriously harmful consequences if there is a collision with the door while it’s opening, or a door jam.
If something like this happens, don’t use or continue to use your electric garage door opener, as the machinery may continue to try and open or close even while broken. This can put the cables under a lot of pressure and cause them to fail. Snapping cables can result in serious injury, or in some cases, even death–so it isn’t something to take lightly. To make matters worse, the garage door itself could then fall, causing injury to nearby persons or property.
-
Ensure Safety Sensors Are Functioning Properly
Your new garage door will come with an eye-beam safety sensor that’s built-in. Don’t try to remove it, as tempting as it may be to move it or take it off a cluttered floor; this mechanism is here for a reason, and if it can’t detect someone’s presence properly, they could get hurt if the door closes by accident while they’re underneath it. It should also be noted that this sensor can be disrupted by strong sunlight, too, which can prevent the door from opening or closing. If you need further installation tips, contact our team at Straight Up Garage Doors.
