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Thread: Installing garage doors

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    cabezaverde's Avatar
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    Installing garage doors

    Anyone ever done it? I am thinking this might be a 2-person job best to be hired out?
    Founder of the Single Shot section.

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master


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    It is not a bad job. Start by stacking your panels one at a time using a nail driven into the trim at enough angle to hold them in place. Assemble the roller brackets and hinges next. Install the rollers and use them as a guide for the tracks and bolt the tracks to the wall with lag screws. Springs and cables are the hardest part. Most doors will come with directions on how to do them. I am sure there are a lot of UTube videos as well. If you don't feel confident, then by all means hire someone. It's not worth getting hurt.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    It is doable by yourself take your time and follow the instructions.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Master Wag's Avatar
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    I wouldn't hesitate to do it. The trickiest part of it is the spring system. You can take your head off with that spring if you're not doing it right.

    But then again, you can blow your head off at the reloading bench if you don't do THAT right.

    --Wag--
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  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    And do not use an internal spring system! ��

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I am a "died in the wool" do it yourselfer, but I won't touch garage doors. I call the professionals.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy Sig's Avatar
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    What size doors & what type of panels? Large wood panels are heavy & awkward to do solo. An 8'x7' steel door is cake.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    I have installed a number of them over the years a lot depends on the door you are installing whether you need help. By that, I mean if it is a 8 or 10 foot door or a 16 foot door with heavy panels. As I got older, I got smarter and the last 2 or 3 I hired it done. In the long run, they knew exactly what to do as that was all that they do. They were familiar with the make of door, getting the spring tension correct and if it had torsion hardware, getting that tuned correctly - if when done if there was an issue (there never was), they would have to come back and make it right. In and out in half the time I could do it by myself and my time was better spent on doing other tasks. In the end, i guess it all depends on your situation and if your time and effort is worth the $$ you would save doing it yourself. You ought to be able to get a quite and decide from there - and these are crazy times and with inflation, even getting someone to quote it and actually show up - you might not have any alternative but to do it yourself.

  9. #9
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    cabezaverde's Avatar
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    It is a 9 foot door. What does installation cost?
    Founder of the Single Shot section.

    A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.


    8 in the 10 ring, then I get a PING. Love my Garand.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    I did one garage door R and R, a panel door, by myself, after that, I hired the next two done. I have five roll ups on this place now, I keep them clean and lubed, but if they need an R and R, it will get hired. Three are 3” thick insulated, automatic sealing doors. Takes 3-4 people to pick up.
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  11. #11
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    I've done a couple. It'd be easier with two people, but one person can do a 10' one fairly safely.
    Think it through, watch some youtube videos on it.
    It's not that big a deal, but 'read & heed' every safety precaution about loading up the tension on the spring.

    If that spring 'gets away' it'll probably send you to the emergency room.
    After it whacks you--- the fall off the ladder is going to hurt too.
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  12. #12
    Boolit Master Handloader109's Avatar
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    I'd hire it out, cost depends upon location. And I'll never put in an un insulated door. My 2 car garage never gets below freezing even last year at a -8f low and below zero for several days and no supplement heat except really minor seepage through wood door. And no more than 85 even at 103 outside.

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  13. #13
    Boolit Master

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    Being that I’m a dyed-in-wool DIY type, in a pinch I might, if it’s a one-car sized door with a single lift spring. If bigger or dual torsion springs, I’d have a pro install it. Aside from the noted danger springs pose, if things go south you can do a lot of damage to tracks etc.
    I’ve been in construction all my life and can say without malice that most of it isn’t rocket science. Heck, an average guy, with proper instructions can defuse a mine or unexploded bomb. But I’ve had enough experience with roll-up doors to defer to the pros.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by cabezaverde View Post
    It is a 9 foot door. What does installation cost?
    mid michigan area $200
    more if they have to work around stuff in the way

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    After watching the man who installed my door a few years ago, there's no way I would attempt to adjust the spring tension. It's a learned feel and an easy way to hurt yourself if you're a bit feeble or uncoordinated. I bought the door at Lowes and used their installer, who turned out to be a full-time garage door installer. The job went without a hitch and after watching what was involved there's no way I would do it myself.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I watched the 2 young men install the 3 garage doors and chain fall openers in my new garage. They got here about 9 and were fine with all 3 by 2:00
    The only saw cuts were the shafts every thing else was cut on a Beverly hand shear mounted on a length of 2 x 12. All cordless drivers and drills. high end levels and tools. They installed everything and made a yellow line down the springs with a paint pen before winding tension on. They installed 1 8' and 2 10' doors along with the openers. Best money I spent.

  17. #17
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    I have done three or four and they are not too bad. You want to make sure the wind up rods fit the spring winder holes very well and that they are in all the way before applying tension.

  18. #18
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    Just a note - the torsion type springs have a paint stripe on them for two reasons: Spring force and proper installation adjustment. One color is for narrow, lighter doors and other colors are for wider, heavier doors. Colors may be different for different door manufacturers.

    But a door spring is properly adjusted when there's a specified number of diagonal / spiral paint stripes in the spring when the door is open, and a higher number of stripes when shut. Just use the two steel rods to twist the nut to yield the specified number of turns signified by stripe count, and lock the set screws. TAKE CARE using those rods to twist the spring. I used to do them when I was much younger, but I call the pro now that I'm halfway to 136.

    Oh - and an accurate 4' or longer level is your little frien'.

    Noah

  19. #19
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    It depends how much time and patience you have. Most things are doable but the question is whether or not is worth calling an expert.

  20. #20
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    I'll throw my 2 cents in , if you are the type of person who can think things threw and pay attention to the details you won't have any problems doing it yourself and having a door that works and looks good .

    If you are the type that just does things to get them done and you might not have the patience to take the time to get everything as close to perfect as you can , let someone else do it . It might save some cussing and swearing in the future when you have to go back and re-adjust things you didn't spend enough effort on the first time .

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