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Installing a garage door opener can be a big job for a homeowner. There are plenty of tutorials about just that sort of thing, but one has to keep a few things in mind.
The most important criteria is the skill level of the installer. A homeowner might not balk at replacing a door knob, but if on the other hand a repair person is called into replace a leaking faucet, perhaps a professional should be called. This is not to be taken as a sign of weakness, but merely a precaution. Garage doors that come loose and lower themselves due to faulty installation can cause serious damage to a person, car or other object nearby.
Once one is sure his or her skills are up to the task and an opener must be chosen. Follow the scout motto and be prepared make sure all the tools are available and organize the supplies. Go over the entire set of instructions. Remember safety is more important that pride. Reading over the instructions will gives one a chance to make sure all the bolts and screwdrivers are in place. Discovering a missing bolt half way through a project when the door is down and the car is trapped in is not very smart. Not having all the necessary tools might be an indication that a professional should be called.
This is also the time to make sure one can reach the ceiling to perform the installation. Is the ladder tall enough? Will an extra set of hands be needed for a crucial hold and tighten moment. Recruiting that person and having them wait may seem like a waste of their time. Instead ask them to help by handing out tools and supplies as needed. Getting help through the whole process is better than ones arms getting weak from exhaustion while shouting across the home.
Ensure that the door is lifting properly. The garage door opener is not actually lifting the full weight of the door. There are springs and pulleys doing the actual labor, a manually opening door and the new opener are actually breaking the force of inertia that hold the door up or down. If the door can't be lifted manually, then a repairman needs to be called to fix the door first.
Follow the directions provided by the manufacturer. Each garage door opener is going to be different, and if one skips something it will likely be regretted later. Check the height requirements for the various parts. Garage door openers should be about 7 feet off the floor to keep from hitting tall car tops. The safety reverse system should be installed about 6 inches off the ground and tested monthly. The operator panel should be at least 5 feet off the ground to ensure that small children don’t play with it. The operator panel should also be in a clean line of sight to the door so that it is not activated while something or someone is under the door.
These a helpful hints should make installing a garage door opener a little easier and safer. Remember to side act with caution and be thorough and follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure that an afternoon of effort is rewarded with years of use, and when in doubt, call in a garage door service to get the job done right the first time.
Every evening the noise of the garage door opening foretells the return
of loved ones all over. Not all garage door openers are the same, though.When differentiating between them there are a
few criteria to look at first, horsepower and then the type of mechanism that
uses that power.
Horsepower relates not to the strength
required to lift the garage door independently, but rather the force necessary
to lift the door given all the pulleys and springs. The opener, be it
mechanical or human, is merely breaking the pull of inertia on the door. The
size, materials, and quality of the door will help one determine how much power
is really necessary.
The next item that any one faced with
replacing or installing a garage door opener needs to learn about is what type
of drive they are looking to buy. There are three major types: belt drive,
chain drive, or screw drive. These drives all have their place and should have
due consideration.
If the door is especially heavy or
large, and therefore has more inertia; ones choices are limited. Chain drive garage door opener units provide the
most power and durability. They are going to be noisy, but that noise is the
result of a lot of horsepower pulling a large chain. The mechanics are similar
to those of a bike chain. These are generally the cheapest solution, but the
noisy chain may not be a pleasant greeting every time one comes home. If the
garage is not directly below or next to a bedroom this may not be a problem.
Screw drives are a good option for
balancing noise level and cost. They often have extra features to protect them
against more extreme climate conditions, but truly the strength of these
openers is their value to noise ratio. There are fewer moving parts and many
customers will find the difference in noise from a chain drive to a screw drive
to be more than enough to make the switch worth it. The screw drive moves the
door up and down in the same way that a nut revolves around a bolt and moves up
and down in the process.
If the device is located directly under
a bedroom or some other consideration makes quiet performance a priority, a
belt drive is the best option. This type of drive is more costly than screw or
chain drive, but the price of uninterrupted nap time may be worth it. These
follow the same mechanical process as chain drives, but a belt like those found
in most car engines is the moving part rather than a noisy, interlocking chain.
There is a newer drive design
available, and if there is a problem of clearance for the garage door or one
needs to park an exceptionally tall object, there is a torsion spring drive.
These special need drives are generally professional installed and there are
very few manufacturers.
The three major types of garage door opener drive are all
available for the Do-it-Yourself type as well as professional installation. Some
models designed for professional installation offer enhanced noise buffering
systems not offered. Some models will even offer a battery backup in case of
power failure. These and other extra features will help one make a final
decision, but understanding how the garage door opener functions will help
anyone make a more educated choice.
There are many garage door openers available on the consumer market. Many homeowners might automatically go for the least expensive option available. However, different garage doors require different power levels of openers, and the location of the garage in relation to the home is also an important factor.
For garages that are built under the house, as is common with many ranch style homes and homes with basements that have exterior access, it is likely worth spending a bit of extra money to get a very quiet garage door opener. While it may be less important for a garage that is under common area living spaces, such as kitchens and living rooms, garages that are underneath bedrooms can be noisy areas that can disturb people sleeping above. Keep in mind that automatic garage door openers are most often attached to the ceiling of the bay-- which is the floor of the living space above. Spending an extra hundred dollars on a whisper quiet automatic opener can minimize noise disturbance. This is especially important for homes with children.
Noise concerns are one thing, but before a homeowner can select from a series of whisper quiet units, the appropriate style of automatic opener must be found. The garage door service that is performing the installation can help a homeowner figure out which style is best. Most garage door openers are installed in an overhead fashion. This means that the opener is mounted to the ceiling in the car bay area, and uses a pulley system to raise the door up and overhead. For garages with particularly low ceilings, cathedral ceilings, or obstructed ceilings, jackshaft opener styles must be used. Jackshaft openers are wall mounted, and often receive high ratings for quiet performance.
When it comes to garage door openers, size matters. For most insulated metal and fiberglass garage doors, an opener with 1/2 horsepower is ample. However, specialty doors are often heavier than more standard doors, and likely require more heavy duty openers. Most carriage house style garage doors need an opener with 3/4 horsepower to handle the heavy lifting. Likewise, solid wood doors, which are extremely heavy, need at least 3/4 horsepower to handle the weight.
It is vital for safety that automatic garage doors have the appropriate horsepower to handle the size and weight of the doors that they must lift. Without the correct horsepower, automatic openers can easily falter and fail, creating serious safety hazards. Because it is so important that the opener matches the door, it is a wise decision to consult with a garage door service about the power and style of opener that is needed.
If you don't have an insulated garage door, you're way behind. If you do, follow these simple instructions to evaluate the quality of your garage door insulation and see if there is more you can be doing to save energy and money. Remember, higher is better for R-values, because the higher the value, the more resistant the garage is to heat loss. The threshold for 'good' insulation is considered to be around 6.5 or so.
Professional tests used to evaluate the R-value are exceedingly complex and involve calculating standard deviations and z-scores and other measures of relative standing, and well as several-factor analysis of variance tests. However, you can use what's known as a quick 'heuristic', or rule of thumb, so make sure you're on the right track and your garage door is acceptable.
First of all, check with your manufacturer to see how much insulation came with your garage door. Then factor in if you've added some sort of insulating material since you got it. You then should perform a quick test- measure the temperature of your heated garage, turn off the heat on a cold day, and measure how long it takes for the air in the garage to drop five degrees. If this occurs within several hours, your R-value is too small.
Your home is equipped with a security alarm to sound when an intruder gets in. Don't you want your house's biggest door to have one, too? Adding an alarm to your garage door is a several-step project, but well worth the trouble. You will need an electric drill, a screwdriver, a pencil, a stud finder, and some drywall anchors. First you have to clean off a section of wall where you want to attach the door sensor main unit system. Then locate a stud that is close to the highest point of the garage door frame- use the stud finder. (If you can't find a stud, you can use the drywall anchors.) Hole up the main unit sensor up to the door, level it, and mark off where the top is. Then screw it in. (you'll have to drill the holes first, preferable into the stud) Next, you have to decide where to put the magnetic switch- door jamb and door locations, making contact such that when the door is shut they are touching and when it's open they come apart. Attach the magnetic switches, and attach the wires to the door sensor already installed. If you need help with these processes, you might want to call in a garage door services person. Now your garage door alarm is ready to use. Padlocking is all well and good, but expensive items in the garage, or using the garage as another part of your home calls for a bit tighter security.
