How to Install a Garage Door
Understanding how to install a garage door is as much a matter of safety as anything else. Garage door installation isn’t hard, but because you are working with springs under tension, the job can be dangerous. That’s especially true if you’re replacing your old garage door with a newer model.
Because of these safety concerns, I’m going to assume you are reinstalling a garage door, instead of starting from scratch. If you are installing a garage door from scratch, skip the first two directions and move on to “Installing a Garage Door”.
Removing the Old Garage Door
If your old garage door has springs, raise the door and block the door. Once you have it in this position, unhook springs on both sides, one by one. Once you have the springs removed, lower the door, but do so carefully, because the weight can force it down in an out of control fashion.
Removing a Torsion Bar
How to Install a Garage Door
If your garage door has a torsion bar instead of springs, put the garage door down. Hold the spring with both bars, while loosening the set screws. Start to reverse the spring tension slows with both bars.
Once this is done, take the top wheel holders off, then the top set of hinges. Next, remove the top panel of the torsion bar. Then you’ll be able to remove the second pair of hinges. Remove the next panel.
You’ll do this same thing one more time. Remove the next set of hinges. Remove that panel. Then you should be able to remove the lower wheel holders on the torsion bar. This should bring the entire door out.
Inspect the wheel rails to see if they are in working fashion. If so, you can use them for the next door. This makes your job a lot easier.
Installing a Garage Door
This is going to be the reverse of what you did before: put the first panel in the hole, with the wheels in the end hinges. The bottom wheel holders should slide into place, following the motion of the door panel.
Proceed in the same way with each panel, until you have all panels installed. Remember to put hinges on with each panel. Once you finish the last panel, but the top wheel holders onto the rig.
Hooking up the Springs
Bring the garage door up to its raised position. Block the hook-up cables to keep the door stabilized.
Next, run the spring cable around the pulley and then through the pulley on the spring, hooking into the track angle iron. Repeat on the other side with the other spring.
Installing a Torsion Bar
When installing a torsion bar, leave your door down for the installation procedure. Put a vise grip onto the shaft to hold the shaft in place. Check the end drums to make sure the door rolls correctly.
Next, wind the torsion bar with both winding bars. Wind until you have the bar at the proper tension, then set the tension screws. Remember to put the safety cable through the tension springs. Test the door to see if it works and troubleshoot anything that seems out of place, now that you know how to install a garage door.
Installing a Garage Door
If you’ve never installed a garage door yourself, be careful of springs under pressure. Consider having a more experienced family member or neighbor on hand to help you the first time you do this, so you know how to install a garage door safely. This isn’t a hard job, but you have to keep an eye on what you’re doing and maintain a healthy respect of the danger of springs.