Garage Installation ‘ A Do It Yourself Project

If you are in the market for a new garage door, you may wish to consider installing the door yourself. If you decide to go this route, keep in mind that the garage door is the largest mechanical device in your home, and it has many parts. The door can weigh up to 400 pounds and has a lot of springs. Garage installation can be dangerous and can cause injury.

The type of garage door you are installing is an important consideration. A swing hung door opens to the side just a like a regular door. These types of doors are not very common. ‘Up and over’ doors open by swinging outward into the driveway and then up, resting parallel to the garage door ceiling. Roller or sectional doors are made up of several individual sections that are connected and held together by hinges. These types of doors open vertically on tracks.

The majority of people who have purchased a new garage door prefer to hire a professional; however, if you decide to install the door yourself, your best option is to go with a sectional type of garage door.

Unless you are installing a garage door on a new house, you will first have to remove the existing door. This can be dangerous if you do not know the inner workings of the door. The most important factor to consider is the type of spring system on the existing door. Spring mechanisms have a great amount of tension and are dangerous to install or adjust. Before beginning, make sure your existing garage door has a torsion spring system. Do not cut any cables, and do not try to take apart the springs, especially when the door is closed. Spring tension is the greatest on a closed door. Make sure to release the spring tension before removing the door.

After you remove your old door, inspect the wood that surrounds the doorframe and ensure that no rotted wood exists. You must have fresh new wood to hold the brackets and springs for your new garage door.

Follow the instructions from the manufacturer when installing a new door. Try not to become overwhelmed with the number of parts and steps. You should use the hardware supplied by the garage door manufacturer.

When doing your own garage installation, look at the first door section and ensure that both the bottom of the tracks and the door itself are aligned and level, make sure that the bottom brackets are fastened on the door, make sure that the overhead track is perfectly aligned and securely supported, and make sure that the tension is correct on the spring

Learn more about garage door repair. Stop by Walter Wilhelm’s site where you can find out all about Washington DC Garage Door and what we can do for you.