New Garage Door Installation Overview
An older double garage door can weigh anywhere from 250 to 450 lbs. This weight, coupled with deteriorating hardware, makes older garage doors a frequent scene of home accidents. Yet many of us enter and exit our homes through the garage door far more often than we do through the formal entry door.
Garage door springs come in two styles: torsion, which mounts on the header above the door, and extension, which floats above the upper roller track. In the past, extension springs were safer to install but didn’t have containment cables running through the center of the spring. Without cable, these springs become dangerous, heavy whips when they break. They also tend to be noisier than torsion springs, and we recommend you use them only if you don’t have the 12 in. of headroom above the door that a torsion spring requires.
Torsion springs have three advantages over extension springs: They’re quieter, safer and easier to fine-tune. Torsion springs are quieter because you don’t have a spring knocking against a roller track. They’re safer because when a spring breaks, it usually stays on the bar. Finally, you can fine-tune the tension on a torsion spring so the door is perfectly balanced. Setting the tension on torsion springs has always been very dangerous, you should hire a professional to release and set the tension on a torsion spring.
Make sure the garage door is balanced. Close the door and pull the emergency release cord (always close the door first so it can’t come crashing down!). Lift the door about halfway up and let go. The door shouldn’t move. If it slides up or down, the torsion spring needs to be adjusted (or maybe even replaced). Adjusting the torsion spring is dangerous, so don’t attempt it yourself (you could get seriously hurt). Call a pro to adjust it.
Garage door openers are available with a chain drive, screw drive or belt drive. Chain drives (a long chain pulls the door open and closed) are the least expensive, but they’re loud. Screw drives (a long threaded rod drives a mechanism that opens and closes the door) are priced in the mid- range. They require the least maintenance, but they’re not as quiet as belt drives. Belt drives (a rubber belt opens and closes the door) are the quietest, making them the best choice if you have living space above the garage. They’re also the most expensive.
If you're interested in installing a garage door, we can help. Our technicians are trained to garage door installation and repair and install services professionally so that they will last for years without any issues at all. The installation of a garage door can be an excellent investment for your home. With all the benefits that come along with this, you'll wonder why someone didn't do it sooner!