Two reasons make it necessary to install a new garage door. Whether the old door is worn out or when a new garage is being built, an up-and-over door or sectional door has to be installed for the first time.
Specialist companies carry out this work routinely and in a short time – with the current construction boom, however, the installation or replacement date can be a long way off.
In addition, these companies are legitimately well paid for their work. Doing it yourself has two advantages:
- Immediate completion
- Cost-saving
However, there is a handicap with self-installation – if damage occurs later due to improper installation, the manufacturer or supplier will not assume any warranty services.
Compensation from warranty claims such as in the case of botched construction work does not exist anyway if you do your work.
Anyone who wants to install a sectional door, up-and-over door, or another type of door in their garage should therefore be aware of their manual skills.
A crooked door can lead to irreparable damage and it may not be burglar-proof. But do not panic – the installation is not that difficult if the procedure is planned and the installation is carried out carefully and calmly.
We would like the following provides important information step by step. Here you can find professionals for garage door repair and installation.
Which Garage Door Is the Right One?
We do not want to include wooden swing gates in this presentation. They are hardly used today, are not burglar-proof, and are always subject to the risk of warping or even the closure being no longer secure.
Rather, our selection and installation instructions refer to the sectional door and up-and-over door. The design of the garage determines to a large extent the type of optimally suited garage door.
In almost every case, a stand-alone garage is only used to park the vehicle and a wide variety of utensils. An insulated gate is not required here.
However, if the garage has direct access to the house, the door should be equipped with internal insulation. Then it often serves as a hobbyist or do-it-yourself workshop and heat losses are otherwise unavoidable.
An up-and-over door is significantly cheaper and less complex in construction than a sectional door. However, it initially swings outwards when opening and closing before it is flush with the garage front in the end position.
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If the garage is located directly on a footpath, passers-by can be hindered. On the property, this is of less importance. But here, too, there must be sufficient parking space available, because the car cannot be parked directly in front of the garage.
A sectional door, on the other hand, is more expensive. However, it offers a particularly high-quality architectural appearance.
However, when installing a door, the garage should always be ventilated on-site, because standing damp air accelerates corrosion on the vehicle and stored utensils.
An electric gate drive offers particular comfort. In rainy weather, in particular, it is an advantage if you do not have to leave the vehicle before driving into the garage. Today’s modern door drives also work with a soft start.
They react much better to possible mechanical blockages on the gate, while one will always try to open or close a stiff gate with muscle power. The electric gate operator accordingly extends the service life of all components of the gate.
Thorough Measurement Protects Against Errors
Garage doors come in standard sizes as standard. A professional building specialist who has planned the construction of the garage always pays attention to a standardized dimension for the door opening.
When purchasing a prefabricated garage made of concrete or another material, these dimensions are also specified.
Measure the Height and Width of A Garage Door
Before the gate is bought, it is only necessary to measure the height and width of the gate opening again with a tape measure. Caution! Several chain measurements with a folding rule quickly lead to measurement inaccuracies.
When measuring, it must also be taken into account whether the door is to be installed in the wall cut-out or behind the reveal. Sectional doors are usually always installed behind the reveal.
In individual cases also before the opening, if the stops are not sufficient. The situation is different with a garage that was built in earlier times. There were often no standard dimensions here.
The width, height, and wall thickness of the door opening must therefore be measured just as carefully. Then there are several possibilities:
- A standard door will fit with only minor masonry adjustments or
- The gate must be custom-made. Specialized door and window construction companies do this, but they charge well for this service.
- A standard gate can also be used, with a smaller opening. The frame is built behind the opening so that the door opening is a few cm larger on each side than the wall opening.
In the case of garage doors, the required ceiling height, as well as a space for inserting the insulation, must be included in the measurement.
