Residential Garage Door Installation: 3 Mistakes You Should Avoid

6 July 2022
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Installing a garage door is an investment in the security of your car. But homeowners often rush to install garage doors without thinking it through. Hence, they make several mistakes that cost them dearly in the future.

If you plan on installing a garage door, it is wise to learn about the common mistakes people make and avoid them. Here are three residential garage door installation mistakes you should avoid.

1. Attempting a Novice DIY Garage Door Installation 

Attempting a DIY garage door installation can damage the garage door or lead to future repairs. For instance, if you fail to center the garage door opener precisely in the middle of the garage door, your garage door will be off-balance. 

Off-balance means one side of the garage door will tilt and exert more weight on the opener than the other. As a result, your garage door opener will malfunction or fail due to improper weight distribution. Hence, you will have to repair or replace the garage door opener after some time. 

Thus, before attempting a DIY garage door installation, ensure you have enough experience and skill to do a proper installation. Otherwise, hire a professional residential garage door installation service to ensure it's done correctly.

2. Installing Garage Doors That Swing Inward

One of the primary mistakes people make is to install garage doors that swing inwards. 

A swinging garage door needs enough space to swing open and shut. Thus, if you install an inward swinging garage door, you have to reserve a significant part of your garage space for the door. As a result, inward swinging garage doors limit the usable area of your garage. 

Further, if your garage is too small, an inward swinging garage door may not allow the garage doors to close while your car is inside. 

Hence, if you plan to install swinging garage doors, ensure they swing outwards, not inwards. 

3. Installing the Wrong Garage Door Opener 

Common garage door openers you can use on your garage door include: 

  • Chain-driven openers
  • Belt-driven openers
  • Jackshaft openers
  • Screw driven openers

Installing the wrong opener can result in frequent garage door opener repairs. Thus, before installing any garage door opener, consider your garage door's weight. The weight of your garage door depends on its material. For instance, wooden and steel garage doors weigh more than fiberglass and aluminum garage doors. 

Chain-driven and jackshaft openers have a higher weight capacity than belt-driven and screw-driven openers. Thus, both openers are ideal for any garage door, regardless of weight. However, belt and screw-driven openers are only suitable for lightweight garage doors such as fiberglass or aluminum garage doors. 

Hence, don't use belt-driven or screw-driven openers if you have heavy steel or wooden garage doors.

To make sure your garage door is installed correctly and will serve you well, contact a residential garage door installation service in your area.