At first glance, it seems like a good idea to install the garage door yourself, as this can save you hundreds of dollars in costs. However, only if doing the work yourself does not result in expensive follow-up costs.
Garage doors quickly resent incorrect assembly and acknowledge this with bent doors, sluggish opening, and squeaky hinges.
Even When Removing the Old Door, Mistakes Can Happen
In many construction projects, costs can be saved by removing old components, including the garage door. But the first hurdles and sources of error are already lurking here.
Apart from the fact that there is a high risk of injury from the tensioned springs of the opening mechanism, damage to the garage itself can result from improper removal.
And sometimes a complete expansion would even be premature. Because in some cases it is enough to replace the door leaf itself, while the guide rails and frame can be retained. However, this can only be judged by professionals.
After the existing gate has been removed, another task awaits: the gate must be disposed of properly.
If you work here yourself, you have to bear a lot of effort and additional costs for transport and the fees at the recycling center.
In the case of old wooden gates, in particular, it is important to note that they often belong in the special waste, as they have been coated with several layers of wood preservatives.
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Measuring Correctly Needs to Be Learned!
Even when measuring the garage door opening, do-it-yourselves can come across unexpected peculiarities.
Slopes, insufficient ceiling height, or deviations from the standard dimensions for garage doors require special measures and special solutions.
In many cases, laypeople are overwhelmed as to what they are and how to measure correctly in this case. Measuring errors – in addition to fatal inaccuracies – are also painfully noticeable in the area of the frame.
If the measurements are incorrect and then the frame is installed incorrectly, this not only impairs the opening function but the entire door.
Wall Mounting – But Right!
Large compressive and tensile forces act on the garage door, the guide rails, and all other components when opening and closing. It is therefore extremely important that the parts are attached to the garage wall stably and stably.
Depending on the wall material, different fasteners are required – screws, dowels, and also the drill must be selected to match the material so that the door construction can withstand all loads permanently and safely.
If errors occur here, this can disrupt the locking mechanism, in the worst case the door can no longer be opened or closed at all.
The Professional Installation
Each garage door comes with detailed installation instructions from the manufacturer, in which all the steps are described.
Nevertheless, inexperience can lead to mistakes, especially with more complicated constructions such as sectional doors or roller shutters.
In this case, too, the errors range from malfunctions when opening and closing, through damage to the door leaf, to the entire garage door being unusable due to bent rails, pull rollers, or door leaves.
The Challenge of Electric Drives
An electric drive for the garage door is now standard. The drives can be installed with the new door, but can also be installed later.
Here, too, installation errors or the selection of the wrong model for the door quickly take revenge and can even be life-threatening.
Incorrect assembly can result in unwanted gate movements, failure of the safety devices, objects, or, even worse, people, can become trapped.
