The garage door is the single biggest moving component of your entire house. It also covers the single largest opening in your home’s exterior and represents the last line of defense between you and the often harsh Ontario environment. The garage door has become an important aesthetic tool designers and architects the world over depend on to deliver unexpected ‘wows’. But they’re also enormous mechanical devices that, if not installed properly, could present a real and present danger to a home’s inhabitants. In this post, we’re going to look at several common shortcuts taken during the installation of garage doors that often come back to haunt those who took them.

The Importance of Proper Garage Door Installation

Installing a new garage door seems like it doesn’t require any particular skill or training but looks can be deceiving. If corners are cut during the installation the garage door will be more hazard than benefit and you’ll likely need to have someone in to redo the installation. Here are several shortcuts that typically backfire:

• One Extension Spring: Some Overhead garage door replacement companies and more than a few DIYers think they can get away with using a single extension spring mounted in the center of the ceiling between the tracks. This is both dangerous and a bit delusional. The nature of extension springs means that they’re not predisposed to lifting so much weight on their own or in this manner. Always make sure that whoever installs your door uses 2 extension springs.
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• Foregoing the Auto-Reverse: The auto-reverse mechanism consists of a beam of light shone across the garage door opening that, if broken, prevents the moving door from closing on a person, pet, car or anything else by automatically reversing the door’s motion. It’s a crucial safety feature of modern garage doors and one that should never be left out. But that’s just what some installers will do. They hope that you won’t notice that such a discrete device is missing and a lot of times their bet pays off. Always check to make sure the installer has included an auto-reverse mechanism.
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• Using Nails Instead of Screws: Some installers will use nails to secure the framing members instead of screws. Sometimes this is done simply to save money because the installer doesn’t have the right screws available and doesn’t want to go buy them. But this is a dangerous corner to cut because the force exerted on the nails by repeated cycling of the door will eventually cause them to loosen or even pop out, which leaves the door an accident waiting to happen.
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• Doing it Yourself: When all is said and done perhaps the biggest shortcut to avoid when it comes to garage door installation is doing it yourself. Now that statement may raise the dander of more than a few DIYers but it also happens to be true. The typical garage door weighs hundreds of pounds and comes to rest directly above the heads of your loved ones. It must be installed properly by well-trained, experienced professionals.
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A garage door installation is not something to trifle with. The door is extremely heavy and therefore the potential for serious injury is high should mistakes be made or corners be cut during an installation. If you need a new garage door, contact the experienced pros at Smart Doors. We’ll install your door right the first time for a price that may surprise you. Give us a call today to learn more.