Proper preparation of the garage door opening is most important if the door is to operate satisfactorily. As already mentioned, the finished opening, including outside casing, side jambs, and header, should be the correct size for the door. This opening in both width and height must be kept uniform for the entire opening. That is, the width dimension must be the same at the top, middle, and bottom of the opening; the height dimension must be the same at both sides and the middle.
The important dimensions when ordering any garage door are A and B. With the roll-up type, be sure to have atleast 10 inches of headroom clearance (C) for single overhead doors and 12 inches for double doors. There should be at least 4 inches of sideroom (D). Headroom is that space from the door opening header to an overhead structure. Sideroom is that space from the side of the opening to the wall.
The plumbness of the opening must also be checked. This can be done easily by running two strings diagonally from the top to the bottom corners. If the strings touch at the point in the center where they pass each other, the opening is plumb. Door installation. Manufacturers supply detailed instruction sheets for the installation of their particular garage door. However, here’s an example of the step-by-step procedure for installing a typical four-section, roll-up type garage door:
1. Unpack all the hardware and check it against the manufacturer’s shipping list. Warranty fulfillment on many wood doors requires painting or staining before installation. New doors should be treated with a wood preservative before priming. Use an oil-base exterior primer on all the edges, as well as inside and out. Allow this coat to dry about 36 to 48 hours before you apply the finish coat. Whatever finish you use, apply it as directed on the container.
2. Fasten the bolts in the door sections to the hinges and hangers. Insert the track rollers into the hangers. If required, now is the time to attach the U-bar brace.
3. To assemble the door, place the bottom door section in the door opening and check for level. Place the second door section on the first and attach with the hinges and hangers. Do this with each door section, but don’t attach the top roller hanger just yet.
4. Place the vertical tracks over the rollers, align, and bolt the track firmly to the door jamb. Fasten the vertical track, the curved track, and the horizontal track to the jamb angle at the top of the door. The entire track assembly is now installed.
5. Temporarily secure the horizontal track to the ceiling or joists, and install the top roller hangers in the upper corners of the top door section. Cautiously test the door’s action and alignment by raising it to about half-opening. Track alignment corrections should be made at this time.
6. Attach the angle iron support between each track’s end and a nearby ceiling joist. A cross brace may be added to support the iron and increase its holding power.
The upper trac ksection and how its hardware is connected together
7. Raise the door onto the horizontal track and secure it in place. Attach the springs and cables. Make the final adjustments: Set the spring tension, check the rollers, install the door lock and locking bars, and tighten the nuts and bolts. Keep in mind that loose hinges will cause the rollers to bend, while rollers too tight in the track will also bind. If the locking bars do not glide freely-through their openings, the guides at the edge of each side of the door can be adjusted. The spring tension of an extension spring can be adjusted by shortening the cable or by taking up the slack. The torsion type of spring is adjusted by loosening the lockout and winding the spring tighter with a bar inserted in the collar. NOTE: Garage door springs under tension can be dangerous; when installing or adjusting, use extreme care. Never stand in front of or behind a tensioned spring while working on it. 8. To complete the installation, close the door and attach vertical wood stop strips to the side frame. Also nail a horizontal stop strip to the top of the door frame. If the floor of the garage is not level at the opening, the new door won’t close flush. This difficulty can be overcome simply by attaching a strip of special garage door weatherstripping along the bottom edge that will seal the uneven space.
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