Home Repair and Paint Guide

Installing a garage door is not too difficult, but you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly for a professional job and also for safety reasons. Consider installing a garage door opener at the same time. These handy devices are a great addition if you live in an area where it rains or snows frequently.

As for the spring assemblies, there are several types to deal with. The easier ones consist of individual springs at each side of the door, aligned parallel to the track. These can be installed without special tools. Be careful when stretching the springs and follow the installation instructions. Be very careful if the door is heavy and uses a windup spring assembly above the door header. These can cause serious injury if you don’t have the correct tools and experience to wind them up. Select a door that comes with do-it-yourself springs to avoid this problem.

There are a lot of parts that come with a new garage door. Don’t be intimidated by all the hardware. Following the assembly instructions makes the job go a lot easier. Some large garage door manufacturers make very user friendly door kits and come with some of the parts already assembled. These will save time during the installation and the job will move a lot faster.

If you are replacing an existing door, you might want to consider hiring someone for this part of the project. Older doors can be especially heavy and the large windup spring over the header is dangerous to work with. Make sure the contractor will carry the old door and all debris away from the site. This saves you time with cleanup duties. If you do this part yourself, you will have to carry the items to your local dump site and pay a fee, so it’s easier to just hire someone else to do this for you. A word of caution - never cut cables or remove spring brackets unless you are absolutely positive they are not under pressure, or holding the door open. These things can be lethal if released while under tension.

For your new garage door to operate smoothly, it must be level and the tracks straight and parallel. Replace any rotting or damaged wood prior to installation. If you are installing a garage door opener, read the instructions and make sure all mounting points on the garage ceiling or joists are installed and ready. You will also need a power outlet for the door opener motor. It’s easier to install these items before starting with the door installation.

It’s very important for the first section of the garage door to be perfectly level. Get this part wrong and your new door will never operate properly, if at all. If the door is made of wood you can cut or sand the bottom to get the top edge level. This also allows the bottom gasket to fit the contour of your garage floor. If the door is made from some other material, the manufacturer will usually state the correct leveling procedure in the installation instructions. If not, and the door will not sit level, call the manufacturer or ask someone that has installed the type of door you are working with. Whatever you do, get this step right and make sure the bottom section is perfectly level. The other sections stack on top of this one and will not work properly if they are not aligned.

Pay close attention to the brackets that attach to the bottom corners of the first section. These brackets must be securely fastened to the door because the lift cables attach to them. They are under high tension and must be installed as specified by the manufacturer for safety reasons.

It is critical to ensure the overhead track is securely attached and aligned correctly. These tracks hold the weight of the door when it is open. Any looseness or alignment problems could allow the door to fall or jump out of its track. This could cause damage or physical injury to anything or anyone standing under the door. The rollers attached to the door are made to allow some lateral movement to account for variations in track alignment, but the range is small. Double check all measurements and make sure the attaching bolts are secure before operating the door.

Once the door is installed, set spring tension according to the instructions. Most door springs are properly adjusted if the door does not open or close by itself when at the halfway point.